The New York Knicks pulled off a 14-point comeback on Wednesday to take down the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 to take a 1-0 NBA Finals lead.
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It was an ugly start in terms of shooting for both sides, but the three-point shooting picked up near the end of the first frame. Surprisingly, the Spurs had the advantage in this area early.
After 12 minutes, San Antonio led 27-19.
While it looked like the Spurs would run away, the second quarter was wildly competitive. It wasn’t the most efficient outing for almost anyone, but defense, rebounding and hustle plays still made the game exciting.
The Spurs remained ahead by seven points.
San Antonio began the third quarter on a heater and opened up a double-digit lead, but it didn’t last long at all. After just a few minutes, the Knicks finally pulled together one of their patented scoring runs.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 10 points in the third frame as New York dissolved the Spurs’ lead completely. With one quarter to go, it was all tied up at 76.
The first portion of the final frame remained very competitive, setting up a thrilling end.
O.G. Anunoby was huge for the Knicks in the fourth quarter as New York built a small lead. With three minutes to play, the Knicks led by just one.
Down the stretch, gritty rebounding and high-level defense reigned supreme.
Victor Wembanyama knocked down two huge free throws with two minutes to go, taking a one-point advantage. Moments later, Jalen Brunson responded with a catch-and-shoot corner three to retake control.
After some solid free throw shooting from Mikal Bridges, Brunson sank a tough floater to extend the lead. With 29 seconds to play, Anunoby sank two more free throws to effectively seal the victory.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
