Game 1 lived up to the billing thanks to a dynamite performance from its biggest star, Jalen Brunson.

The San Antonio Spurs couldn’t hang with the Knicks in Game 1, as New York took a 1-0 series lead with a clutch 105-95 victory.

The Knicks have now won 12 consecutive postseason games. The Knicks’ 12-game postseason winning streak is tied with the 1999 Spurs for second all-time.

Only the 2017 Warriors won more at 15, putting New York within reach.

Most Knicks fans had “winning on the road” on their championship bingo card. Their team did not disappoint.

KNICKS FANS SEND NYC INTO CHAOS AFTER FRANCHISE REACHES FIRST NBA FINALS SINCE 1999

Jalen Brunson attacks the basket during the Knicks’ 105-95 Game 1 victory over the Spurs in the NBA Finals (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images))

Brunson rose to the occasion against Victor Wembanyama, helping New York outlast the young and inexperienced Spurs.

Game 1 delivered drama early.

In the first quarter, Brunson exited with an apparent leg injury, frequently grimacing and favoring his right knee.

The scare over Brunson’s knee was short-lived.

After a brief trip to the locker room, Brunson quickly returned to the bench and eventually re-entered the game.

The Knicks came out of halftime sluggishly, falling behind by 13 points in the third quarter. But New York never looked rattled.

Brunson, already a postseason hero, took several hard knocks throughout the night, including a minor ankle tweak after colliding with Luke Kornet. Any concerns about his health faded as the game wore on. Brunson turned on the boosters in the second half, attacking the Spurs’ defense and showing little sign that his knee was bothering him.

San Antonio relied heavily on the three-point shot, but with little success. The Spurs connected on just 11 of 43 attempts from beyond the arc.

Despite boasting a 7-foot-4 freak in Wembanyama, San Antonio repeatedly fired from deep and came up empty.

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson battles for rebound against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama during Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals. (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images))

Brunson eventually returned to heroic form, leading the Knicks with 30 points and taking over the fourth quarter when it mattered most.

Social media quickly lit up with praise for the Knicks star. “Brunson is the best fourth-quarter performer I’ve ever seen,” one reaction read, echoing the sentiment of fans watching another clutch postseason masterpiece.

KNICKS RALLY IN SECOND HALF TO WIN GAME 3, EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS HOPES REMAIN ALIVE

The Knicks’ supporting cast delivered alongside their star.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson rises for a shot against the San Antonio Spurs during Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images))

“Wasn’t really my night most of the night. But we just kept chipping away. Kept finding a way,” Brunson said after his MVP-worthy performance.

“Our chemistry, knowing that we have each other’s backs,” Brunson said when asked about the team’s comeback from a 13-point deficit.

“I’ll be alright,” Brunson added after getting banged up in Game 1.

Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby combined for 35 points. New York’s bench backcourt also made key contributions.

José Alvarado played crucial minutes while Brunson was in the locker room being evaluated. Landry Shamet added 13 points off the bench, while Miles McBride scored seven points in 11 minutes.

The Spurs missed more production from De’Aaron Fox, who turned in an unremarkable performance (seven points), leaving San Antonio to lean heavily on its young core.

Wembanyama, one of the marquee stars of this series, was his usual disruptive presence in the paint defensively but struggled to make a larger impact elsewhere. He still led San Antonio with 26 points.

At the end of the day, the lights appeared too bright for the Spurs, and the Knicks head into Game 2 with a 1-0 lead in the Finals.

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New York City will have plenty to celebrate after the Knicks opened the Finals with a statement win.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela 

Accor Stadium will play host to Monday’s
Round 14 NRL game between Canterbury Bulldogs and
Parramatta Eels. The game kicks off at 4:00 pm with Canterbury Bulldogs heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Canterbury Bulldogs vs.
Parramatta Eels
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Monday June 8, 2026 at 4:00 pm

Where: Accor Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Parramatta Eels Odds

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Parramatta Eels Preview

The traditional rivalry between Canterbury and Parramatta takes on extra significance on the King’s Birthday holiday, with both sides desperate to keep their fading finals hopes alive. The Bulldogs have won just once in their past seven matches and remain frustrated by missed opportunities following last week’s narrow loss to Wests Tigers. Parramatta’s recent record is similarly concerning, although the Eels earned respect with a spirited performance against Newcastle despite missing several key players. Mitch Moses remains unavailable, leaving Parramatta once again reliant on its depth in the halves. Canterbury will hope to draw confidence from its recent upset of Melbourne, while the Eels can point to their convincing victory over the Bulldogs earlier this season. With both clubs sitting outside the top eight and running short on time, expect a fierce contest fuelled by desperation and rivalry.

NHL fans on social media were stunned after Lindy Ruff narrowly lost the Jack Adams Trophy to Jon Cooper. The Jack Adams Trophy is awarded annually to the NHL’s best head coach.

This year’s voting was extremely close, with Tampa Bay Lightning boss Jon Cooper receiving 226 points to edge out Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff by just three points. Ruff finished with 223 points.

The Montreal Canadiens eliminated Jon Cooper and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs. Lindy Ruff, meanwhile, guided the Buffalo Sabres to the postseason, ending a 14-year playoff drought. The Sabres advanced to the second round before also being eliminated by the Canadiens.

Here’s how fans on X (formerly called Twitter) reacted to the Jack Adams winner. One tweeted:

“Lindy Ruff was mugged.”

Another chimed in:

“Lindy Ruff was robbed. The turnaround in Buffalo was impressive.”

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

“36 people don’t know what they’re doing. The Lightning was picked to win the Atlantic. Most if not all voters had the Sabres missing the playoffs, many of which thought that Lindy Ruff was the next coach to be fired back in November. Fans see it. Why can’t they?” a third fan wrote.

“Jon Cooper getting the lifetime achievement award here…Congrats…I guess..Muse and Ruff were more deserving,” one X user opined.

“How does Jon Cooper get this award? I think Ruff deserved it the most, Sturm should’ve been top 5 easily,” another chimmed in.

“Embarrassed for the men and women who didn’t vote for Lindy Ruff!!! Robbed of all his hard work and dedication to this team and organization. Shocking,” added another.

“Never thought this day would come” – Jon Cooper shares his thoughts after winning the Jack Adams Award

Notably, Jon Cooper won his first Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s best head coach. After receiving the award, Cooper admitted he had never considered winning the prestigious accolade.

“Okay, you got me,” Cooper said via NHL. “I never thought this day would come. It was a magical group, and to think that we had one win in our first seven games, but nobody questioned what was happening. Nobody questioned our belief in what we were doing. And then we slowly took off. There were times with doubt, especially when a lot of the players went down the way they did.”

Cooper guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to 50 wins and a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division. The team finished fifth overall in the league standings with a 50-26-6 record.

Lindy Ruff had a historic season with Sabres

Despite falling just short in the Jack Adams Trophy, Lindy Ruff delivered one of the strongest coaching performances of his career with the Buffalo Sabres.

The 66-year-old guided the Sabres back to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, ending a long postseason drought. The team advanced to the second round before being eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens.

The Sabres won the Atlantic Division with 109 points. The historic season helped fuel Ruff’s near-miss in the voting, just three behind eventual winner Jon Cooper.