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New York Knicks

Captain Brunson Guides Knicks’ Ship

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SAN ANTONIO – (Wire Service Commentary) – Jalen Brunson fully understands what leading the New York Knicks to the NBA championship means for him, for his team and for the city of New York.

He’s heard it from Walt Frazier, who was a part of NBA championship teams in the Big Apple in 1970 and ’73. He’s talked about it with Bernard King and Patrick Ewing, stars who got the Knicks close in the 1980s and ’90s, and he’s lived it through his father, Rick Brunson, a former player and now an assistant coach for the team.

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Jalen Brunson knew what it would take to carry the Knicks to their first title in 53 years, the price he would have to pay to get his team to the Finals for the first time in 27 years, and what he would have to do to get the Knicks over the finish line against San Antonio and its superstar forward Victor Wembanyama, one of the league’s faces of the future.

Now it’s time to reap those rewards and put to rest one of the most dubious title droughts in pro sports history.

Brunson poured in 45 points, 29 in the second half, to lead New York to a come-from-behind 94-90 win over the Spurs in Game 5 of the Finals on Saturday night, clinching the best-of-seven series 4-1. Three of the Knicks’ wins came on the road with each of them coming down to the final minutes and requiring comebacks from New York.

Brunson, the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, was the ticker that never flickered.

The 45 points tallied by Brunson set a Knicks record for a Finals game, supplanting the 38 scored by the legendary Willis Reed in 1970. Reed scored his in the third game of a series that went to seven and ended with the Captain literally willing New York to the title over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Brunson’s effort in this series was just as arduous and will go down in Big Apple lore with Reed’s performance in that distant Knicks championship run. The undersized New York captain took a beating as the Spurs employed four different players to defend him and knock him around every time he touched the ball. His bruises had bruises and his lumps had bumps.

“I’m hurting right now, oh, I do hurt right now,” Brunson, 29, said after the win. “I’m feeling maybe a little bit worn down physically just because of the game and what (San Antonio was) trying to do. Mentally, I feel fresh. I feel like that’s where I thrive. I’m just happy we’re able to find ways to win the games.”

There was nothing more San Antonio could do. Brunson was just too good. He’s one of just 11 different players to score at least 45 points in an NBA Finals game, for a total of 15 games.

San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson had a matter-of-fact response when asked what his team could have done differently against the Knicks star.

“Make (Brunson) score less points,” Johnson explained. “He’s aggressive. He got to spots. We were undisciplined at times. He got going, then he got going later on. He’s a heck of a player. He deserves everything he’s got.”

On a night when the Knicks got next-to-nothing offensively from Karl-Anthony Towns (two points) and OK production from Game 4 hero OG Anunoby (11 points, eight rebounds), it was up to Brunson to make the plays that produced the victory and the championship. His 15 points in the final quarter were one more than the rest of his teammates combined (14).

“You know, people say (Brunson is) too small. People say he’s a 1B or a 2B or whatever,” New York coach Mike Brown said of the three-time All-Star, listed at 6-foot-2. “He is a freaking 1A. He is an MVP candidate. Brunson — he is him, man, when it comes to New York basketball. He is freaking him.”

Brunson averaged 32.6 points per game in the Finals, scoring 30 or more in four of the contests. As hard as it is to fathom, he got better as the series went on, racking up 32, 36 and then 45 in the last three slugfests.

“That’s who Captain is, man,” Towns said about Brunson. “Captain always finds a way to get back into court and produce as a testament to who he is. It’s just his story, (he’s) never given up, always has been the underdog, always been looked down upon.

“Shout out to everybody (who) told him he couldn’t do it.”

After the final buzzer on Saturday, Brunson — a white towel over his head — ran on the floor toward half court, but he was overcome with emotion, and stopped and crouched near the scorer’s table. At his side were teammates Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, his running buddies and fellow former stars at Villanova, loving him up before literally lifting Brunson to a standing position.

He had carried the Knicks to the title — and now, fittingly, it was his teammates that helped him to his feet. The weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders. The hopes and dreams of the whole of New York City and its rabid and vocal fan base had finally been realized.

After the game, Brunson clutched the Larry O’Brien Trophy and offered a weary smile. There’s a trip to the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan in his and the Knicks’ future, as the team will be feted in the time-honored Big Apple parade tradition at long last.

It will be a day cherished for a generation of New Yorkers, an “I-remember-where-I-was-when” moment, for fans young and old.

Someday there might even be a statue of Brunson outside Madison Square Garden. If so, let’s hope it’s as tough and as durable as the man is himself.

–Steve Habel, Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 14

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Alex Cora

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – In the Summer of 2018, night after night at Fenway Park and when the Boston Red Sox hit the road, you just couldn’t believe the number of victories the team recorded. By June 14, they were 48-22 on the way to a 108-win season.

Just last year, on June 14, the Red Sox started slowly and were 36-36, just hitting the .500 mark on the way to making the 2025 MLB Postseason when they lost to the New York Yankees 2-games-to-1 in the AL Wild Card. On July 4th, a summer ago, the Red Sox were 44-45 and sputtering.

This past April 25, with the Red Sox only 10-17 (.370) after a 17-1 thrashing of the Baltimore Orioles, manager Alex Cora and five of his coaches were sent packing.

Heading into June 13th play, the 2026 Red Sox were 28-39 (.418). and playing less than inspired baseball under interim manager Chad Tracy. That 28-39 record included an 11-21 mark at Fenway and a 17-18 record on the road. The Sox are 6-14 against the American League East.

Thus, it can be concluded, it’s not Chad Tracy’s fault and it certainly wasn’t Alex Cora’s fault that the current Sox club is bordering terrible.

