Jalen Brunson scored 45 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday [1, 2].

The win in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals clinches the franchise's third championship in history [1, 3]. For the city of New York, the victory marks the end of a 53-year title drought [2].

Brunson's performance in the deciding game secured him the NBA Finals MVP honors [3]. He averaged 32.6 points per game throughout the series [5]. With this award, Brunson becomes only the fourth player 6-foot-2 or shorter to be named Finals MVP [5].

The Knicks controlled the final stretch of the game to hold off the Spurs and secure the 94-90 result [2]. The victory concludes a series that saw the New York guard deliver an all-time great performance to bring the trophy back to the franchise [1].

This championship represents the third title for the organization [1]. The emotional victory follows decades of postseason disappointment for the team — a stretch that finally broke during the 2026 campaign [2, 7].

“Brunson scored 45 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 94-90 victory”

The 2026 championship restores the New York Knicks to the top of the NBA after more than five decades without a title. By securing the MVP award, Jalen Brunson joins a rare group of undersized guards to dominate the league's biggest stage, shifting the narrative around the franchise from perpetual struggle to a new era of success.