New York Knicks Claim NBA Title After 53 Years... Brunson Named MVP with 32.6-Point Average

The New York Knicks have claimed the NBA championship for the first time in 53 years.

On June 14 (Korean time), the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals (best of seven) at the Frost Bank Center in Texas, United States, led by a 45-point performance from "King of New York" Jaylen Brunson.

With this victory, New York finished the series with four wins and one loss, capturing their third overall title and their first championship since 1973, ending a 53-year drought.

Jaylen Brunson. Photo by AFP News Agency

The Knicks seized the momentum by winning Games 1 and 2 on the road in San Antonio. Although they dropped Game 3 and allowed the Spurs to close the gap, New York came back in Game 4 with the largest comeback victory in NBA Finals history, moving closer to the championship.

In Game 4, the Knicks trailed by as much as 29 points but rallied behind Brunson's 36 points and a game-winning tip-in by OG Anunoby with 1.2 seconds left, securing a dramatic 107-106 one-point victory. Riding this momentum, New York overcame a 16-point deficit in Game 5 to close out the series.

The Finals MVP honors went to Brunson, who averaged 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.0 steals across the five-game series. He shot 42.1% from the field, 38.9% from three-point range, and 86.0% from the free-throw line, leading New York to the championship.

Brunson delivered again in the decisive Game 5, scoring 45 points—including 13 in the fourth quarter—to secure the title for his team.

With their return to the top after 53 years, the Knicks also avenged the pain of losing to San Antonio in the 1999 NBA Finals, when they fell short with one win and four losses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.