The Sox situation and the stats beg us to ponder a bigger question.

Why do we look to place blame on people, to point “the fickle finger of fate” at someone, such as a baseball manager, when there’s little or no explanation for the occurrences taking place. But, nevertheless, the blame and finger associated to that blame are pointed outward – never inwardly.

A deeper dive into the expression “Fickle Finger of Fate,” show it surfaced in the 1930s on college campuses in the Unoted States, combining 1860s slang of a “fickle finger” and 1870s slang of “fickle fate.” In the 1960s, the television show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” created an award, presented weekly to salute bureaucratic stupidity or ironic institutional blunders. Rarely did that involve the bad luck or losing of a professional sports team.

Fate is usually caused by the whims of misfortune. In the base of Alex Cora, it was a combination of bad weather, injuries to the likes of Cy Young candidate SP Garrett Crochet, shortstop Trevor Story, the franchise’s cornerstone prospect and big game hitter, Roman Anthony and a ping pong of bullpen pitchers who all bounced back and forth from injury, rehab starts and plain, old-fashioned incompetence. Not a thing Cora could do about it.

The other factors in the “deep dive” are “uncontrollable twists and just plain bad luck.” The Red Sox encountered all of the above on the way to that flimsy 10-17 start.

It wasn’t (and still isn’t) Alex Cora’s fault paltry batting averages of .209 (Duran), .201 (Durbin), .220 Mayer, .229 for the oft-injured Anthony and .238 for Yoshida – all above the Mendoza Line but under the club’s expected productivity line.

On the pitching side, the ace, Crochet, is out indefinitely with a shoulder soreness/”lat” inflammation injury that is highly likey to sideline him through the all-star break. Sonny Gray, a glimmer of hope for the club, missed 14 games with a hamstrong strain and the middle relievers have been on-and-off the MLB IL if and when they are not being treated as Piñatas by opponents.

RHP Bryan Bello was optioned to AAA Worcester after stinking up the joint while off-season acquired Ranger Suarez has been inconstsitent and youngsters Connelly Early and LHP Payton Tolle have shown promise, but it has not translated to wins.

The bullpen has a 3.72 ERA to date.

Add it all up and point the finger elsewhere. It’s not Alex Cora’s fault that the Red Sox are four games buried in the AL East cellar.

TIP of the HAT: A tip of the hat goes to the incredible Boston Red Sox PR staff as they tossed a perfect, fitting 77th birthday party to longtime WBZ-Radio reporter Jonny Miller. Many Sox fans remember the wonderful tradition of having Miller begin each postgame press conference with the “honor” of asking the first question, much like the late Helen Thomas (1920-2013) of UPI who had that same honor in the White House briefing room when there was a semblance of decorum. On Saturday, to celebrate Miller’s 77th, there were tributes, a rare standing “O” of applause (tossing the no cheering in the press box rule to the side), and some Major League cake and cupcakes in Fenway Park glory (CITGO (in vanilla and chocolate; Wally; Baseballs and a few other icing pictorials). Nicely done and God Speed to the great Jonny Miller, who WWYI met in 1981.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Radio reports in Boston spoke of an (obviously) Scottish couple, a.k.a. “Man in Kilt,” strolling through Mattapan in downtown Boston. To say that was a safe walk in the park might be an error. Mattapan started as community for Native Americans known as the Mattahunt Tribe. Early in 20th century, immigrants traveling in New England found Mattapan to be a “good place to sit.” Irish, Jewish, and Haitian immigrants called the neighborhood home. That is largely the case for Haitian immigrants ‘til this day, and, in fact, Boston has a huge Haitian population, and Massachusetts ranks third in the USA for Haitian immigrants.

  1. Florida – 544,043 (2.4% of the state population)
  2. New York – 176,287 (0.8%)
  3. Massachusetts – 77,054 (1.1%)

It just so happens, at 9:00pm on Saturday, June 13, Haiti will face Scotland in an important World Cup preliminary match. The Group C in which they compete also includes Brazil and Morocco, not a Group of Death but you might say, a respirator will be attached to the team losing the opening match in the stadium formerly known as Gillette in Massachusetts (far away from Boston, not so far away from Providence).

On Friday night, there were more “Men in Kilts” at Fenway Park than there were Fenway Franks. The Red Sox scored 10 runs and held the Rangers of Texas to a single run. It was only the third time this season the hometown team managed double digits in the run column. Maybe there was some luck or inspiration in ‘dem ‘der kilts? On Saturday morning, hundreds – maybe thousands – of Scots boarded trains at Moynihan Station near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden to travel on the northbound tracks to the sticks of Foxborough – a long trip. The last time Scotland qualified to play in the World Cup was 1998. That’s a Knick-a-load-eon amount of time passed, as the Knickerbockers made it to the NBA Finals in 1999 and – yes – again this year.

TIDBITS & NOTES: Position Sports, in partnership with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, announced that St. John’s and Arizona will tip-off in the Hall of Fame Series New York City on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. The December 5 matchup will also mark the first of two Hall of Fame Series meetings between the programs, with St. John’s and Arizona scheduled to meet at the Hall of Fame Series Phoenix in 2027. Obviously, JoJo will have to leave his home in Tucson to attend the 2027 game. … Did you know? Paul and the late Linda McCartney owned a historic Tucson ranch, located in the foothills of the Rincon Mountains.

ONE on ONE: Teams of 1×1 hoopsters representing Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami, and Washington, DC advanced through the second round of three championship events at Tracy McGrady’s Ones Basketball League (OBL). The playoff took place at Ridge High School in Orlando.

