At long last, the New York Knicks are NBA champions.
In a Game 5 of the NBA Finals Saturday night that looked much like the previous four, the San Antonio Spurs took a double-digit lead in the first quarter.
Advertisement
But like in three of the previous four games, the Knicks rallied — this time from a 16-point deficit — to secure a 94-90 Game 5 win and a 4-1 series victory in the NBA Finals.
Jalen Brunson led the way with a legacy-securing 45-point effort as New York’s only reliable source of offense on a night in which both teams struggled from the field. But for New York, the win didn’t have to be pretty. The result is the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1973. And Brunson has secured his place among New York’s sporting greats.
Brunson helped the Knicks chip away at an early 31-15 deficit by making his first three 3-point attempts of the game. In the third quarter, he hit three free throws after drawing a foul on a 3 to give the Knicks an 86-85 lead, their first of the second half. From there, the Knicks held on to win a tightly contested battle down the stretch.
Per Opta Stats, Brunson is the second player in NBA history to score 45 points on the road in a championship-clinching victory. The other was Michael Jordan in 1998 against the Utah Jazz to secure a sixth NBA title for the Chicago Bulls.
Advertisement
When the final horn sounded following a desperation missed 3 by San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, a swarm of Knicks fans who’d traveled to San Antonio to watch the closeout game celebrated in the San Antonio stands. And fans at watch parties back home across New York City partied in the streets.
Knicks players, meanwhile, were overjoyed on the court, finally able to exhale after securing three gritty NBA Finals wins prior Saturday’s Game 5 clincher. Karl-Anthony Towns, whose legacy-altering effort as a focal point of New York’s offense in the playoffs, cried tears of joy as he shared a post-champinoship embrace.
Brunson shared the moment with his father and Knicks assistant, Rick Brunson on a night when he scored 45 of New York’s 94 points in a championship-securing win.
Brunson scored 15 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter and hit multiple buckets down the stretch to lead the Knicks back from a 75-65 deficit early in the stanza. No other Knick scored more than 14 points, and only four tallied double figures.
Advertisement
Brunson was at a loss for words when met by ESPN’s Lisa Salters on the court for a postgame interview.
“I’ve got no words,” Brunson said after a long pause, with tears in his eyes. “It’s everything I ever dreamed of.
“I don’t know what I’m feeling. I’m just, like, I’m in awe. I don’t know. Whenever someone counted us out, we find a way to come back and do something about.”
Moments later, Brunson was awarded the NBA Finals MVP trophy.
The championship for New York culminates one of the most remarkable postseason runs in NBA history. The Knicks entered the Finals on an 11-game postseason win streak fresh off sweeps of the 76ers and Cavaliers in the Eastern conference semifinals and finals. They extended that streak to 13 games with two wins on the road against the Spurs, both after trailing by double figures in the first quarter.
Advertisement
After losing Game 3 at home in the first Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999, the Knicks pulled off the greatest comeback in NBA history, overcoming a 29-point deficit secure a Game 4 win and send New York into a frenzy.
Then on Saturday, after a miserable first quarter that produced 13 points, New York maintained its poise, chipped away at its deficit and outlasted the Spurs for the fourth time in five NBA Finals game.
This story will be updated.

Fury and Chase DeMoor clash
Chase DeMoor wants to fight Tommy Fury NEXT after his big win on the Fame Fighting vs Misfits Boxing card.
Tommy wants DeMoor to fight his brother, Roman, first.
R6 Hall v Fury
Into the final round!
Eddie Hall starts the sixth round with a strong one-two, immediately looking to back Fury up against the ropes.
Hall tries to apply pressure, but Fury responds with a clean left hand and does well to stay mobile and avoid danger.
With a minute remaining, the pace begins to tell.
Fury lands a solid left, but Hall answers with a left of his own in a brief exchange.
Hall is looking visibly exhausted as the round enters its final 30 seconds.
Fury finishes strongly, landing a sharp jab followed by a straight shot, while Hall digs in with a final body punch to close out the contest.
