Brunson scores 45 points for Finals MVP, setting franchise record in clincher
![The New York Knicks celebrate their NBA championship after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday (Korean Standard Time). [AP]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/14/rcv.YNA.20260614.PAP20260614202101009_P1.jpg)
The New York Knicks have won the NBA championship for the first time in 53 years.
New York clinched the title Saturday (Korean Standard Time) with a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Jalen Brunson was the driving force behind the win, scoring 45 points — including 13 in the fourth quarter alone — to earn Finals MVP honors.
Brunson's 45-point performance set a New York franchise record for points scored in a Finals game, surpassing the previous mark of 38 set by Willis Reed against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1970.
With the win, the Knicks finished the series 4-1, claiming their first championship since 1973 and their third title overall since their first in 1970.
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