TALK the TALK: There’s been a fair share written in this column about minor league baseball, from Cape Cod to the Pioneer League to the American Association of Professional Baseball. The focus is usually about the teams and players, but sometimes the “behind the scenes” of sports finds a gem in the minors and AAPB alumni on the field aren’t the only ones finding success after their careers in the league. Denning Gerig, the AAPB Broadcaster of the Year in 2021 with the Cleburne Railroaders, has been named director of broadcasting for Wichita State University Athletics.

FENWAYS: Just like they do at Fenway Park, here in Boston, the Chicago Dogs of the same AAPB celebrated the music of Neil Diamond with pre-game performances and sing-a-longs, tagged “Cracklin’ Rosemont.” … In Boston, the Red Sox now feature Diamond’s work in a pregame salute to the 250th anniversary of the USA with a music video montage, entitled, “America.” … And, yes, the CITGO sign has been torn apart in an effort to move it 120 feet and raise it 30 feet higher as it remains in Kenmore Square. “CITGO may think of this as their Sign, but in Boston, we think of it as ours,” Boston City Councilor Sharon Durkan, who represents Kenmore Square, said in a press release about the sign’s move. … Nowadays, the WHOOP sign is the most visable of billboards and it’s been rigged up to glow in white light or go “Red, White and Blue” for the 250th.

Earth to NY Knicks: Time to Land

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

TRANQUILITY BASE – At approximately 8:30pm (EDT) on Saturday night, the New York Knicks will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. They must. They have a game to play.

After performing a miracle of the sporting nature, including the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history which was capped by an impossible dream final sequence and O.G. Anunoby’s incredible tip-in of a Jalen Brunson front rim-rocker three-point field goal attempt, the Knickerbockers have to put their Finals Game 4 victory in the overhead compartment, and must splash down in Texas, maybe somewhere in the Riverwalk of San Antonio.

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Re-entering the earth’s atmosphere is hard enough but splashing down in two to 24 feet of water – call it dirty water – stemming from a combination of recycled wastewater, natural groundwater springs or, maybe, at best, storm water run-off.

NASA has nearly perfected the scientific wonder of blasting a rocket ship through the earth’s atmosphere to orbit the big blue planet, or maybe even soar to the Moon or to go where no man has ever gone before. But, NASA’s HQ is about 200 miles East of San Antonio, a straight shot across I-10. On a good day, you can drive it in three hours. San Antone might have iHeart Media but they don’t have NASA.

The Knicks might prefer to land in Houston – near the Johnson Space Center – to play the Rockets. There’d be the revenge factor of 1994 when they lost to Rudy T, Hakeem and company with John Starks’ off the mark shooting in Game 7 of that series. This year, the New Yorkers could handle Türkiye’s Alperen Şengün but, instead, they’re messing with a different brand of basketball, taking on “The Freak of “la République,” Victor Wembanyama, a 22-year old, 7-foot-4 smooth operator of the game, one with moves, footwork beyond belief, defensive presence good enough to win the NBA’s All-Defensive Player of the Year as the youngest to ever accomplish the feat.

Wembanyama is so good, he was the first player in the league to take the All-D Player of the Year in unanimous fashion. At the ripe age of 22, Wembanyama is earning votes as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. Someday soon, he’ll be known as the best player in the world.

Which brings us back to the exact kind of ship the Knicks’ new masters of jet-propulsion will need to come down from the exhilarating highs of their miracle on 33rd Street victory of Wednesday night to somehow side-step human nature, and the fatigue it inherits, otherwise known as an emotional high the City of New York has never seen before.

Yes, there was Bobby Thomsen’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” but the black & white television signal barely made it to Staten Island, never mind to Glasgow (Scotland) where Thomsen was born. Transistor radio was delivery system of choice back in 1951 when “the Giants won the pennant.”

Yes, there was Willis Reed gimping out of the Madison Square Garden corridor to join his New York Knicks teammates on May 8, 1970 in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA World Championship Series to hit the first two jumpers of the game and propel his club to a 113-99 title-clinching victory. Even Howard Cosell might’ve been lost for words when he uttered, “You exemplify the very best that the human spirit can offer” to the injury-plagued, cortisone injected Reed.

Yes, there was the key play of Super Bowl XLII and an incredible Eli Manning scramble, shaking off defenders to toss a ball that tight end David Tyree somehow caught with his hand and his helmet in the 17-14 NFL Giants title-winning game on February 3, 2008.

Yes, there was Joe Namath’s guarantee for a wictory in Super Bowl III when Namath’s AFC Jets upset the NFC’s Baltimore, 16-7 on January 12, 1969.

NY Mets’ Cleon Jones Catches the Final Out of World Series (File)

Yes, there were the Amazin’ Mets of 1969, 10-games back of the Chicago Cubs in the National League East, who won the division by eight games, upset the favored Atlanta Braves in the NLCS, then – after dropping the first game of the 1969 World Series to the Baltimore Orioles – ran off four in a row, three at Shea Stadium in Queens, to take MLB’s World Championship.

And, yes, there were the New York Rangers who won the NHL’s Stanley Cup after a 54-year drought (1949-1994). NYR captain Mark Messier had willed the team to victory and his moment of raising the Cup might be the only thing to compare to the joy felt by Knicks fans on Wednesday night when they witnessed history and the greatest of comebacks in NBA Finals’ lore.

But, emotional highs are a dangerous villain.

The very San Antonio Spurs the Knicks face might’ve fallen victim to the emotional high of defeating the favored OKC Thunder (May 30, 2026) and blown Game 1 of this 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, when the Spurs led by 14 points with 6:31 left in the third quarter only to lose to New York, 105-95, when the final buzzer sounded on the Spurs’ home floor.

