SAN ANTONIO (Talk1370.com) -- Basketball is a game of runs and that proved true in the first game of the 2026 NBA Finals. In the first quarter, New York led 14-7 early before San Antonio had their own 20-13 run to go up by 10, eventually leading 55-48 at halftime. The Spurs expanded their lead to 14 points midway through the third quarter. The Knicks responded with a 22-9 run tying the game at 76-76 to end the period. In the fourth, a Victor Wembanyama layup put the Spurs up 95-94 with 2:16 left, then the Knicks finished the game on an 11-0 run to win 105-95.
Wembanyama shot only 28.6% on 6-of-21 shooting and had 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 6 turnovers.
“I was bad tonight,” Wembanyama admitted. “It's not more complicated than that.”
Jalen Brunson had 13 points in the fourth—only six fewer than San Antonio managed as a team in the quarter—and sealed it with a spinning jumper while falling to the court with 38 seconds left.
In a game that featured six players seven feet or taller, it was Josh Hart, the 6-foot-4 G for the Knicks, who remarkably dominated the rebounding battle. Hart hauled in 15 boards, consistently choking off Spurs possessions and limiting them to "one-and-done" or "two-and-done" sequences.
Hart's impact was further evidenced by a unique stat line: 15 rebounds, six assists, and four steals, despite shooting just 1-for-5 from the field for three points. This performance resulted in a game-high plus-22 rating. Notably, Hart became the first player to record at least 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in an NBA Finals game since Larry Bird.
New York's efficiency on the glass proved to be a decisive factor, as they successfully converted nine of their 13 second-chance opportunities. The Knicks maximized their extra possessions in a way the Spurs simply could not match, with San Antonio only converting 5-of-13 similar chances. San Antonio won the rebounding battle overall (54-49), even on the offensive glass (14-10), but New York got more out of their chances.
The Knicks have won 12 consecutive playoff games. They are only the third team in NBA history to do that in a single season and the seventh to reach the feat overall. San Antonio had its own history-making moments but not all for the good. It was the first time a Spurs team lost game one of an NBA Finals series. Not counting the game seven loss to the Miami Heat in 2013 they have never trailed in a championship series before now. Like every other game in their Finals history, Gregg Popovich was in attendance.
In the first game we saw Wembanyama guarding Karl-Anthony Towns for much of the matchup. We could see adjustments, like Wemby guarding Josh Hart—who went 1 for 5 for Game two—and putting him closer to the rim and in better rebounding range. With De’Aaron Fox struggling with scoring the Spurs need big play from starters Julian Champagnie and Stephon Castle and another solid performance from Dylan Harper off the bench. Coach Mitch Johnson could give more minutes to Harper in Game two based on his scoring and Fox's struggles as a starter.
Game two of the NBA Finals is tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Frost Bank Center on ABC. After that, the series moves to Midtown Manhattan and Madison Square Garden for games three and four. Game five will be back in Texas if needed.
NBA Finals remaining schedule
Game 2: Tonight in San Antonio
Game 3: Monday, June 8, in New York
Game 4: Wednesday, June 10, in New York
*Game 5: Saturday, June 13, in San Antonio
*Game 6: Tuesday, June 16, in New York
*Game 7: Friday, June 19, in San Antonio
*if necessary
