NEW YORK, June 14 (Our New York News) — The New York Knicks are NBA champions for the first time since 1973, ending a 53-year title drought with a 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on June 14, according to official NBA game and series records.
The league records show the Knicks won the best-of-seven Finals 4-1. It is the third championship in franchise history, according to NBA historical records.
The box score gives the night its clearest explanation: Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in the title-clinching game, leading New York past San Antonio on the Spurs’ home court. NBA play-by-play and game records show the Knicks also rallied from a double-digit deficit in Game 5, though the exact margin should be read from the official game book.
The result changes the Knicks’ place in league history. Before Sunday, the franchise had not won the title since 1973. Its last NBA Finals appearance had come in 1999, when New York lost to San Antonio in five games, according to NBA Finals records. This time, against the same franchise, the Knicks closed the series in five.
The championship also completed a Finals run marked by large comebacks. In Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, NBA game records show the Knicks overcame a 29-point deficit before taking control of the series. In Game 5, they again had to come from behind before closing out the Spurs 94-90.
The record trail behind the finding is straightforward. The NBA’s Game 5 result establishes the final score. The league’s Finals record establishes the 4-1 series margin. The official box score establishes Brunson’s 45-point game. NBA historical and franchise records establish the 1973 title, the 1999 Finals loss to San Antonio and the Knicks’ status as three-time champions.
In New York City, celebrations followed the final buzzer, including gatherings outside Madison Square Garden, according to on-scene accounts by national and international news organizations. The celebrations centered on the Knicks’ home arena even though the clinching game was played in San Antonio.
City government also moved to mark the championship. The New York City mayor’s office announced a ticker-tape parade and a City Hall ceremony for the Knicks on Thursday, according to public statements reported after the win. Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted “HISTORY” on X after the championship-clinching victory, according to Reuters-based coverage.
The title ends one of New York sports’ longest waits. The Knicks’ championship drought began after the 1973 team won the franchise’s second NBA title. Fifty-three years later, the 2026 team closed the Finals with Brunson’s 45 points, a four-point road win and a 4-1 series victory over the Spurs.
