Knicks take 1-0 series lead with Game 1 win over Spurs

The New York Knicks opened the 2026 NBA Finals with a 105-95 road win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, June 3, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 12 rebounds, and New York finished on an 11-0 run, according to NBA.com and ESPN. The game turned after San Antonio built a 14-point second-half lead at Frost Bank Center, only for the Knicks to close the final minutes with cleaner half-court execution and stops. Victor Wembanyama had 26 points and 12 rebounds in his first Finals game, but the Spurs were held to 19 fourth-quarter points. ### How did New York take control late? New York erased a 14-point second-half deficit and then closed the game with an 11-0 burst, ESPN reported. Brunson scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, while the Knicks outscored San Antonio 29-19 in the final period. (nba.com) NBA.com’s Finals page described Brunson’s fourth-quarter play as the turning point of Game 1. ESPN’s recap said his late scoring helped New York “steal” the opener on the road after San Antonio had controlled long stretches earlier in the night. (espn.com) ### What did Brunson and the supporting cast provide? Brunson finished with 30 points, the game-high total, and Towns posted a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. OG Anunoby scored 17 points for New York, giving the Knicks three major scoring contributions in the opener. (nba.com) NBA.com’s Finals coverage also pointed to help beyond Brunson, highlighting Towns and Landry Shamet as contributors in the comeback. That mattered because San Antonio’s defense spent much of the night trying to force the ball out of Brunson’s hands in late-clock situations. (espn.com) ### What did San Antonio get from Wembanyama? Wembanyama opened his first NBA Finals with 26 points and 12 rebounds, leading San Antonio in both categories. The Spurs entered the series after a 62-20 regular season and had home court, but they dropped the opener despite leading by double digits in the second half. (nba.com) San Antonio scored 27 points in the first quarter and 28 in the second, then fell to 21 in the third and 19 in the fourth. That scoring split tracked the shift in the game as New York tightened the pace and cut off cleaner late possessions. That last point is an inference from the quarter-by-quarter scoring pattern and the final run. (nba.com) ### How unusual is the Knicks’ run? ESPN said the win was New York’s 12th straight playoff victory. According to ESPN’s recap, that made the Knicks the seventh team in NBA history to post a 12-game postseason winning streak and the third to do it within a single playoff year. (espn.com) The result also gave New York an immediate road win in the Finals, shifting the series score to 1-0 before the teams play again in Texas. NBA.com’s series page lists the Knicks ahead and shows San Antonio trying to respond at home in the next game. ### When is Game 2 and where can fans follow it? (espn.com) Game 2 is scheduled for Friday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET in San Antonio, according to NBA.com’s Finals schedule. ABC is carrying the game, and both NBA.com and ESPN have posted recap and highlight packages from Game 1. (nba.com) ESPN’s playoffs hub and NBA.com’s Finals page list the rest of the series calendar, with Game 3 set for June 8 in New York if the schedule holds. The immediate next step is Game 2 at Frost Bank Center, where the Spurs will try to avoid falling behind 2-0 before the series shifts to Madison Square Garden. (nba.com)