Fifty Three Years Later, The Drought Is Over: The Knicks Are Champions.
Written By: Landon Pulmano
Contributor | Sideline Society Media
We need to talk about what just happened. Jalen Brunson walked to the line with three minutes left in a building that wanted him dead, and calmly drained free throws like it was a Tuesday practice. Thirteen of fifteen from the stripe. Forty five points. This man was not built like the rest of us. The Knicks are NBA Champions. Final score, 94-90 over the Spurs in Game 5. Cue the part where 53 years of "this is the year" finally stops being a bit. The stat line is unfair: 45 points, 14 of 27 from the field, 4 of 7 from deep. MVP conversation officially closed.
San Antonio came to fight. The Spurs jumped out to a 16 point first quarter lead, and rookie Dylan Harper dropped 25 points like the moment meant nothing to him. Victor Wembanyama did Victor Wembanyama things, 19 points, 14 boards, five blocks. Not easy. Never was going to be. Down 72-62 to start the fourth, Brunson decided the game was his. Drew fouls, got to the line, hit a pull up three over a defense doing everything right. With three minutes left he jumped a passing lane, got out in transition, and that was the series. Lights out, go home. "I just wanted to win," Brunson said postgame, mid court storm chaos. "For this city. For this team. That's it." Most New York answer possible.
The road here was not a vibe.
The Knicks came in as a 3 seed, took six games to get past Atlanta, then remembered they were actually good. Swept Philly by nearly 20 a game. Swept Cleveland in the East Finals. The Spurs stole one in New York, 115-111, before the Knicks answered with a 107-106 squeaker in Game 4. Brunson didn't do it alone in the finale. Josh Hart logged 13 points and 11 boards on pure hustle. Mikal Bridges, back against the team that traded him, dropped 14. Mitchell Robinson grabbed 10 boards, several of the soul crushing offensive variety. Karl-Anthony Towns shot 2 of 7 but quietly mattered with 10 rebounds and 3 steals. OG Anunoby locked up the perimeter with 11 and 8.
A real team. Cohesive, hard nosed, locked in. In New York, of all places.
Context on the drought: the last Knicks title came under Nixon. Patrick Ewing never got one. Charles Smith's tipped layups are still unforgiven. John Starks went 2 of 18 in a Game 7 the city still hasn't recovered from. Carmelo never got close. Porzingis broke his knee right as it felt real. The light at the end of the tunnel kept turning out to be a train. Not this time. Grandparents who waited their whole adult lives stood in that San Antonio crowd. Kids who only knew the '94 Finals from YouTube clips finally watched their team win one live. Brunson is 29. Bridges, Anunoby, and Hart are proven now, not just promising. Dynasty talk is coming, because it always does in New York. Not tonight, though.
MSG is about to throw the parade this city has wanted for half a century.
They said New York didn't have a team worth believing in. Jalen Brunson just personally ended that argument.
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