SAN ANTONIO (Talk1370.com) -- New York City has pizza, skyscrapers, Times Square, and game one of the 2026 NBA Finals.
The New York Knicks took the first in a best of seven series from the home team at Frost Bank Center 105-95 Wednesday night. Even with a 26 point, 12 rebound performance by Victor Wembanyama and solid play from Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, the San Antonio Spurs still fell short.
Jalen Brunson had 30 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 12 boards for the Knicks in the game that took home court advantage away from San Antonio.
Wemby had good numbers but only went 6-21 shooting and had 6 turnovers. New York came back after being down 14 points and went on an 11-0 run at the end and gave San Antonio their first-ever loss in game one of the Finals. Historically, the team that wins the first game goes on to win the series, 55-24.
As the battle of Texas & New York heats up on the court, fans are starting to compare the two states and their cities. Whether it’s breakfast tacos versus bagels or who has the better steakhouses, a rivalry is being established. This is the second time the two have faced each other in the Finals; some of this has been discussed before but a lot has changed since then.
Texas has seen unprecedented growth and some of its cities have joined the world stage in both sports and culture. New York has gone through post-9/11 changes and besides some success by the Yankees a few years ago, some Brady defeating Super Bowls, and a WNBA championship, sports have been tough for fans of any of the city’s teams. They feel like…well…Cowboys fans! A Knicks team winning the Finals would change all of that. San Antonio raising the banner will be the first of many for the city with a bright basketball future.
The first matchup in 1999 featured three future Hall of Famers. David Robinson and Tim Duncan made quick work of the Patrick Ewing led Knicks four games to one. With today’s teams, you can see that both the Spurs and the Knicks have a bright future. The alien like Wemby for the Spurs alongside Knicks stars like former Mavs guard Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are setting the stage for this to perhaps be another Finals pairing in the future.
Game two is on ABC Friday in San Antonio with a tip off at 7:30 p.m. The series moves to New York’s Madison Square Garden for games three and four.