R5 Fury v Hall
Hall looking very tired now.
Hall throws a swinging overhand right but comes up short. Fury continues to move well, staying light on his feet as he flicks out a left hand.
He follows it up with some effective body work.
Hall takes a deep breath with under a minute remaining, visibly slowing as the round progresses.
He looks to clinch and smother the action, trying to recover and ride out the pressure.
Fury keeps things sharp, landing a clean one-two and looking fully in rhythm now.
A crisp body shot from Fury rounds off a strong fifth round for him.
R4 Fury v Hall
Hall continues to circle and march forward, trying to close the distance, but Fury lands a sharp right hand in response.
Tommy is now staying light on his feet and moving well, upping the tempo slightly as the rounds progress.
Fury begins to find his rhythm, landing some clean shots upstairs that connect flush.
The size difference between the two—around 100lbs—is very much on display as the contrast becomes obvious in the exchanges.
Fury is starting to land more consistently, adding a good right hand, although Hall answers back with a lead right of his own. Fury then digs in with a solid right to the body.
Another strong round overall for Tommy Fury.
R3 Fury v Hall
Hall is marching forward at will, backing Fury up onto the ropes as The Beast looks to impose himself. Eddie Hall lands a heavy right hand as Fury finds himself on the retreat.
Fury tries to fire back and starts to settle into some sharp body work, targeting the midsection effectively. Hall continues hunting the overhand right but comes up short, while Fury does well to slip out of danger.
Fury then lands clean with a left hand and follows it up with a tidy combination, finishing the round strongly in what was a much improved round for him.
R2 Fury v Hall
There’s already visible bruising on Fury’s cheek as the second round begins, with Hall circling early on.
Hall is noticeably breathing heavily at this stage.
Fury responds with a good shot to the body, before a brief clinch allows him to work a few punches in close.
He’s moving well and dictating the footwork, while Hall continues to hold the centre of the ring.
Hall steps in nicely with the jab, but Fury begins to find his own jab in return as the round develops.
R1 Fury v Hall
It’s a chaotic opening, with Hall immediately charging forward and throwing heavy shots.
Eddie Hall lands a solid right hand as Fury tries to stay mobile and keep distance.
However, whenever Fury pauses even briefly, Hall is quick to close the gap and unleash big, explosive punches.
Fury is clearly the slicker mover, but he won’t want to stay in trading range for too long—one clean shot from Hall could end things in an instant.
Fury is ready
Tommy Fury is in the ring after coming out to ‘It’s Coming Home’!
The England tune rings out around the AO Arena!
Fury has revealed the name of his and Molly-Mae’s newborn baby, Midas!
Molly-Mae ringside
Molly-Mae is ringside and ready to watch her boyfriend Tommy in tonight’s huge main event!
The two are expected to reveal the name of the new baby boy with his name on Fury’s shorts.
Next up: The Main event
The ex-Love Island star returned from a hand injury last May, beating Bosnian Kenan Hanjalic via unanimous decision to extend his unbeaten record to 11-0.
Fury extended his perfect record with a unanimous decision victory in Budapest, but he is preparing for a totally different test in Manchester.
Hall is a former World Strongest Man winner who has tried his hand at several combat sports over the years.
The Beast hasn’t featured in the boxing ring since his defeat to fellow Strongman Hafthor Bjornsson four years ago.
The Beast hasn’t squared off in the boxing ring since his unanimous decision defeat to Strongman rival Hafthor Bjornsson in 2022.
He made the switch to MMA in June 2024, winning a 2vs1 bout, before knocking out Mariusz Pudzianowski inside 30 seconds on his professional debut last April.
Hall is set to swap comb
R5 Taylor v Floyd – NO CONTEST
Taylor screaming around and banging on the canvas after an injury to his eye from a straight jab by Floyd.
Taylor still losing his mind on the canvas.
The fight is eventually called off!
Don’t know what’s going through Taylor’s mind right now.
After the fight was called, Taylor rushed through to try and carry on fighting and had to be pulled back.
