Brunson admits – The New York Knicks clinched their first NBA Championship since 1973 with a 94-90 win over the Spurs in Game 5, but the night carried a bitter edge after Jalen Brunson left the floor in the third quarter with a sprained ankle. A replay showed a clear missed fo
The shot landed, and so did the problem.
In Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night. with the Knicks one step away from history. Jalen Brunson came down hard after taking a three-point attempt and landing on the foot of Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. The play wasn’t ruled a foul in real time. Brunson still went down grabbing at his left ankle, his night suddenly altered by pain that didn’t look negotiable.
New York ultimately finished the job—defeating San Antonio 94-90 to officially clinch the NBA Championship for the first time since 1973. But for Brunson, the celebration didn’t erase what happened in that third-quarter sequence.
Replay review later showed a clear missed foul on Wembanyama. In the review picture. it was the kind of call that could have escalated into something far harsher: the missed foul likely would have been upgraded to a flagrant foul penalty. If that had happened, it would have meant Wembanyama could have faced suspension for a potential Game 6.
As it turned out, Game 6 was never needed.
Brunson stayed in after the Knicks called timeout to give him time to recover. He did not just finish the night—he dominated it. He scored 45 points, shooting 14-of-27 from the field and 13-of-15 from the free throw line. His performance carried the kind of weight that comes with a championship clincher. and it earned him unanimous Finals MVP honors.
Still, in the postgame press conference, Brunson admitted the injury effects were far from gone.
“I’m hurting right now, I’m not going to lie to you,” Brunson told reporters. “I’m hurting right now, but like i said before, the opportunity presented itself. Whatever you gotta do.”
After the final buzzer, Brunson spoke to ESPN’s Lisa Salters, describing the moment as something bigger than basketball.
“I got no words,” Brunson told ESPN. “It’s everything I’ve dreamt of. I don’t know what I’m feeling. I’m just like… I’m in awe. I don’t know. Whenever someone counts us out, we find a way to come back and do something about it.”
The Knicks’ scoring after Brunson followed the script of a team built for response. Mikal Bridges scored the next-highest total with 14 points. Josh Hart added 13 points and 11 rebounds. OG Anunoby—who had been the Game 4 hero—came through again with 11 points. eight rebounds. and three steals on Saturday night.
On the Spurs side, Dylan Harper led the way with 25 points off the bench. Victor Wembanyama finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, and five blocked shots—numbers that still came with the shadow of the missed foul on the play that preceded Brunson’s injury.
New York’s championship is now official. The Knicks won the series’ decisive Game 5 on Saturday night, 94-90, ending a drought that stretched back to 1973. Yet that third-quarter sequence—Brunson’s fall. the missed foul that replays made clear. and the possibility of what could have changed for Game 6—will linger long after the confetti.
NBA Finals New York Knicks San Antonio Spurs Jalen Brunson Victor Wembanyama Game 5 Finals MVP sprained ankle missed foul flagrant foul
Refs be wild fr, that looked like a foul.
So they missed a foul and then he still played?? Like okay pain tolerance but also how did they not call it right away. Also Knicks finally won since 1973 which is insane.
I don’t get it, if it was “clear” missed foul then why wouldn’t they just change it after replay? That’s basically what tech review is for right. Sounds like the league wanted Wembanyama to stay in or something.
Game 5 clinching and everybody worried about one call… but the way he landed on the foot like that, I’d be done too. Wait, if it would’ve been upgraded to flagrant, does that mean suspension was automatic? Kinda confusing. Anyway congrats to Knicks but that replay definitely didn’t look clean.