Jalen Brunson was named the Bill Russell 2026 NBA Finals MVP after leading the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship since 1973, closing out the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 Finals. His fourth-quarter push in Game 5—scoring 15 of 45 points—helpe
The Madison Square Garden crowd didn’t just wake up in the fourth quarter of Game 4—it was dragged there on a wave of disbelief, then rewarded with the kind of moment that turns a season into a memory.
Trailing by one late in the fourth quarter. Jalen Brunson launched a 30-foot 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left that missed off the rim. It looked like another near miss. Then OG Anunoby swooped in, was not blocked out, and tipped the shot in with 1.2 seconds remaining. The Knicks’ home arena—despondent for much of the night—exploded.
By the time the 2026 NBA Finals ended. the emotional swing had found its final form: the New York Knicks captured their first NBA Championship since 1973. beating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the series. Brunson, the Knicks guard who carried them through the heaviest stretches, was named the Bill Russell 2026 NBA Finals MVP.
He didn’t need a whole series to prove he could deliver on the road, either. In Game 5. New York closed it out with a 94-90 win. and Brunson scored 15 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter—exactly when games usually slip away. He finished with three assists and three rebounds as the Knicks again found themselves down by double digits in the first quarter. then steadily chipped back as the game wore on.
Brunson tied Michael Jordan (1998) for most points in a Finals clinching game on the road, per the ABC broadcast.
He also spread his impact across the series in ways that are hard to ignore: four separate times he scored 30 or more points. He totaled 30 in the Game 1 win in San Antonio. scored 32 in the Game 3 loss. and put up 36 in the Game 4 win—one that included the 29-point deficit comeback to complete what became the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history with the 107-106 victory.
The fourth-quarter sequence in Game 4 carried weight not just because the Knicks won, but because Brunson’s missed 30-foot shot still ended up producing the series-turning play. The drama moved from failure to redemption in a single possession, and Anunoby’s tip-in sealed the shift.
Brunson capped off a season loaded with recognition. The 29-year-old was named an All-Star for the third straight year. won the In-Season Tournament. and captured the Larry Bird Trophy as the Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player. In the playoffs, he averaged 28.4 points per game while adding 6.1 assists per game, shooting 46.5% from the field. In the Finals. his numbers were equally relentless: 32.6 points per game. 5 assists per game. 4.5 rebounds per game. and 38.7 minutes per game.
The pieces of his run fit together in a way that helped explain why the Knicks’ drought ended when it did. A team that repeatedly faced early deficits relied on a guard who could score through pressure. then keep moving even after the outcome teetered—especially in the moments when the arena’s patience looked like it was running out.
Jalen Brunson New York Knicks NBA Finals MVP 2026 NBA Finals San Antonio Spurs Madison Square Garden Bill Russell MVP
Finally Knicks fans got something, took forever.
I read somewhere the Knicks were already up like 2-0 in that finals? but then it says 4-1 so idk. Also that tip in with 1.2 seconds is crazy though, basketball luck is wild.
OG tipped it in?? I swear I’ve seen videos where it bounced off the backboard and went in on its own lol. Anyway Brunson doing 15 in the fourth quarter sounds like superstar scripted stuff. How is that not rigged when the crowd “exploded” immediately?
Bill Russell MVP for Brunson is kinda fitting because New York always acts like they’re cursed until one random moment happens. Also 1973 drought… I’m guessing that means they didn’t even play defense until now? Like how else do you wait that long. Congrats though I guess.