[Highlight] The New York Knicks take Game 1 of the NBA Finals with a 105-95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. The Knicks have now won 12 straight playoff games, tying the 1999 Spurs for the 2nd-longest win streak in a single postseason.
Brunson tipping that rebound then hitting the three was amazing
Can’t measure heart. Littlest dude on the court with the biggest rebound.
actually i can, Hart is 6’4”
Hart is always fucking there for that rebound
How tf does this man have the most rebounds in a game where he played 27 minutes. When there is a 7’5” player playing 38 minutes on the other team
It’s just pure will and effort. We’ve seen over the years that rebounding has never been about height. Rodman, Barkley, Hart.
I respect and love Hart’s game so much. To see a player who can impact a game so much without needing to score. It’s a rare thing.
He had several clutch steals, too
And he grabbed 15 lol
His rebounding has been on another level this postseason. Such a competitor.
McBride with the block too
That doesn’t come up on the stats sheet
But the 3 does! BORN TO PLAY BASKETBALL !!🏀
He had a few monster offensive rebounds tonight
Fighting for a rebound over a 6’5 lengthy wing, winning the tip, and making the 3 was ice cold.
Everyone is better than Jalen Brunson, UNTIL it’s time to be better than Jalen Brunson
That extra gear he has is just insane man
“No he’s not”
Nico’s first greatest hit.
He’s got so many hits, it’s hard to choose. The Rolling Stones of dogshit team management.
Kings management would like a word
No no, Nico only hates Europeans /s
Jalen spoke in a French accent once while Nico happened to walk by. BAM! Gone by the end of the season.
Nico Harrison has the great talent of trading away fantastic players for peanuts
The lone player to come out of the Tom Thibodeau experience stronger than before.
Forged by the fire of 45 minute games
Butler?
Low key I think a lot of the Knicks starters benefited from the Thibs experience. Rarely seem gassed late in games.
Josh Hart’s lungs tripled in size because of Thibs and now he’s incapable of getting gassed lmao
I have it on good authority that he is too short
mavs will be paying for that statue in NY
When I saw the game was tied in the 4th and Brunson still didn’t enter the court I knew it was over. He’s so unbelievably good.
Shout out to KAT, OG and Hart as well. I wouldn’t care if i miss shots knowing Hart is going to be there busting his ass.
There’s just this magic with this year’s Knicks I haven’t seen before
Brunson when the game is on the line is fucking unbelievable. Unstoppable
Tf is with this guy coming alive under pressure? It’s like he only activates when it’s all on the line which is the most important skill in sport.
In my life, I’ve never seen anyone more locked in than Brunson is right now. It’s unreal.
I have and his name is Karl Anthony Towns lol
Shades of Eli Manning
I’ve made the comparison just mentality wise in that they don’t seem to feel pressure or get lost in the moment. The thing I like about Brunson is he’s very even-keel and just has a general calmness about him.
I want the ball in his hands but I want us to run something that isn’t just an ISO with 12 seconds on the shot clock. That’s what Thibs would do and it truly came down to whether or not Brunson could hit a tough shot every possession. It seems like Brown has us switching it up down the stretch in close games which is a relief.
I will say one of the things the Spurs did fairly well all night was pressuring from about 3⁄4 court. Felt like the shot clock was at 12 by the time we were setting a play.
He feels like Mariano Rivera in basketball. The endings in a close game feel inevitable.
If you told me MIKE BROWN was going to be the guy that got this team to unlock its potential before the start of the season I would’ve said bullshit but I guess his corny ass is exactly what we needed.
Mike Brown led the Kings to the second seed. The Kings. Give that man some respect
That’s like 3-peating
Well analyticaly it’s like 4 titles in a row
Tbf the beam led them.
Tbf he immediately lost in the first round with that team.
This Knicks team is just special.
Steph Curry happened, can’t blame him for that
Losing to the defending champs at the time is not bad at all.
Mike Brown is a good basketball coach
We had 5 seasons of the best regular season raising coach in the league so watching a regular season where we underperformed was really weird. It’s nice to see us improve in the playoffs though.
I don’t think what we saw during the regular season was underperformance per se. I thin it was a smart, flexible coach experimenting with the roster, matchups, formations, etc. Yes, sometimes those experiments went wrong and we took some L’s. But I think it was all in service to figuring shit out.
