<\/amp-img><\/amp-iframe><\/div>\nDuring his post-game press conference, Victor Wembanyama reflected on the Spurs\u2019 missed opportunities, his own performance and the bizarre fan incident that briefly interrupted Game 1.<\/p>\n
At one stage, San Antonio mounted a strong comeback and closed to within a single possession, but the Knicks repeatedly found ways to halt their momentum. Wembanyama pointed to New York\u2019s work on the offensive glass as a major factor in the turnaround.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe let them get an offensive rebound. So that\u2019s on us. After that, that\u2019s an experienced team, they know how to play with momentum. We had the momentum until late in that game. That\u2019s why I said we let that one go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson also suggested his team failed to establish enough presence inside the paint, a point Wembanyama agreed with when asked about his coach\u2019s assessment.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, of course not. I agree with the coach. It\u2019s the same: every team guards differently. I\u2019m going to figure it out. Yeah, I was bad tonight. It\u2019s not more complicated than that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds, Wembanyama endured an inefficient shooting night, going 7-for-21 from the field while committing six turnovers.<\/p>\n
The French superstar was also asked about the unusual fan incident late in the game, when a spectator rushed onto the court and began taking selfies before being removed by security.<\/p>\n
Wembanyama admitted he had never experienced anything like it, comparing it to one of the most memorable moments in Spurs history.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never been in that situation. I didn\u2019t know how to act. It really surprised me, almost as much as that time where a bat crossed the court.\u201d<\/p>\n
The comment referenced an iconic moment from October 31, 2009, when Spurs legend Manu Ginobili famously swatted a rogue bat out of the air with his bare hand during a Halloween night game against the Sacramento Kings. <\/p>\n
For the Knicks, the mood could not have been more different.<\/p>\n
New York had just snapped a 27-year NBA Finals win drought and extended its winning streak to 12 games, with confidence and belief continuing to grow inside the locker room. Leading the charge once again was Jalen Brunson, who overcame a difficult start to produce a game-changing second half.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks talks to the media after the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3(Photo by David L. Nemec\/NBAE via Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAfter shooting just 5-for-18 at one stage, Brunson was asked how he managed to stay mentally locked in and work his way back into the contest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it starts with my confidence. It comes with my work ethic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think most importantly, knowing we\u2019re on the road, and knowing my teammates have my back, I think that\u2019s the biggest thing in an environment like this. The trust they have in me and the trust I have in them, it\u2019s got us to this point. I mean, I\u2019m very thankful for them every single night we go out there together.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was another example of a trait that has defined the Knicks throughout their playoff run. Time and again, New York has found a way to stay within striking distance before making winning plays late, something Brunson believes stems from the group\u2019s chemistry and collective belief.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to say calmness but I think we know what we have to do. I think we are a pretty together group. Be able to trust each other and still have each other\u2019s back and know that we just have to keep chipping away, chipping away. It\u2019s just a credit to the mentality that we have as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the significance of the victory, Brunson made it clear the Knicks are not getting carried away after taking a 1\u20130 lead in the series.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we can\u2019t just be satisfied with that. We have a long way to go and we have a lot of things to do to be better, but happy we came away with a win.\u201d<\/p>\n
The comments reflected the mindset that has carried New York to this point. While the Knicks celebrated a historic win and ended a drought that stretched back nearly three decades, their focus quickly shifted to the bigger task ahead, knowing four wins, not one, are needed to lift the championship trophy.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks celebrates scoring with Miles McBride (Photo by Ronald Cortes\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBrunson scored 13 of his game-high 30 points (12-of-31 shooting) in the fourth quarter to charge the Knicks to victory in a heroic performance after exiting the game with a knee injury scare in the first quarter. <\/p>\n
Brunson outdueled Victor Wembanyama (26 points on 6-of-21 shooting, 12 rebounds, three blocks) in rough shooting nights for both superstars.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, De\u2019Aaron Fox went scoreless in the fourth quarter to end with seven points in a dour showing from the All-Star guard, who\u2019s in the first year of a four-year, $223 million (AUD $312 million) deal.<\/p>\n
It was a rollercoaster from start to finish, with San Antonio controlling long stretches before New York closed with authority when it mattered most.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS \u2013 JUNE 03: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 03, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Ronald Cortes\/Getty Images\/AFP (Photo by Ronald Cortes \/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA \/ Getty Images via AFP)<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/amp-img>Knicks fans celebrate in New York City after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, on June 3, 2026. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY \/ AFP)<\/span>Source: FOX SPORTS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/amp-img>Knicks fans celebrate while watching Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs highlights on their phones in New York City on June 3, 2026. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY \/ AFP)<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/amp-img>American actor and comedian Ben Stiller reacts during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks (Photo by Gregory Shamus\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cOne of the great playoff runs in NBA history is still alive, what a winning streak,\u201d commentator Michael Breen said post-match.<\/p>\n