The sound of silence in San Antonio on June 3 and 5th, was quite the opposite of the sonic boom heard at Madison Square Garden on June 10th after New York erased a 29-point deficit.

We just had some experience with a sonic boom as a meteor attempted to enter the Earth’s atmosphere at the speed of 75,000 mph from a height some 40 miles directly over the Commonwealth. The sound created was equal to exploding 300 tons of TNT (and that’s not Turner’s network, but explosives).

It was quite unsettling and it proved what a difficult task NASA faces when our manned USA space ships return their cargo and precious human lives back to safety.

It’s a daunting task to return to Earth, so remember, splashdown for New York’s miracle is Saturday night, June 13, in the Riverwalk of San Antonio. And, remember too, winning three games in the NBA Finals is easy. Winning the fourth game is damn near impossible. But, every season, someone does it. Yes, a Sweet Sixteen victories in a lengthy NBA postseason.

These days of 2026, Space X can return a spacecraft to the launchpad standing upright, as if it’s never even left in the first place. If the Knicks can do so, and clinch the NBA’s coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy and NBA championship, O.G. Anunoby might earn a new nickname – The Original Galileo.

Comeback City

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NEW YORK – (Wire Service Report) – Mike Brown walked to the podium inside Madison Square Garden just before midnight on Wednesday, sat down and let out an exhausted sigh.

“Uhh, that was a good win by our guys, obviously,” the New York Knicks coach said.

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It was a lot more than that, and now the Knicks are one win away from a goal more than five decades in the making.

OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds left capped the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, as New York overcame a 29-point deficit to stun the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4.

The Knicks, who trailed 81-52 in the third quarter, lead the best-of-seven series 3-1. They can clinch their first title since 1973 on Saturday night, when Game 5 will be played in San Antonio.

“Felt cool — I mean, everyone’s pretty excited, I’m excited too,” the normally poker-faced Anunoby said before breaking into a rare grin. “We’re all excited. We’re enjoying it right now, but we’re just focused on the next game now.”

The Knicks ended the game on a 55-25 run after Victor Wembanyama was whistled for a flagrant-1 foul on Karl-Anthony Towns with 9:27 left in the third. New York shot 52.6% (20-for-38) following the foul while holding the Spurs to 17.1% shooting (6-for-35), including 4-for-19 (21.1%) in the fourth quarter.

“To put as much good work into that first half as we did, get the lead that we had and not finish the job is disappointing to say the least,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.

Jalen Brunson, the symbol of the Knicks’ stoicism, was asked if the Wembanyama foul sparked him and his teammates.

“Not necessarily, no,” Brunson said.

Earlier in his press conference, Brunson invoked a baseball analogy to describe the Knicks’ approach.

“We need to hit singles, get on base and make plays from there,” Brunson said.

New York scored 13 unanswered points after the Wembanyama flagrant foul and trailed 90-75 at the end of the third. The Knicks didn’t score on their first four possessions in the fourth as the Spurs extended the advantage to 95-75.

A 3-pointer by Jose Alvarado that rolled around the rim sparked the stunning final rally for New York. Consecutive 3-pointers by Alvarado and Jalen Brunson pulled the Knicks within 104-103 with 2:21 left. The Spurs turned the ball over, but Josh Hart missed a layup, after which Wembanyama missed two free throws.

Brunson then hit a floater to give the Knicks their first lead of the game with 1:22 left. The teams traded turnovers, after which Stephon Castle hit two free throws to put the Spurs up 106-105 with 30.3 seconds left.

After Brunson failed to hit a short shot, Anunoby blocked De’Aaron Fox’s layup attempt, setting up an inbounds play with 5.7 seconds left. Brunson missed a long 3-point attempt, but Anunoby, who was at the 3-point arc across the floor from Brunson, swooped into the paint, outleaped Dylan Harper and tapped the ball home as the sellout crowd roared.

“I don’t know if there was a play bigger than (that) in the history of Knicks basketball,” Brown said.

Towns, 7 inches taller than Harper, guarded the latter on the ensuing inbounds pass. Harper threw the ball over Wembanyama’s head, and Castle, surrounded by Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart, couldn’t corral the ball or get a shot off as time expired.

“We, from the mud, found a way to get it done,” Towns said. “As anyone who lives in New York knows, if you want to make it in this city, you have to be OK getting out of the mud. And we did that tonight.”

The Knicks flooded the floor as a KNICKS WIN graphic flashed atop the scoreboard.

“Just happy that we found a way to come away with a win,” Brunson said. “But just there’s nothing — there’s nothing to celebrate. It’s not over yet, not even close.”

Brunson finished with 36 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Anunoby had 33 points and four rebounds after a pregame pep talk from Brown.

“I told OG — as big, as strong, as athletic as he is — he’s got to be a monster on the offensive glass tonight,” Brown said. “He took on the challenge and he went and won the game for us doing exactly what I called him out for during shootaround today.”

Towns added 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Wembanyama finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Harper scored 21 points off the bench for the Spurs, while Devin Vassell and Fox had 18 points each. Castle contributed 13 points.

Wembanyama (13 points) and Vassell (12) combined for 25 points during the first quarter, when the Spurs shot a blistering 65.2% — and held the Knicks to 29.4% shooting — to take a 41-22 lead.

The Spurs kept the Knicks at bay in the second, and San Antonio led by as many as 29 before ending the half with a 76-49 edge.

Now San Antonio must try to match the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, the only team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit and win the NBA Finals.

“I think it’s going to go one of two ways,” Wembanyama said. “The bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we’re going to do.”

– Field Level Media

Spurs Strike Back vs NY Knicks

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NEW YORK – Stephon Castle feels the San Antonio Spurs didn’t accomplish much Monday night.

