Knicks come back again, win Game 5 to claim first NBA Title since 1973

Another game, another second half comeback…and the Knicks are champions for the first time since 1973!

Despite Karl-Anthony Towns being in foul trouble all night and fouling out with 1:53 to go, OG Anunoby playing much of the fourth with five fouls, and no bench points until Jordan Clarkson scored in the final minute of the third, the Knicks did what they have done all series: hung in, took the shots, and battled back to win Game 5 94-90 and claim their first NBA Title since 1973.

Jalen Brunson, who won the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award, scored a Knicks Finals record 45, surpassing Willis Reed’s 38 in 1970, and Josh Hart had 13 points and a team-high 11 boards. Three Knicks had 10 boards, including Towns and Mitchell Robinson – who had perhaps the biggest rebound in franchise history – and the last of each of Anunoby’s 11 points and eight rebounds made the Knicks champs.

"I have no words," an emotional Jalen Brunson told ESPN's Lisa Salters immediately after the Knicks finished a 16-3 run through the postseason. "We're gonna find a way; whatever you put in front of us, every time, we're gonna find a way."

Later, on the podium, Brunson told Ernie Johnson as he was awarded the MVP Trophy: "For some reason, I feel like the game for us starts about 30 minutes later than it's supposed to," and as father and Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson joined him, Brunson once again broke down before saying of his dad: "This is everything we've dreamed of. This is why I came to New York."

Down 10 after one, five at the half, seven after three, the ‘Bockers took an 86-85 lead with 3:40 left after three Brunson free throws – their first lead since 5-4 in the first quarter – and never trailed again, only tied at 88-88 before the final buzzer.

New York had a chance to put it away multiple times but missed some clutch free throws - but it was the longest-tenured, longest-suffering Knick, Robinson, who grabbed the board on Josh Hart’s missed free throw with less than 25 seconds left and a 91-88 lead.

That led to Anunoby making a free throw to make it 92-88, and they led 92-90 with under 10 seconds left when Mikal Bridges made just one of two free throws to make it a three-point game – and smartly, Landry Shamet fouled Dylan Harper to send him to the line with 8.6 to go.

Harper, who has been huge for the Spurs all series and finished this game with 25, missed both and Anunoby got the rebound and was fouled with 7.7 to go. Anunoby only hit one of two, but his 11^th point of the night was enough ss San Antonio was out of timeouts, forcing them to go the length of the floor...and when Victor Wembanyama bricked a three close to the buzzer, the wait was over!

"We were a team, we've been a team the whole time - New York, I'm sorry it took so long, but here we are, and hopefully it won't take so long again!" owner James Dolan crowed to Ernie Johnson during the trophy presentation.

"There aren't really words to put into what these guys have done - the character, the fight, the grit they have, the never say die...incredible," Leon Rose added. "We care about each other, and made sure we all look out for one another and have each others' backs. Sacrifice, and do it for the better good."

Stay tuned to WFAN all day Sunday as we will have wall-to-wall coverage of the celebration and the championship, with sports talk on 101.9 FM and the main stream all day (and Yankees baseball to air exclusively on 660 AM and the WFAN2 stream to give it to you).