It took them a while to get going but Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks found their range and overwhelmed the San Antonio Spurs to claim Game One in the NBA Finals last night.
The Spurs led by 14 points in the third quarter but New York gradually built momentum and then Brunson took charge, guiding them to a 105-95 win and the early advantage in the best-of-seven series.
Brunson scored 13 of his game-high 30 points in the final 12 minutes as the Knicks won their 12th straight game with an assurance of a team that knew they were going to get the job done.
“I don’t want to say calmness, but I think we know what we have to do,” Brunson said. “I think we are a pretty together group. Be able to trust each other and still have each other’s back and know that we just have to keep chipping away, chipping away. It’s just a credit to the mentality that we have as a team.
“I think most importantly, knowing we’re on the road, and knowing my team-mates have my back, I think that’s the biggest thing in an environment like this. The trust they have in me and the trust I have in them, it’s got us to this point. I mean, I’m very thankful for them every single night we go out there together.”
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Brunson delivered an MVP performance – Knicks coach Brown
Brunson wasn’t in the conversation for the MVP award that went to Oklahoma star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the second straight year but Knicks coach Mike Brown has repeatedly highlighted his influence over recent weeks.
“Jalen, he was the MVP in the second half. He was huge for us,” Brown said. “He did what MVP candidates are supposed to do. He carried us home.
“We put the ball in his hands and said we are going to live and die with him. And he got it done for us, and that’s happened time after time after time. He got to his spots and he made plays.”
I was bad tonight, admits Spurs star Wembanyama
While Brunson and the Knicks were cool in victory, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs were also trying to reflect an air of serenity despite giving up home advantage.
Wembanyama scored 26 points and pulled down 12 rebounds but also committed post-season career highs in turnovers (six) and missed shots (15).
The French superstar said: “Every team guards differently. I’m going to figure it out. I was bad tonight. It’s not more complicated than that.
“New York is an experienced team. They know how to play with momentum. We had the momentum until late in that game. That’s why I said we let that one go. It’s almost not like I have anything to figure out. It’s almost like I have to play normal, not even good [in Game 2]. It’s just [about] doing the right things enough. When we play bad, when I play bad, is when we shoot ourselves in the foot. This is why I’m not worried. We’re going to be so much better. I’m going to be so much better.”
San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said Wembanyama needs to work harder to influence the game from in the paint.
“Felt like he missed a few shots early,” Johnson said of Wembanyama. “We’ve got to get him moving in space and toward the rim, whether that’s on rolls or running in transition. But we need the pressure on the rim and the force in the paint. They did a good job obviously of being physical and showing crowds. We need to do a better job of establishing that early on, for sure.”
The series stays in San Antonio for Game Two tomorrow night.
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