This is a big part. Unlike Thibs who had 5 years of experimenting, Mike Brown had a few months to get his rotations, schemes, and sequences fine tuned. It’s actually pretty incredible when you think about it
Thibs experiment is seeing how a basketball team would do if you only had 8 players, but those 8 players get to drink Michael’s Secret Stuff from Space Jam.
Pacers ate well off corn last year. Makes sense
stole this from another comment but it made a lot of sense to me: thibs should probably get some credit for this team
Sure but I don’t think we ever make it to the Finals with Thibs. When Mikal Bridges, the Iron Man of the current NBA, is complaining about playing too much then you need to reconsider your approach to coaching.
Half of the locker room hated thibs
theyre on that 2014 Spurs and 2022 Warriors energy after a tough, heartbreaking loss the year before
Agreed. Top to bottom they have players that can get it done every night in a hundred different ways. And there’s schemes are amazing: they are well coached on both ends and play smart.
To be fair last years Pacers were more “magical” even if they were not strictly better per se
One Achilles away from saving us from the OKC dynasty bullshit.
I’m just in shock, I never thought this would be possible
2011 Mavs
Brunson was a demon in the clutch, but I have to shout out my guy Josh Hart. The Knicks would not have closed out this game without him creating so many second chance opportunities with his rebounding
The Knicks wouldn’t have won without Brunson.
Wouldn’t have won without Hart.
Wouldn’t have won without KAT.
This is a true TEAM. And this is the worst basketball they are going to play all series, the rust is gone
How about shamet? Smallest role out of any of those guys but the shooting has been insane.
Dude even Jose Alvarado came in for brunson and got his and contributed
But you know who sucks? Jordan Clarkson
Clarkson has been a good soldier for us
Good soldiers follow orders.
Knows his role, does his job.
Maybe the East wasn’t all that weak, maybe the Knicks are just good.
Seriously. I don’t care how much better you think the West is than the East. If a team comes in on an 11-game win streak in the playoffs (especially with the point differential they had), they are to be taken seriously
Right? It’s hard enough to win in the playoffs and to win 11 straight with large point differentials should signal to people that the Knicks are a force.
If a team comes in on an 11-game win streak in the playoffs (especially with the point differential they had), they are to be taken seriously
didn’t even make sense to me how people thought spurs would steamroll knicks, unless it’s because they never watched any of the past games
knicks have been the worse matchup for spurs compared to okc
I cannot understand this “East is weak” viewpoint at all, last year the Pacers were not better than (or at least as hot as) this Knicks team, and still almost won the whole thing.
Spurs might become a dominant, heavily favored dynasty-level force, but they aren’t there yet. It’s their first year and they’ve got barely any playoff experience among them, it’s ridiculous to talk as if they’ve won it without even playing.
The Knicks definitely want this more. For them, it’s gotta feel like their only shot. The Spurs are playing with house money. The Knicks won at the little things down the stretch.
It pains me to say it, but it feels like they’re playing with the level of focus the 24 Celtics team had. Obviously not the exact same situation team building wise, but they are playing like they understand the gravity of getting to the finals and everyone is doing their role in service of winning.
Just commenting so when people come at you with straws and cope, I can get alerted then bring my popcorn and enjoy the show.
Wemby not having a go-to offensive move might cost them in this series
His offense is incredibly ugly. Like genuinely hideous. If he can’t get a putback or lob, he just spins and throws up a prayer.
Yeah literally. He just makes ridiculous shots so often somehow. But it never actually seems he creates good space or whatever. Seems to be working so far in his career but not the prettiest thing to watch.
He’s young. He’ll develop it. It doesn’t help that they’re playing him outside so much
The way forward for him is efficient scoring with little to no dribbles. He cannot put the ball on the floor man, his height makes it an immediate turnover or picked up dribble/tough shot. This summer he gotta lay better foundations for that face-up/post-up game. That KD shit only works in the regular season.
Yup. Back to the basket back downs there was like three steals against wemby. From the three point line trying that, there’s just too many opportunities
If anything, knowing there is a lot of room above him before he reaches his ceiling is a terrifying thought.
Not really, only a few inches max
Yeah. And he gets bailed out a lot with fouls on bad shots that the defense should allow him to take.
yeah against OKC he was fast/strong enough to just make it work against Chet iHart
Mitch is huge. KAT is huge. Wemby isn’t fast enough to get by or strong enough to run through them (yet anyway)
He can still stretch the floor like nobody else, and he’s still a huge threat on the lob and offensive glass…but struggles to create for himself
Mitch has crazy footwork. Got to see him play in person , it’s amazing.
How does this dude NOT have a jump hook? It would literally make him unstoppable.
