Knicks rally past Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals behind Brunson's late surge and Hart's all-around disruption

The Brunson takeover

Jalen Brunson shook off a ragged shooting night from distance to dominate the closing minutes at Frost Bank Center. His floater in the lane broke an 86-86 tie, and two finger rolls later the visiting Knicks led by eight. After Victor Wembanyama briefly put the Spurs back ahead by one with a pair of free throws, Brunson grabbed an offensive rebound over the taller Devin Vassell, relocated to the corner, and buried a go-ahead three-pointer. Moments later he danced past Vassell again, crossed over, spun back, and arced a stepback jumper over Wembanyama's outstretched arm to seal a 105-95 road win.

Like the young people say, he went to his bag.

Brunson finished with 30 points on 2-of-9 shooting from three-point range. The Knicks shot 31 percent from deep as a team; the Spurs managed just 26 percent.

Hart's historic defensive night

Josh Hart overcame three early fouls that limited him to roughly seven first-half minutes. He returned to collect 15 rebounds, six assists, four steals and a blocked shot in 27 minutes. The Knicks outscored the Spurs by 22 points with Hart on the floor, the best plus-minus of any player in the opener by eight points. Hart is the first player with at least 15 rebounds, six assists and four steals in an NBA Finals game since Larry Bird in Game 3 of the 1986 Finals.

I don't really don't care about it, honestly. I'm happy we got the win. Happy I was able to impact the game.

Hart grabbed three of his steals in the fourth quarter alone as New York held San Antonio to 19 points in the period and 40 in the entire second half.

Wembanyama's off night

Victor Wembanyama posted 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in his first NBA Finals appearance but shot 6-of-21 from the field and committed six turnovers. The 20-year-old did not hide from the performance afterward.

Tonight, I was bad. It's not more complicated than that.

Wembanyama said he was not worried and that he simply needs to play normally and do the right things. He acknowledged the team shot itself in the foot during the opener. Spurs forward Julian Champagnie made five of six three-pointers in the first half but missed all five of his second-half attempts, finishing with 16 points.

Court intruder earns lifetime ban

With 6:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, a teenage fan sprinted onto the court holding a cell phone and stopped to take a selfie with Wembanyama and Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. Wembanyama appeared to smile as the fan was quickly tackled and removed by security personnel. The NBA announced Thursday that the individual was arrested and that both he and an accomplice received lifetime bans from all league arenas.

I didn't know how to act. It really surprised me, almost as much as that time a bat crossed the court.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson downplayed the interruption, saying security removed the fan and everyone moved on.

The weight of 53 years

The Knicks have not won an NBA championship since 1973. Their postseason winning streak now stands at 12 games. Game 1 was described as mud wrestling rather than artistry, with both teams struggling from distance and the pressure of the moment producing a ragged but gripping contest. The Knicks' last title came when Richard Nixon was president and the Spurs still played in the American Basketball Association.

For me, he's the best player in the NBA by far.

Tony Parker, the former Spurs great now coaching France's under-17 national team, praised Wembanyama before Game 1 and said he hopes the Spurs will win multiple NBA titles in the future. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night in San Antonio.