He’s still shouting now as his team is struggling to get him out the round.
A very bizarre ending to the co main event.
THE FIGHT HAS BEEN DEEMED AS A NO CONTEST!
Floyd feels ‘robbed!’

Boualem Khoukhi scored an equalising goal on a header in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and Qatar spoiled a dominant day by Switzerland in a 1-1 draw in Group B of the World Cup.
Several of the Qatari players fell to the ground on Saturday in celebration of the late goal, as others ran to each other to embrace.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 items
list 1 of 4Ten observations after attending a World Cup match in the US
list 2 of 4Keepy-up cop wows fans with football skills at World Cup event in Boston
list 3 of 4England training equipment stolen ahead of squad’s arrival in Kansas City
list 4 of 4Oval Office octagon: How Trump turned combat sports into a political weapon
end of list
Breel Embolo scored for Switzerland from the penalty spot in the first half just over a week after being cleared to enter the US following a visa delay, but the Swiss failed to capitalise on multiple other scoring chances.
In the 13th minute, Embolo was fouled by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, who received a yellow card on the play. Abunada lay face down and appeared motionless for a couple of minutes before he began to move his legs and was able to stand up again.
When Embolo calmly sent his penalty into the upper left corner in the 17th minute, it sent the red-clad Swiss fans into a dancing frenzy in the stands of San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
The 29-year-old forward applied for an urgent visa at the United States embassy in Bern on June 3, one day after he was denied boarding the team’s flight to travel for his third World Cup because of a 2018 criminal conviction that was only finalised in April.
Switzerland dominated the possession game on an unseasonably warm June afternoon — with sprinklers running during a first-half break.
There were thousands of empty seats scattered throughout Levi’s Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Brazil and Colombia drew 70,971 two years ago in a group match at the Copa America. The stadium in Santa Clara staged the Super Bowl only four months ago.
Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a save in the second minute after Edmilson Junior got through the defence for a one-on-one. Kobel corralled the ball again in the 90th on a close-range attempt by Ahmed Alaaeldin.
Switzerland is hoping to advance further than its round-of-16 showing four years ago before losing 6-1 to Portugal — when Goncalo Ramos delivered an improbable hat-trick playing in place of benched star Cristiano Ronaldo. The loss prompted Switzerland midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri to apologize the the fans.
The Swiss used consistency and experience to go unbeaten through qualifying against Sweden, Kosovo and Slovenia. Coach Murat Yakin’s team produced four wins and two draws to secure its sixth straight World Cup appearance and hasn’t missed one since 2002, but the team has never gotten beyond the quarterfinals.
Qatar, led by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui, had to qualify through a playoff in November — beating the United Arab Emirates and Oman — after missing an opportunity from its group stage of Asian qualifying.
The Gulf state country became the first host nation to lose all of its group matches four years ago. It lost to Senegal, Ecuador and the Netherlands in the 2022 tournament, scoring its lone goal in a 3-1 loss to Senegal.

UPDATED: Pulisic, Balogun & Co.’s heroics at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium made World Cup television history. The U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team’s opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup became Team USA’s most watched English-language and Spanish-language World Cup telecast ever.
The contest delivered 15.986 million viewers across Fox, Fox One and Tubi and another 8.9 million viewers on Telemundo, Peacock, and Telemundo streaming platforms, Fox Sports and Telemundo reported Saturday, citing Nielsen preliminary fast nationals.
Helped by the game being held in the U.S. with no time zone difference in play, the English-language delivery was up +106% from USMNT‘s comparable first group telecast at the 2022 World Cup, which was in Qatar. (U.S.-Wales, 7.763M on 11/21/22). The Spanish-language broadcast was up +156% vs. that game (3.5M).
USMNT’s dominant 4:1 win over Paraguay on the opening day of the tournament on American soil became the national team’s most streamed English-language match with 1.130M average minute audience. The overall English-language viewership peaked at 18.860M from 10:45 – 11 PM ET, at the end of the second half.
Team USA’s next match is against Australia on June 19.