You mean jacking up threes isn’t good offense for a 7 and a half foot giant?
KAT played excellent defense on him all night
His go to, is just shooting 3’s
All the talking heads saying “YoU CaNt WiN wItH BrUnSOn” must be eating shit right now. I dont care if they ultimately lose the finals, that man is a winner.
Funny how all of the people who trashed him have now been kissing his ass this entire playoff run. The NBA genuinely has the worst talking heads out of any sport
Kendrick Perkins innocent
Kendrick Perkins stood with us when no one would
Till this day!!!
One thing I hate about American culture is there is no memory and no accountability.
It doesn’t hurt these guys in the slightest that they spent years trashing Brunson (I’m taking your word for it, I don’t watch talking heads unless they get posted here).
It’s the same with politics. A politician will fight to the bitter end to kill a bill, but when the re-election campaign comes around they will run ads saying ‘under X’s governance, the infrastructure bill that greatly benefited our city was passed’.
Our leaders and entertainers are vapid and toxic, and we deserve them. Have some standards people, for the love of god.
Everyone’s better than Jalen Brunson until it’s time to be better than Jalen Brunson
He is but let’s be real about how stacked this team is. KAT, OG, Bridges, Brunson, Hart.
I was getting downvoted in November for calling that the best starting lineup in the league lol
The idea of that lineup has always been scary, it’s just they never achieved it to this degree until now so people were underestimating them. Now it just seems like a no brainer lmao
King of New York
Brunson is the only player in the NBA that gets better after getting injured. I’m prepared for him to walk out of the tunnel like Willis Reed if this goes to game 7 and put down a Frazier statline.
If they play like they did tonight, it wont be going to 7.
The Spurs are going to adjust and Wemby isn’t going to have a stinker every game. Obviously I hope we break the record and win 15 straight in the playoffs but I think it’s going at least 6 no matter who wins.
I hope so, too. I think KAT is putting in that work. He’s been going at Wemby, which is something OKC didnt do. Making Wemby work on every possession and both sides of the court are making him less efficient at both sides as well. I’m ready to see how the Spurs respond, but think the Knicks got this. Those game in NYC are gonna be insane.
Speaking of making Wemby work, thank you for taking them to 7.
ETA: I was at the watch party at MSG and lemme tell ya. It was fucking BEDLAM. And I was there for every game in the 90s. Knicks and Rangers both. Tonight was one of the loudest crowds I can remember. And it wasn’t even the live game FFS.
Say bedlam a few more times to gain additional Oklahoma supporters.
Anthony Edwards is in that conversation too
I told y’all CLE vs NYK was the true finals.
The analytical Finals
Hawks vs Knicks was the true Finals and we all know it
Those magical 2 points over 2 wins.
it’s all I got left this offseason 😂, motherfucking Knicks smh
I know its been crazy lol.
NY teams haven’t been great lately so this team is just like a magic ride.
It kind of felt like the old Eli giants: just absolutely covered in plot armor lol
I know it’s extremely unlikely, but it would be absolutely hilarious if the Hawks end up being the only team to beat these demons in the playoffs.
A 34 year old CJ McCollum was the only time I was scared
But when I said that I was called a delusional beard worshipper. Which is true, but I still resent it
Everyone been telling me all week how the Knicks can’t hang with the Spurs
Literal casuals
Casualties
Didn’t watch any of the games then
bubububutthecompetitionwasweak
-Those People
“Just gonna get swept by the west” they said
Wemby was fucking ass tonight. Out of control offensively.
Give credit to KAT. Besides the dumb fouls, he played an amazing game defensively.
KAT / Mitch / OG is the perfect mix to guard Wemby
There were so many questions going into the series on how the Knicks could contain Wemby but wow, actual play and physicality just flipped the script.
This is why I wanted the Spurs. Plus they’re younger and their bench is weaker
[removed]
It’s quite well known that the Knicks are a bad matchup for Wemby and the Spurs. They owned us in the regular season
its crazy how all the fans knew this, but the whole reddit narrative just had no idea
KAT got his two government mandated dumb fouls and that’s it. If he keeps it up we’ll be fine
Agreed. The annoying thing is that his whistle is truly trash and he’ll pick up a couple more because of that.
That’s because the Knicks are a great defensive team.