Even so, they did avoid falling into a historically unfriendly hole while ensuring the NBA Finals would get at least some of the length warranted by what has been a compelling matchup thus far.

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Victor Wembanyama produced 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks Monday night for the Spurs, who got back into the NBA Finals by beating the red-hot New York Knicks 115-111 in Game 3.

The Knicks still lead the best-of-seven series two games to one. Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday night in New York.

Castle added 23 points — 18 in the first half and five key points late in the fourth quarter — as the Spurs avoided falling into an 0-3 hole. No NBA team has ever overcome a three-games-to-none deficit in a best-of-seven series.

“I feel like we still haven’t really done anything,” Castle said. “Obviously we’re still down 2-1 and we’re looking forward to the next 48 minutes.

“Obviously it feels good to win, especially on the road after dropping two bad ones. But I think our confidence has been the same throughout this series regardless of what happens.”

Dylan Harper scored 13 points off the San Antonio bench while starters Julian Champagnie (12 points), De’Aaron Fox (12 points) and Devin Vassell (11 points) all got into double figures. Fox added eight assists.

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points on 11-of-25 shooting for the Knicks, whose 13-game winning streak — the second-longest postseason winning streak in NBA history — was snapped. The 2017 Golden State Warriors won their first 15 playoff games en route to the title.

“I tell the guys, it’s a seven-game series for a reason,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “They are a great team. They are well-coached. They have an iconic player. It’s not going to be easy.”

OG Anunoby had 28 points, hitting 9 of 13 from the floor, while Josh Hart put up 16 points. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 11 points, and reserve Jordan Clarkson scored 10 points.

New York’s previous loss was a 109-108 setback against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference first-round series on April 23.

“We didn’t do what got us 13 straight wins in a row — that’s how you lose a game,” Towns said. “We didn’t do what we’ve been doing for 13 (games). We decided to do something different, and it ain’t going to work.”

This is just the second NBA Finals in which the road team won the first three games. The Chicago Bulls took the first two games on the road in 1993 before the Phoenix Suns won Game 3. The Bulls won the series in six games.

“At home, it’s really like playing six against five — in here, it felt like five against six,” Wembanyama said with a grin. “It really shows what teams are made of.”

The Spurs showed some resilience Monday, when they squandered a 12-point first-half lead and fell behind 64-57 entering halftime. San Antonio blew a 14-point lead in a 105-95 loss in Game 1 and a 12-point lead in a 105-104 loss in Game 2.

On Monday, Champagnie scored the first six points of the second half, and the Spurs shot 50% (10 of 20) in the third while forcing four turnovers. San Antonio took the lead for good at 79-76 on Wembanyama’s 3-pointer with 5:02 left in the period.

 

Knicks on the Verge?

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NEW YORK – The New York Knicks being on the verge of an NBA title only feels unprecedented to the legions of fans who weren’t born the last time it happened in 1973. But the task in front of the San Antonio Spurs — winning the title after losing the first two games at home — really has never been achieved.

The Knicks will try to inch closer to a cathartic championship and the Spurs will aim to climb back into the NBA Finals when New York hosts San Antonio in Game 3 Monday night.

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The Knicks took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series Friday night. The host Spurs overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit before Victor Wembanyama missed a jumper just before the buzzer as New York hung on for a 105-104 win.

The win was the 13th straight for the Knicks, who relied on their usual defensive stoutness as well as a resilience they hadn’t needed since May 19, when they overcame a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

“It’s an amazing feeling as a coach to know how mentally tough your team is, no matter what the situation is in front of them,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said. “To see them continue to fight and fight and fight and fight, no matter what the score is, no matter how much time is on the clock, it’s just a fantastic feeling.”

Winning Games 3 and 4 would not only match the longest postseason winning streak in NBA history — the Golden State Warriors opened the 2017 playoffs with 15 straight wins — but allow the Knicks to clinch their long-anticipated NBA title in New York, which has been buzzing for weeks.

“The NBA is tough,” Brown said. “You don’t get to experience what I’m experiencing with this group a ton. And it is a freaking joy to be around.”

Game 3 will be the first NBA Finals game in New York since June 25, 1999, when the Spurs clinched the championship with a 78-77 win in Game 5.

“Fans have earned the right and deserve the right to see Finals basketball be played here at Madison Square Garden,” said Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who grew up in New Jersey. “For this to be the first game in a long time that they have seen Finals basketball, it’s up to us to bring it, give them something to cheer for, give them something to get loud for and also give them something to believe in.”

The Spurs will need to create a historic moment of their own to win their first title since 2014.

San Antonio, which also squandered a double-digit lead in a 105-95 loss in Wednesday’s Game 1, is just the third team to drop the first two games of the NBA Finals at home. The 1993 Phoenix Suns fell to the Chicago Bulls in six games while the 1995 Orlando Magic were swept by the Houston Rockets.

“We need to capitalize — actually use all the efforts we (used),” Wembanyama said. “It felt like we did a lot, we did a lot of things wrong. But we also were relentless and kept pushing, but kind of wasted that effort.”

The Knicks have made things difficult for Wembanyama — and, by extension, the Spurs, whose 199 points over the first two games are by far their fewest in a two-game span in these playoffs.

Wembanyama is averaging 27.5 points in the first two games of the Finals, but he’s shooting 40.5% on 21 field goal attempts per contest. The 7-foot-4 matchup nightmare averaged 23.2 points per game while shooting 51% and hoisting just 15.2 shots per night over his first 17 playoff games.

