The numbers behind the Knicks’ Game 1 Finals win
Contributions across the board got the Knicks one step closer to their first title in 53 years.
Through the first two-and-a-half quarters of Game 1 of the Finals vs. the Spurs, the Knicks’ defense had been up to the task. They had held the Spurs to a 108.3 offensive rating (ORTG) through the first 29 minutes and 29 seconds of the game. However, the Knicks’ own offense struggled to an 89.5 ORTG and the Knicks found themselves down 14 points midway through the third quarter.
That’s when everything started to turn for the Knicks. Over the final 18:31 of Game 1, the Knicks outscored the Spurs 54-30. The offense was dominant, similar to their Game 1 comeback vs. the Cavs in the previous round, sporting a 145.9 ORTG, as the defense got even better, posting an 88.2 defensive rating (DRTG).
A full switch in momentum, the Knicks had an -18.8 net rating (NETRTG) through the first 29:29. Over the final 18:31? A +57.7 NETRTG. And funnily enough, the Knicks had a 133.3 ORTG during that span even when Victor Wembanyama was on the floor for the Spurs.
Jalen Brunson had been in a pretty rough funk early on. He had just 11 points on 15 shots in the first half, before missing his first three shots of the third quarter. The Knicks were -18 with an 84.1 ORTG with Brunson on the floor through the first 29:29.
Then, Brunson started taking over.
Over the final 18:31, Brunson was on the floor for 14:08 of the comeback win. The Knicks had a 146.7 ORTG with Brunson on the floor over the final quarter and a half, as he had 19 points on 13 shots (63.3% TS%) and the Knicks won those minutes by 24 points.
In the fourth quarter alone, Brunson had 13 points on nine shots (65% TS%).
For as great as Brunson was taking over the game over the final 18 minutes and 31 seconds in Game 1 in San Antonio, Karl-Anthony Towns kept the Knicks in the game throughout. He had 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists, becoming the third player in Knicks history to post those numbers in a win in the Finals.
Before we get more into KAT’s brilliance in Game 1, it’s important to note how amazing the Knicks’ defense was all the way. They held the Spurs to a 97.9 ORTG in the game — their lowest output in a game in the 2026 playoffs. The only games with a lower ORTG for the Spurs this season? Dec. 29 at home against the Cavs (96.2) and March 1 at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks (91.8).
The Knicks did a tremendous job of keeping Wembanyama away from the rim. Through the first three rounds of the playoffs, 49.8% of Wemby’s shots had been jump shots, and he shot 34.9% from the field on such shots... but he was only taking 7.6 jump shots per game in that span. In Game 1, 71.4% of his shot attempts were jump shots, and he was 2-15 (20%) on those.
Wemby was forced to serve as a jump shooter due to the amazing defense that KAT played on him in Game 1. In their three regular-season meetings (including the NBA Cup Final in Las Vegas), Wemby was 3-14 (21.4%) from the field when he was guarded by KAT in the half court. In Game 1, he was 2-12 (16.7%) from the field — along with four of his six turnovers in the game — when he was guarded by KAT, according to ESPN.
According to NBA.com tracking, the Spurs had a 74.9 ORTG across 45.4 partial offensive possessions where KAT was the primary defender on Wemby in Game 1.
If you combine all four of their matchups this season, KAT has held Wemby to 5-26 shooting from the field… that’s a 19.2% field goal percentage.
ShaxNBA on Twitter also had a great and very informative video detailing everything the Knicks threw at Wemby on the defensive side in their Game 1 win vs. the Spurs...
Brunson took the Knicks home on offense and KAT was a two-way dominant force the entire game, but the Knicks’ most impactful player in Game 1 was probably Josh Hart. He only had three points in the game — one made shot — but he accrued +5.8 net points in the game, leading all players, according to ESPN Analytics.
With Hart on the floor in Game 1, the Knicks had a 118.9 ORTG, 75.9 DRTG, and +42.9 NETRTG across almost 27 minutes, winning those minutes by 22 points. In the 21 minutes and 13 seconds he sat during the game, the Knicks had a 100 ORTG, 125.6 DRTG, and -25.6 NETRTG, getting outscored by 12 points in those minutes.
Over the last 40 years, there have only been two players to record at least 15 rebounds, six assists, and four steals in a Finals game: Larry Bird in Game 3 of the 1986 Finals in Houston and Josh Hart on Wednesday in San Antonio.
Funnily enough, he also became the second player in the Play-By-Play Era (since 1996-97) to have a half with at least 10 rebounds and zero made shots in a Finals game, joining Dwight Howard (2009 Finals Game 1).
Before I move forward, I have to quickly shoutout OG Anunoby. Game 1 wasn’t one of his best games, by any stretch, but he scored eight straight points for the Knicks in the fourth quarter leading up to Brunson re-entering the game and taking the Knicks home.
One of my favorite shots of the game was his three-pointer made over Wemby.
The Knicks have won 12 consecutive games and haven’t lost since April 23. They’ve become one of three teams to win at least 12 straight games in a single postseason, joining the 2017 Warriors (15) and 1999 Spurs (12). Both of those two previous teams won a title.
The Knicks have also won seven consecutive games on the road by double digits. No other team in NBA history has achieved that.
As our very own Shwin points out, the Spurs always throw their best punches when they fall behind in a series. They’ve entered three different games in the 2026 playoffs when trailing in a series and they’ve won each of those games by at least 20 points.
At this very moment, and for the first time in my lifetime, the Knicks are considered the favorite to win a championship. Winning one game in San Antonio was crucial for their chances at achieving something they haven’t in over 50 years — and now they have a house money game in Game 2... or is it?
The stat that’s being thrown around right now on social media is that teams who win Game 1 of the Finals have won 69.6% of the time. But let’s take a look at the bigger picture…
In the history of the NBA Finals, 37 teams have gone up 2-0 in a series... and 32 of those teams went on to win the title (86.5%). None of the five teams that came back from a 2-0 series deficit in the Finals lost both of the first two games of the series at home — which the Spurs would “achieve” if they also lose Game 2.
So, a win in Game 2 would prove historically kind to the Knicks.
The Spurs will surely give them a run for their money in the second game, but it’ll be interesting to see if the Knicks can once again take a team’s best punch and spit it right back in their faces. Think about it like this: the Knicks only need to win half of their remaining games to be NBA champions... but if they steal Game 2, they’d only have to win two of their final five games to win a title.
The series is 1-0 in favor of the Knicks... but as Mikal Bridges has said, it’s 0-0 on Friday when Game 2 commences.