Genuinely not sure what its going to take for people to admit we’re good at this point lol
I’m gonna get banned from r/Heat for saying this but fuck it. I’m rooting for the Knicks and this Knicks squad is genuinely one of the most enjoyable teams I’ve ever watched
I’m gonna get banned from r/Knicks for saying this, but THANKS Heat fan lol
Yeah people think it’s a coincidence that last year Boston shot terrible against us, this year the Hawks, sixers, Cavs, and now spurs shoot terrible against us, can’t just accept that we force bad shots
Everyone was too busy jerking over Thunder Spurs they forgot that Knicks are on one
Get that ring KAT
The ECF game threads were so dead compared to the West. Not a lot of people paying attention
Not much to talk about. The Knicks were blowing everyone out.
May the Holy Islamic Kingdom of Mamdanistan forever prosper
Inshallah ya heard
Arsenal lost, but Knicks will give him his Mandate of Heaven
Mamdate
Six more of those, please
My heart won’t survive that
3 more please my heart can’t take it
3 more
Don’t you wish that evil on me
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart coming up clutch together in the 4th. Can’t nobody tell me shit about the power of friendship!
2016 Villanova all over again
DANHAUSEN AND THE POPE > A CORGI AND SOME NUNS
To be fair, the corgi predicted Knicks would win game 1.
Edit: I was mistaken. Corgi had Spurs winning game 1.
I know they say “don’t shoot the messenger” but if it is perfect again it will need witness protection
I’ll punt that Corgi off a bridge how’s that for a prediction
No, the Corgi had Spurs winning game 1 of the finals.
THREE GAMES AWAY FROM NEW YORK BEING DESTROYED.
Were ready, rapture awaits
Gotta give him credit, Brunson is living up to the hype rn
pinch me
spurs was able to lead big time but the knicks just fucking know how to close it in the 4th. insane
We walked them down bc we have THAT man
Jalen BRUN-SOOON
insert dillon brooks meme
I wonder what was going on between brunson and that fan
Had to be something serious. I initially thought he was mad at Scott Foster but something she said must have really bothered him because he seemed super distracted the whole postgame.
As a Kings fan all I’ll say is that the Spurs are getting the full Fox experience, both good and bad, good news for Fox is he’s now on a competent organization for the first time in his career, so no excuses for him to not show up for the rest of this series.
Funny thing is fox had the best +/- on the spurs lol
Wait the Knicks could win the Finals, guys it’s not funny any more
STFU with all due respect. We NEED 3 more. If you think San Antonio is coming back soft game 2, we better reach DEEP in our bag.
Spurs perimeter D is no joke man. So many possessions where Brunson had to just make great things happen because they didn’t give him any air.
I cannot believe this is real life
I live in a time where the Knicks are gonna win the nba finals. Wow. Love it
It ain’t over till it’s over
Knicks in 5
Eastern Conference superiority
GG. We had nothing left after making the 9-0 run, meanwhile they had backup nitro
They looked very comfortable and easily have the best scorer in tight game situations. Spurs are in trouble.
Castle casually accepting screens and letting Champagnie switch onto Brunson has to stop. I’m pretty surprised that that level of fight needs to be learned at this point and isn’t their default approach.
Still unbeatable since 1st round. If this is a sweep, I might need to see a doctor for this erection
Brunson is a dog
As a Celtics fan it pains me to root for the Knicks, but as a okc native fuck the spurs lmaooo
Not sure why everyone seems to be rooting for the Spurs. There’s a LOT more Brunsons out there than there ever will be Wembys. Dude is a fighter, an underdog, humble, a clutch winner, and a leader under pressure. Wemby seems like a good dude but honestly can come off a bit pretentious.
This is a team of destiny. Not going to lie, when they were down 14 it didn’t look promising but these Knicks are so good.
3 more wins until the world explodes
Fox sold, Mitch not trusting harper is bs
Minutes played:
Fox - 38
Harper - 28
🤔
They don’t foul bait, don’t cry, and don’t bullshit around. Squad full of dogs.
That was such a good game. Every Knick had a part to play. Brunson in clutch unstoppable, Hart had all the dog stats, KAT made Wemby uncomfortable, OG had his little run there in the 3rd to close the gap. Excited for the rest of the series!
If the Knicks winning a championship is the price we have to pay for more major cities electing socialists than so be it.
Make wemby cry more pls
That Brunson shot was just insane
I just wanted to post
“The WCF is the finals”
Ha
It’s our time! NEW YORK!!
Brunson played like all great, superstar players do. Putting the team on his back. Reminded my of Kobe not in the style of play but the energy to win
As a spurs fan yea they deserve the lose today, so many mistakes and turnovers