Yet the increased volume in the Finals has come in an inconsistent manner for Wembanyama, who attempted eight of his 21 shots in the first half of Game 1 before he had just four shots in the first half Friday.

“I have to make sure there’s environments that the ball finds him,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said. “There are times I think when he was open on rolls or around the paint and his teammates (have) got to give him the ball.

“But yeah, four shots in a half on this stage is not acceptable.”

– Field Level Media

Brunson Leads Knicks in G-1 of Finals

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SAN ANTONIO — (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New York’s magical guard Jalen Brunson was beaten and battered but not dismayed, and the Knicks star had enough energy to orchestrate a fine George Gervin impersonation with an Iceman-like final quarter in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs icon surely appreciated Brunson’s zest for heroics but the city of San Antonio was stunned over an opening defeat as the red-hot Knicks controlled the final two minutes while prevailing 105-95 on Wednesday night.

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Brunson scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and the Knicks overcame a 14-point third-quarter deficit to win their 12th consecutive playoff game, tied for the second-longest postseason streak in league history.

“Jalen was MVP in the second half,” New York coach Mike Brown said. “He was huge for us. He did what MVP candidates are supposed to do. He carried us home and we put the ball in his hands and he got it done for us down the stretch.”

Brunson had a rough time during the first half as he injured his right knee in the first quarter and his left ankle in the second.

Per the knee injury, Harrison Barnes of the Spurs and Landry Shamet of the Knicks were battling for position after a missed free throw and Barnes fell directly into Brunson’s knee with 1:27 remaining.

Brunson departed for the locker room and returned with 8:03 left in the second quarter. Two minutes later, Brunson hurt his ankle on a driving basket.

“When I saw him walk back to the bench, it was a relief feeling,” Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns said of Brunson.

Brunson was just 7-of-22 shooting entering the final stanza before finding his groove. He hit 5 of 9 shots in the fourth.

“I think it starts with my confidence. It comes with my work ethic,” Brunson said of bouncing back. “I think most importantly, knowing we’re on the road, and knowing my teammates have my back, I think that’s the biggest thing in an environment like this. The trust they have in me and the trust I have in them, it’s got us to this point.”

The Spurs had few answers over the final 12 minutes when it came to slowing Brunson.

“He’s an elite player,” Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said of Brunson. “We’re going to have many more chances. It’s the first-to-four series. We’re going to have time to work on it.”

New York closed the game with 11 straight points while playing in its first NBA Finals game since 1999.

Towns contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds and Josh Hart was solid all-around with 15 rebounds, six assists, four steals and three points for the Knicks.

OG Anunoby produced 12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter for the Knicks, who committed no turnovers in the final period. San Antonio gave the ball away five times over the final 12 minutes while shooting 28.6% (6 of 21) and being outscored 29-19.

Wembanyama registered 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots but made just 6 of 21 field-goal attempts.

“He missed a few shots early,” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said of the star Frenchman. “We got to him moving in space toward the rim.”

Stephon Castle had 17 points and eight rebounds, Julian Champagnie added 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Dylan Harper had 16 points off the bench.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Friday night at San Antonio.

Shamet scored 13 points off the bench for New York, which shot 41.5% from the field, including 11 of 36 (30.6%) from 3-point range.

The Spurs connected on 36% of their field-goal attempts and were 11 of 43 (25.6%) from behind the arc.

Brunson scored eight straight points, including a driving hoop with 6:08 left to give the Knicks a 94-86 advantage. Wembanyama responded with eight points during a 9-0 run as the Spurs moved ahead 95-94 with 2:16 to play.

San Antonio wouldn’t score again, and Brunson drained a corner trey to put the Knicks back ahead with 1:50 left.

Mikal Bridges made two free throws, Brunson hit a jumper and Anunoby sank four consecutive free throws to seal it.

“Obviously, we’ve been down in a series before,” Wembanyama said. “Never in the Finals, obviously. But I’m not kicking myself about anything, really. I’m not worried the slightest.”

San Antonio led by seven at the break before scoring 10 of the first 13 points in the third quarter to take a 65-51 lead on Harper’s basket.

The Knicks responded with a 20-6 burst and knotted the score at 71 on Brunson’s jumper with 2:01 remaining in the third.

Knicks backup center Mitchell Robinson (broken right pinkie) played 13 minutes and had two points and six rebounds.

Champagnie had 15 points on five 3-pointers as the Spurs led 55-48 at the half. Brunson logged 11 in the half for New York.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 31

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The Studio Wall at Turner Sports (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

 

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Earlier this month, upon his death, WWYI paid tribute to Ted Turner.Earlier this week, the baseball team Turner once owned came to town for a three game set against the Red Sox. There were Atlanta Braves fans everywhere you looked, and it was all a credit to Turner’s vision to place his Braves on a SuperStation that reached every corner of the United States.

For the youngsters in this column’s readership group, let’s go back to the days of black and white television when there were 13 slots for television channels. Quite a number of them went unused. There were three networks with national programming (ABC, CBS, and NBC). In each local market, there were a handful of others. As an example, in New York, there was Channel 5 (Metromedia, as FOX TV was yet to be a thing), then WOR TV – Channel 9 (which carried the Mets, Knicks and NHL Rangers), WPIX-TV 11 (which carried the Yankees), and Public Broadcasting, Channel 13 (Sesame Street and Mister Roger’s Neighborhood were just about to unfold.

When cable tv first made its way through suburban and city households and apartments, the channel selection increased to a maximum of 33 slots, many were used by teletype messaging and music, as broadcasters had yet to adjust to the new availability and the eventuality that one day, there’d be an unlimited universe of cable tv channels.

