San Antonio: The New York Knicks ended a 53-year wait for an NBA championship by defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday, clinching the best-of-seven series 4-1.
The title capped a dominant postseason for New York, which lost just three games on its way to a third NBA championship.
The Spurs appeared on course for a sixth game after taking control early and building a 16-point lead in the second quarter. Led by Victor Wembanyama's defensive presence, San Antonio held a 42-37 advantage at halftime as the Knicks struggled to find their rhythm.
But New York mounted another trademark comeback. After cutting the deficit before the break, the Knicks stayed within striking distance throughout the second half before taking their first lead with 3:40 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Spurs were unable to respond as the Knicks completed yet another comeback victory, having rallied from double-digit deficits in all four of its wins in the Finals.
Jalen Brunson led the way, scoring a game-high 45 points and setting a new Knicks record for points in an NBA Finals game, beating Willis Reed's 38-point mark set in 1970. Brunson also scored 13 straight points in the fourth quarter and was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player(MVP).
For New York, the victory marked the end of one of the longest championship droughts in NBA history, bringing the trophy back to the franchise after more than five decades.
(with inputs from Reuters)