After ESPN's Kendrick Perkins watched the New York Knicks erase a 14-point deficit in Game 1's 105-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs, he's giving all the credit to head coach Mike Brown and Jalen Brunson's supporting cast. Taking a 1-0 lead in the Finals' best-of-7 series, Brunson led the Knicks to victory in Game 1 with 30 points. However, New York's Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and reserve Landry Shamet had their fingerprints all over the series-opening victory on the road.
Perkins commended Brown and the Knicks' coaching staff for trusting the players who got them to the NBA Finals, he said on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show.
“They got what you call ‘togetherness.’ For Towns to start the game on Wemby, that's what you call trust,” Perkins said. “For Mike Brown to continue to lean on Landry Shamet, he played 32 minutes; that's what you call trust. Jose [Alvarado] came into the game last night and had some huge moments, and knocked down some big-time shots. It's called trust. When you're trying to win a championship, you gotta have a certain level of trust in your coach, and your coaching staff got to have a certain level of trust in your players.
“You could see and feel the energy through the television screen. It's led by big-body Brunson, but every guy's been a star in their role. Every guy is being unlocked in a different fashion that they never been unlocked in their career. Look how great OG Anunoby looked last night, right? He had a quiet but powerful 17 points.”
Kendrick Perkins watched Towns (18 points, 12 rebounds), Anunoby (17 points), and Shamet (13 points) all score in double figures in Game 1. The four Knicks players, including Jose Alvarado, combined for 55 points against the Spurs.
Shaquille O'Neal reveals he was wrong about Jalen Brunson, Knicks
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) comes off the court after game one of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center
Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
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Hall of Fame center and NBA analyst Shaquille O'Neal admitted he was wrong about Jalen Brunson. O'Neal pointed to Brunson's third-quarter performance, which helped the Knicks pull ahead in Game 1 against the Spurs.
Brunson's leadership helped the Knicks adopt a cohesive approach in a 10-point win over the Spurs, earning a special shoutout from O'Neal on ESPN's Inside The NBA.
“I admit, before the game, Game 1 is always a feel-out game,” O'Neal said. “I was anxious to see how he was going to do against those tough four defenders – he just showed me Kenny and Chuck that he’s ready for the lights. He’s ready for the big lights.”
"[Jalen Brunson] just showed me … that he's ready for the lights."@SHAQ reacts to the Knicks' 105-95 Game 1 win vs. the Spurs 🏀 pic.twitter.com/sndYsL4Ho6
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 4, 2026
The Spurs will host the Knicks in Game 2 on Friday.
After ESPN's Kendrick Perkins watched the New York Knicks erase a 14-point deficit in Game 1's 105-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs, he's giving all the credit to head coach Mike Brown and Jalen Brunson's supporting cast. Taking a 1-0 lead in the Finals' best-of-7 series, Brunson led the Knicks to victory in Game 1 with 30 points.