New York Knicks captain Jalen Brunson scored 45 points on Saturday night and led his team from 16 points down in the opening game to defeat the San Antonio Spurs by a score of 94-90 and win the coveted National Basketball Association (NBA) championship.
The game-five win was the Knicks’ fourth comeback win from a 4–1 run in the best-of-seven series.
Hoisting the Larry O’Brien championship trophy after the game, team owner James Dolan shouted, “I want to say something to New York. Hey New York! I’m sorry it took so long! But here we are… and hopefully it won’t take this long again!”
“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” a teary-eyed Brunson told reporters after the game. “I’m surprised. I don’t know… every time someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it.”
‘Never give up’ attitude characterizes Knicks’ determination to take championship
Voted the championship Most Valuable Player (MVP), Brunson, who averaged 32.6 points per game in the series, came up big in Game 5, scoring 29 of his 45 points in the second half.
Team president Leon Rose praised the team’s character and grit, “never give up attitude” and described their playoff performance as “incredible”.
Saturday’s road win in San Antonio, Texas, set up the most dramatic comeback in NBA history on Wednesday at the Knicks’ home, Madison Square Garden – arguably one of the most famous venues in American professional sports – when the Knicks overcame a 29-point deficit to win 107-106 at the buzzer.
Knicks now join NBA elite with third championship
The championship is the first to be won by the Knicks (who coincidentally won the first NBA game in 1946) since 1973 – 53 years ago – when they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.
Saturday’s win put the Knicks in elite company, making them one of nine teams to win at least three championships.
“There are some franchises that are pretty iconic because of their history, the location they’re in, sometimes even the building they’re in,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said. “New York is definitely one of the few that you can say that about in all three aspects.”
When the 1973 championship team landed at JFK Airport after their win over L.A., police encountered a “furious” mob of “hundreds” of people.
It’s safe to say that this time, when the Knicks bring the first major professional sports championship (NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB) title back to the Big Apple in 14 years, the crowd will be bigger and definitely more rowdy.
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Edited by: Roshni Majumdar