Knicks win first NBA title in 53 years; Fil-Ams Harper, Clarkson make history

The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 94–90, in Game 5 of the 2026 National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 14, winning their first championship since 1973.

Knicks’ all-star guard Jalen Brunson was named the Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 32.6 points per game in the series.

“Through a lot of hard work and effort. I think everyone coming together, having the mindset of just believing in each other, never giving up, no matter what the situation was, it made all this possible,” Brunson said in an ESPN postgame interview.

The Spurs started strong and jumped out to a 10-point lead spearheaded by Filipino-American rookie guard Dylan Harper in the first quarter, but the Knicks’ collective effort trimmed the deficit to five by halftime, 42–37.

New York tried to close the gap at the start of the third frame, but Harper helped San Antonio maintain their lead by scoring 10 points in the period.

Brunson then took over in the fourth quarter, knocking down consecutive baskets and free throws, including the floater that gave the Knicks the lead for good en route to a 94–90 victory.

The Finals MVP scored 45 points, followed by Mikal Bridges, who scored 14 points.

San Antonio’s young core continued to fight until the final buzzer, with Harper leading the team with 25 points off the bench.

The Fil-Am rookie made history as the youngest player to score more than 20 points in an NBA Finals game and averaged 18 points per game, the highest by a rookie in the Finals since Magic Johnson in 1980.

Meanwhile, Knicks bench guard Jordan Clarkson became the first Filipino-American player to win an NBA championship, a historic milestone for Filipino representation in the world’s premier basketball league.