If you work at SpaceX, or ever have, congratulations. You’re about to get very rich.
On Friday, Elon Musk’s Space and AI company debuted on the public markets in the largest initial public offering in history, with the rocket company’s valuation surpassing $2 trillion.
While mom-and-pop investors are just getting in on the action, SpaceX employees already have a piece. The company puts “heavy emphasis on equity compensation to provide employees with a financial stake in our business and an ownership mindset,” it said in its S-1 securities filing.
For employees who have held on to their shares, it’s paid off. Andrew Benson, the founder of pre-IPO trading platform Hill Markets, estimated the SpaceX IPO will mint 4,400 new millionaires; 400 of those will be centimillionaires.
“You’re going to have the single largest wealth event potentially in the history of the world,” Matthew Fleissig, the CEO of investment advisory Pathstone, told Business Insider.
That’s good news, of course, but don’t expect a new fleet of superyachts or private jets with SpaceX employees at the helm.
Once lockup periods are out of the way and employees can sell their shares, nice homes, charter flights, and luxury vacations are more common and smarter ways to spend the money, wealth advisors told Business Insider.
“The biggest mistakes we see is people spending down their money,” Fleissig, who has guided clients through major liquidity events, said. “We have seen plenty of scenarios where a client tried to build a home with 13-foot-thick cement walls for a nuclear bomb, and it might have had a waterfall for the batcave, and it ended up costing $40 million to $50 million, and it got out of control.”
Mo money, mo problems
Wealth advisors told Business Insider that sudden liquidity can come with several pitfalls. There are wealth advisement fees, taxes, and, of course, the sirens’ call of shiny toys.
“You get this unbelievable sticker shock when you get new wealth that it’s actually really expensive to be wealthy,” Fleissig said. His firm has a program for pre-liquidity clients, including “a nice amount” of SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI employees and investors.
One point they hammer home: Everything involving money is about to cost more.
Wealth managers charge clients a fee, typically 0.5% and 1% of the money they manage. Some SpaceX employees are trying to get ahead of that, with an employee group negotiating favorable terms with one Chicago wealth management firm, two sources familiar with the plans told Business Insider.
Taxes, too, are about to become more complex and expensive — and not just the total paid to Uncle Sam. Someone used to uploading a tax form to TurboTax may now spend $25,000 on an accountant to navigate a return involving various types of investments.
Then there’s the impulse to blow the new cash.
“The minute people identify you as being somebody that is a SpaceX centimillionaire, everybody’s going to be coming at you,” Michael Cole, a former wealth advisor and the cofounder of R360, a membership group for centimillionaire and billionaire families, told Business Insider.
When it comes to big-ticket items, advisors say: buyers beware.
Yachts are infamous money pits, with annual maintenance costing about 10% of their new-build price, according to industry standards.
On the low end, private planes can cost $1 million a year to maintain. Francis advises clients not to spend more than 10% of their net worth on a private aircraft and to do their homework on the seller and operating crew.
“You need 1,500 hours of experience to be a barber,” he said. “The training you need to become an aircraft sales broker, an aircraft charter broker is zero.”
‘Slow down to speed up’
When it comes to liquidation events — SpaceX had several ahead of its IPO — Cole’s motto is “slow down to speed up.”
The first thing to do is diversify, he said, and the next is to think.
“It makes really good sense to start to liquidate a concentrated holding because your risk is all of your wealth is in one stock,” Cole said. “The markets can be fickle around different things, and right now SpaceX is the flavor of the month.”
Put that money into short-term treasuries, he said, and take six months to make a plan that takes into account risk tolerance, taxes, objectives, and time horizons.
Beyond investments, wealth can open a new way of seeing your life.
Fleissig suggests clients ask themselves how they want to spend their time, whether that be with their families, on vacation, or taking up hobbies.
Of course, life can very well involve a little luxury. There’s nothing wrong with upgrading your home or splurging on a sports car or a new watch.
“You may want to buy a plane, you may want to buy a yacht, those can all be really fun,” Cole said. “Take your time.”