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The New York Knicks won their first NBA championship since 1973 by defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals. The series concluded with a 4-1 victory for New York, ending a 53-year title drought and bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to the city for the first time in half a century.
The Knicks overcame a 16-point deficit in the final game, continuing their trend of rallying from double-digit deficits in all four series victories.
Jalen Brunson delivered a legendary performance, scoring a franchise-record 45 points, including 13 straight in the fourth quarter, to secure the win and earn NBA Finals MVP honors. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart contributed 14 and 13 points respectively, forming the first trio of teammates, alongside Brunson, to win both an NCAA title and an NBA championship.
For San Antonio, rookie Dylan Harper led all scorers with 25 points, while superstar Victor Wembanyama recorded 19 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocked shots.
The Knicks’ path to the title was defined by resilience, notably in Game 4, where they erased a 29-point deficit to win 107-106 on an OG Anunoby tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining. This stands as the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
New York entered the Finals with a 13-game postseason winning streak, the second-longest in NBA history, having rallied from 22 points down in the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland.
The Spurs, playing in their first postseason with Wembanyama, became the first team in the play-by-play era to lead five Finals games by 10+ points in the first quarter, yet they could not close out the resilient Knicks.
The series averaged 19.6 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, with Game 4 drawing 23.8 million viewers due to the historic nature of the comeback.
This victory marks the Knicks' third NBA title overall, following championships in 1970 and 1973. The roster was built over six years by President Leon Rose, focusing on core players Brunson, Bridges, and Hart, while acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges via trade. Head Coach Mike Brown replaced Tom Thibodeau, leading a team that had struggled with consistency in previous years to dominate the 2026 playoffs.
Meanwhile the historic 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America is officially underway! As the first-ever 48-team tournament co-hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the opening days have delivered dramatic late equalizers, high-scoring blowouts, and emotional milestones.
USA dominated Paraguay 4-1 in their World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice and Christian Pulisic providing an assist before being substituted at halftime. Gio Reyna added a fourth goal late in the match, while Canada drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina after Cyle Larin’s 78th-minute equalizer.
Australia defeated Turkey 2-0 in Vancouver, with Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe scoring the goals for the Socceroos. In other results, Brazil and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw, Qatar snatched a late draw against Switzerland with a stoppage-time header, and Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 to end their World Cup winless streak.
Germany cruised to a 7-1 victory over Curaçao in Houston, while Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in Mexico City. Qatar’s late point against Switzerland marked their first-ever World Cup point, and concerns regarding heat and costs have emerged alongside the tournament's kickoff across the USA, Canada, and Mexico.