Home Box Office (HBO) was an early adapter and with it came first run movies and some sports. HBO launched on November 8, 1972 with a New York Rangers vs Vancouver Canucks game, live from Madison Square Garden. By 1980, HBO launched Cinemax and the whole concept of premium channels to headline “basic cable” came about.

Turner was smart enough to grab a slot on basic cable and broadcast a signal to a larger number of households basic cable served. The Braves and, to some extent, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, became regular programming in homes all over the United States. With that exposure, Turner had created his SuperStation TBS, a golden opportunity for advertisers and, little did we know – fans – all over the States.

Of course, along with Superstation TBS (that’s Turner Broadcast System), came a little gem called Cable News Network – “CNN” – and then CNN Headline News, TNT (Turner Network Television), and a host of other channels which originated in Turner’s burgeoning Techwood Drive and Peachtree Street studios in Atlanta. Along with the multitude of programming, along came “man’s best friend,” the remote control. In fact, in our “household,” we lovingly call our remote control, “Ted,” as in … “Can you please pass “Ted” to me?”

With all of that as background, let us examine a little, three-game set at Fenway Park this week.

The ballpark was packed with Braves fans. In some cases, there might’ve been three generations of Braves fans in various groups, and most of them were not from Georgia. Braves fans are everywhere. The oldsters can be identified because of their Greg Maddux or Chipper Jones uniform tops and sometimes you might even see a HenryAaron (pictured) or a Rico Carty replica. Then come the John Smoltz or Phil Niekrouniforms, and don’t forget Dale Murphy and Andruw Jones.

It all added up to national fandom, and to a great degree, the Braves earned the respect and admiration of their massive fanbase. The Braves posted 14 consecutive divisional crowns, and a couple World Series banners, to boot.

The Braves’ faithful enjoyed the series opener, an exciting 7-6 Braves’ win on Tuesday night at Fenway.

On Wednesday, maybe the TV audience changed channels to TruTV for the Carolina vs Montreal NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game? If they stayed for the Red Sox game, the fans would’ve seen Boston’s biggest inning at Fenway since a September 14, 2025 opening stanza against the New York Yankees.

In the bottom of the 4th inning of that game, the Sox’ bats awoke. The outburst, combined with a stellar effort by Boston starter Connelly Early, resulted in an 8-0 Red Sox win.

Base hits, walks, a couple Braves’ errors, a wild pitch, a stolen base and three consecutive singles by Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu placed six runs on the scoreboard, five of them earned and the barrage sent Atlanta starter Bryce Elder packing before reliever Dylan Dodd walked to the mound to ease the pain. Elder lasted only 3.1 innings and gave up nine hits.

On the flip side, Boston’s promising pitcher, Early, tossed seven innings of scoreless baseball, allowing only four hits with three walks. He struck out seven Atlanta batters and threw an efficient 97 pitches of which 65 were strikes. He earned his fifth win of the season (5-2).

The Braves and their fans lived to see another game, a Thursday afternoon, 10-2 thrashing of the Red Sox. Braves’ pitcher Chris Sale, the former Red Sox ace, and Boston’s promising lefty, Payton Tolle settled-in to a 2-2 tie until Ronald Acuna Jr.took reliever Greg Weissert long for a Grand Slam which broke the game wide-open while breaking the Sox backs. The Atlanta Braves fans flocked to Fenway, once again, while others tuned-in on Braves Vision rather than TBS, as there’s been a lot of change for RSNs since the 1970s when SuperStations were king and Braves owner, Ted Turner, owned the throne.

Editor’s Note:

Ted Turner, the founder of CNN and a pioneering figure in the media industry, passed away on May 6, 2026, at the age of 87. His death marked the end of a remarkable career that transformed how news is consumed and established Atlanta as a media hub.

Early Life and Career

Birth: November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Education: Attended Brown University and served in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Business Beginnings: Took over his father’s billboard company after his father’s death in 1963.

Media Innovations

Turner Broadcasting System: Launched in 1970 with the purchase of a UHF station, which became TBS.

CNN: Founded on June 1, 1980, as the first 24-hour news channel, revolutionizing news broadcasting around the world.

Contributions and Achievements

Sports Ownership: Acquired the Atlanta Braves in 1976 and the Atlanta Hawks in 1977, significantly impacting Atlanta’s sports culture.

Philanthropy: Donated over $1 billion to various causes, including the United Nations Foundation and to many environmental initiatives. He also launched the Goodwill Games in an effort to utilize sports to bridge geopolitical gaps between countries all around the world.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: On the night of June 3, ABC/ESPN’s No. 1 NBA commentator Mike Breen will call Game 1 of his 21st consecutive NBA Finals series. Breen recently did a podcast for the New York Post and he delved into a ton of anecdotes and memories. NYP reporter Dexter Henry did a fine job. But, there’s a few points which must be made. First: For anyone who grew up watching the 1970-73 New York Knicks (and many other sports such as the NHL’s New York Rangers, NFL games, you name it on the Six and 11 o’clock sports on WNBC TV-4, and even David Letterman’s Late Night with the Wild & Wacky, there was NO WAY anyone could be better than Marv Albert.

“No chance,” says the columnist at WWYI. As in, “There’s no chance anyone could be a better baseball player than Willie Mays,” or “No chance there’d be a better goal scorer than Mike Bossy.”

Well, “Mike Breen has gone above and beyond Marv Albert in calling the NBA.”

“Mike (Tirico) and myself and Ian (Eagle), we’re all kind of the same age, longtime NBA play-by-play man Kevin Harlan explained.

