When Knicks’ star Jalen Brunson exited Game 1 of the NBA Finals in the first quarter with a knee injury, it seemed for a brief moment like the worst-case scenario.
On the ABC broadcast, Mike Breen called it a potential “nightmare scenario” for the Knicks.
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Brunson then returned in the second quarter only to suffer an apparent ankle turn.
But none of that mattered in the end as Brunson took over in the second half and finished with 30 points on 12-of-31 shooting as the Knicks overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to steal Game 1 in San Antonio, 105-95.
The Knicks out-scored Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, 29-19, in the fourth quarter to win their 12 straight playoff game and seventh in a row on the road.
“I think just sticking together,” Brunson told ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “It wasn’t really our night, it wasn’t really my night most of the night, but we kept finding a way, kept chipping away.”
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Down 14 in the third quarter, Brunson began to take over on drives to the basket. Josh Hart added 15 points, 6 assists and 4 steals, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 12 boards. OG Anunoby scored 17.
Wembanyama led the Spurs with 26 points on 6-of-21 shooting with 12 rebounds.
“Honestly, I think our chemistry, it’s knowing that we have each other’s back,” Brunson said. “There’s a lot of things X’s and O’s-wise we could’ve done better, but I think most importantly, our togetherness was really the biggest difference.”
Brunson shouted out his former Villanova teammate Hart, who had a huge impact despite scoring just 3 points.
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“Whatever you need from him, he’s going to execute,” Brunson said. “That’s just who he is, he’s going to find a way.”
Things looked bleak for the Knicks early when Spurs wing Harrison Barnes collided with Landry Shamet and fell awkwardly into Brunson’s right knee, and Brunson appeared to suffer a hyper-extension.
Brunson went to the locker room and then returned to the bench as the medical staff attempted to put a brace on his knee. But the brace did not remain in place.
“Just stay together, that’s what got us here,” Karl-Anthony Towns told Salters. “Staying together is what’s got us to this moment. Being together is what’s going to get us out of this moment.
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Brunson returned in the second quarter and appeared to suffer an ankle turn on a drive to the basket that also saw Luke Kornet step on the left ankle.
Brunson was incensed that no foul was called on Dylan Harper and let the officials know about it.
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“I’ll be alright,” Brunson said.
Game 2 is Friday night back in San Antonio and the Knicks have already stolen homecourt advantage.
“We gotta go and just watch the things we can do better,” Brunson said. “It’s a long journey, but there’s a lot of things we can do better.”
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