The Spurs set the tone early, finishing the first quarter ahead 27-19 behind a strong opening burst from Dylan Harper, the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper. Victor Wembanyama helped establish early control with his presence on both ends, finishing the opening quarter with five points, a steal and a block, while Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie also chipped in as the supporting cast found rhythm.<\/p>\n
The standout of the opening quarter came from the bench. Dylan Harper delivered an instant spark with 10 points on a perfect 3-for-3 start, including an and-one finish that swung momentum firmly San Antonio\u2019s way.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) celebrates a basket against the New York Knicks during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/span>Source: AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIt was a far more disrupted start for the Knicks, who began brightly before Brunson\u2019s night took a worrying turn after an accidental collision led to a knee issue. He briefly left for the locker room before returning, but the rhythm was already broken. The second quarter only added to the chaos, with Brunson later appearing to roll his ankle on a drive after contact with Spurs centre Luke Kornet. The frustration boiled over, with ESPN\u2019s broadcast noting, \u201cJalen Brunson is screaming at Scott Foster!\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite everything, New York stayed within reach. San Antonio went into half-time with control of the tempo, but the Knicks refused to fade, with Karl-Anthony Towns stepping up in key stretches to keep them alive. He finished with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, carrying much of the offensive load while Brunson battled through.<\/p>\n
Brunson\u2019s own night remained a grind through the first half, where he shot 5-for-15 for 11 points while dealing with multiple knocks and stops in momentum. Across the floor, Julian Champagnie was outstanding, leading all scorers with 15 points on 5-of-6 from three, while Harper added 12 points and six rebounds in a breakout showing.<\/p>\n
San Antonio still looked in control midway through the third quarter, stretching the lead to 14 points, but couldn\u2019t capitalise while Wembanyama spent time on the bench. The game swung again late in the period, and by three-quarter time it was locked at 76\u201376.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) looks to drive past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay)<\/span>Source: AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThat set the stage for Brunson\u2019s takeover.<\/p>\n
After a quiet first half, he erupted for 19 second-half points, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to drag New York over the line. He finished with 30 points, three rebounds and two assists in 36 minutes, delivering when the game was on the line.<\/p>\n
Josh Hart also played a crucial supporting role, scoring just three points but impacting the game everywhere else with 14 rebounds, six assists and four steals, highlighting the strength of the Villanova connection alongside Brunson.<\/p>\n
For the Spurs, Wembanyama still produced 26 points and 12 rebounds, but it came on an inefficient 7-for-21 shooting night with six turnovers. San Antonio also struggled from deep, hitting just 11-of-43 from three at 26 per cent, while the Knicks managed 31 per cent.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS \u2013 JUNE 03: Stephon Castle #5, Victor Wembanyama #1, and De’aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs react during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 03, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Gregory Shamus\/Getty Images\/AFP (Photo by Gregory Shamus \/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA \/ Getty Images via AFP)<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn the end, it came down to execution in the biggest moments, and this time it was Brunson who made the difference as New York claimed a statement road win.<\/p>\n
A late talking point came when a fan ran onto the court, briefly filming himself surrounded by confused players before security quickly intervened and escorted him off the floor.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t the only fan incident of the night. After the final buzzer, while Brunson was speaking with official Scott Foster, a fan appeared to get under his skin, prompting his teammates to step in and move the situation away from him.<\/p>\n
Game two of the NBA finals will be on Saturday, June 6, 10:30am AEDT with the Spurs looking to even out the series. <\/p>\n
RECAP ALL THE ACTION FROM GAME 1 LIVE<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Jalen Brunson-led New York Knicks have stolen Game 1 in San Antonio, producing a gutsy comeback to win a thriller and go 1-0 up in the NBA Finals, while ending a 9,845-day wait for a Finals victory. The last time the Knicks won an NBA Finals game was June 21, 1999, and this result […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":246641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[1800,14306,6026,1943,26130,73611,1788,36820,73610,73614,4028,73612,4032,38117,73615,1803,1960,1789,1533,1809,14309,2832,73609,73613,4127,1792],"class_list":{"0":"post-246640","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-broken-right-hand","10":"tag-championship-series","11":"tag-cleveland-cavaliers","12":"tag-donald-trump","13":"tag-emily-goodin","14":"tag-espn-inc","15":"tag-frost-bank-center","16":"tag-hand-surgery","17":"tag-injury-mystery-strikes","18":"tag-jalen-brunson","19":"tag-jim-dolan","20":"tag-madison-square-garden-lp","21":"tag-mitchell-robinson","22":"tag-mystery-strikes-blockbuster","23":"tag-new-york","24":"tag-new-york-knicks","25":"tag-new-york-post-company","26":"tag-north-america","27":"tag-northern-america","28":"tag-right-hand","29":"tag-san-antonio-spurs","30":"tag-security-walkthroughs","31":"tag-series-eager","32":"tag-staff-writers","33":"tag-united-states-of-america"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246640\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}