“Because Mike has been this friend in the NBA for 30-plus years, and I’ll speak for everybody of our age group,” said Harlan, “I kind of feel like we’re there calling the Finals because Mike is such a leading voice for our group of broadcasters. He’s covered this succession of Finals that will never be equaled again, I don’t think, in the industry. So I feel like I’m right in back of him, enjoying the moment with him as his voice is chronicling these great Finals that we’ve had a chance to watch.”

Aside from the likes of Harlan, Tirico, and Ian Eagle, Breen has the village of support from Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Madison Square Garden colleagues like former MSG Network head Michael McCarthy and longtime producer/director Howie Singer,among many others who helped mold Breen into being the best.

One semi-forgotten gem is the fact Breen worked the Olympic Games with the great player-coach Doug Collins and that two-man combo might’ve been the best announce team of all time.

June 3rd will be Breen’s 113th NBA Finals game, extending his own record for broadcasters by far.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Nothing says an “Original Six” Stanley Cup Final like Las Vegas against Carolina. Not!

As a reminder, the Original Six of the National Hockey League were the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers. Hey? There’s one non-stop a day, as opposed to the 72 one-stop flights. … The last time there was an Original Six Stanley Cup Final was 2013 when the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins, 4-2. … Let’s make note that Bruce Cassidy has coached his teams (Boston-2019), Vegas (2023, 2026) to the Stanley Cup Final in three of the last eight years, winning in 2023.

NY Knicks Sweep Cleveland

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CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – As the clock wound down, few Cleveland Cavaliers fans could be found. The New York Knicks left them with no reason to stick around.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Knicks advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, routing the Cavaliers 130-93 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals Monday night.

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The Knicks extended their franchise playoff-record winning streak to 11 games — matching the third-longest run in a single postseason in league history — and their long-suffering supporters took over Cleveland’s arena.

“Growing up in the (New York) area, I feel like the word hope has been gone for a long while, so to restore that is special,” Towns said. “There is nowhere better in the world than when (Madison Square) Garden has hope.”

OG Anunoby contributed 17 points and Landry Shamet scored 16 off the bench on 4-for-4 3-point shooting for New York, which built a 29-point lead in the second quarter and went up 123-78 in the fourth.

Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges finished with 15 points apiece, and Josh Hart added six points, 11 rebounds and six assists. The former Villanova championship teammates relished the opportunity to win the East together.

“It’s something that is surreal,” Hart said. “We already share a bond and a brotherhood for life, and we’re going to keep adding memories for that.”

Brunson was named the series MVP for averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists. The Knicks have outscored their opponents by 262 points during their win streak, the most dominant span in league history, playoffs or regular season.

Donovan Mitchell logged 31 points and Evan Mobley posted 15 points and seven rebounds for Cleveland, which reached the East finals for the first time since 2018. James Harden had 12 points and five turnovers while missing all six of his 3-point tries.

“Sometimes you’ve got to ultimately give the other team credit,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “They played great basketball and they’re on a heater.”

The Knicks’ Mike Brown is off to the NBA Finals for the second time as a head coach, having led the Cavaliers to their first East crown in 2007.

The 37-point defeat was the Cavaliers’ largest ever in a playoff home game.

“We have unfinished business,” Mitchell said. “I have no doubt this group can get there.”

New York dominated the rebounding battle 60-33 with backup center Mitchell Robinson grabbing 10 boards in 18 minutes.

New York delivered the knockout blow early with a 20-0 run over a span of 4:39 from late in the first quarter into the second. A dunk by Towns punctuated the surge, making the score 50-26.

The Knicks eventually built a 61-32 lead on Shamet’s third 3-pointer of the half.

Mitchell scored 10 points and Mobley had seven in the first six minutes, putting the Cavaliers up 17-14. A 9-0 run then put New York on top for good. Robinson entered for New York and made an impact with six points and four rebounds, sparking a 24-9 run to end the quarter.

Cleveland backup point guard Dennis Schroder was a late scratch with an illness.

Among the Knicks’ celebrity fans seated courtside were comedian Tracy Morgan, filmmaker Spike Lee and actor Timothee Chalamet.

-Field Level Media

Knicks Beat Magic for Trip to NBA Cup Final

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LAS VEGAS – (Wire Service Report) – Jalen Brunson scored 25 of his season-high 40 points in the first half, Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points and the New York Knicks advanced to the NBA Cup final with a 132-120 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night. OG Anunoby scored 24 points and Mikal Bridges added 16 as the Knicks won their fifth consecutive game to match a season high. New York shot 60.7% from the floor while improving to 9-1 since Nov. 24.

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The Knicks will face the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday here in Las Vegas.

Jalen Suggs scored 26 points and Paolo Banchero added 25 as the Magic lost for the first time in six NBA Cup games while getting eliminated. Desmond Bane scored 18 points and Wendell Carter Jr. had 14 as Orlando lost for the third time in five games overall. Suggs also scored 25 points in the first half while helping to pick up the offensive slack for the Magic without Franz Wagner, who has missed consecutive games with a sprained left ankle. Suggs took just one shot in the second half.

The Knicks have defeated the Magic twice in the past seven days after Orlando won the first two matchups of the season series in November.

The Knicks went on an 8-0 run to close the third quarter while turning a 92-92 tie into a 100-92 lead. The Magic failed to score over the final 2:30 of the third quarter and nearly two minutes into the fourth as New York went on an extended 10-0 run for a 102-92 advantage.

Suggs departed with 7:35 remaining while favoring his left hip and went directly to the locker room as the Knicks held a 108-98 advantage.

Brunson gave the Knicks a 121-110 lead with 2:47 remaining on a step-back jumper to reach 40 points. New York’s Josh Hart (12 points) sealed the victory on a driving layup with 1:20 left for a 125-116 lead.

–Field Level Media