Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals is in the books, and it was the New York Knicks earning victory over the San Antonio Spurs by a 105-95 final score in San Antonio. The Knicks are now three wins away from what would be their first championship since 1973.
But the Knicks found themselves in foul trouble for much of the night. In fact, the 13 free throw attempts from Spurs star Victor Wembanyama were just five shy of the total amount the Knicks as a team shot the entire night. Needless to say, there was a bit of tension with the officials over how they were calling the game.
After the victory, Knicks head coach Mike Brown explained that it was assistant coach Rick Brunson who delivered a specific message to him and the team that ultimately served as a calming effect, helping them to put their concentration elsewhere.
“We were all bitching too much at the officials,” Brown said via Oh No He Didn't on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Rick Brunson was great. He told me to shut the hell up – sorry Mom – and he told the rest of the team to be quiet and leave the officials alone. It was great of him because we were all kind of losing our minds, and I did it, the rest of the guys did it, and it helped us put our energy elsewhere – especially in the second half.”
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Mike Brown:
"We were all bitching too much at the officials. Rick Brunson was great. He told me to shut the hell up and he told the rest of the team to be quiet and leave the officials alone. It was great of him because we were all kind of losing our mind" pic.twitter.com/3qjQ4z36Ab
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) June 4, 2026
The Knicks got another clutch performance from Jalen Brunson, who scored 30 points, along with 18 points from Karl-Anthony Towns. Game 2 of the NBA Finals will be played on Friday evening.
Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals is in the books, and it was the New York Knicks earning victory over the San Antonio Spurs by a 105-95 final score in San Antonio. The Knicks are now three wins away from what would be their first championship since 1973. But the Knicks found themselves in foul trouble for much of the night.