NBA Finals Game 1 live takeaways: Knicks' Brunson, Towns turn it up vs. Spurs

Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY Thu, June 4, 2026 at 2:57 AM UTC

0

The 2026 NBA Finals, finally, are here.

Game 1 between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs tipped off Wednesday, June 3, launching what figures to be an enthralling series.

New York is trying to win its first title in 53 seasons, while the Spurs are 12 years removed from their last Larry O'Brien trophy.

And all eyes are on the elite stars in the matchup: Spurs phenom and unanimous Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama and Knicks captain and closer Jalen Brunson. Yet, it's the matchups within the matchup that dictate the outcome of Finals games.

Here are live takeaways from Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs

Ball security, tight defense get New York back in it

The Knicks committed just 1 turnover in the third quarter and slowed their offense down a touch, prioritizing quality possessions. Eventually, shots dropped, and that also eliminated San Antonio's ability to get out in transition.

The Knicks, who caught fire once Wembanyama took a breather on the bench, outscored the Spurs by seven in the third.

The Spurs cannot afford to be losing that much momentum in the non-Wembanyama minutes.

The Knicks cannot treat Julian Champagnie like a non-factor

There are times when a team might decide to devote its defensive attention toward the stars of a team. Given that San Antonio has Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox, the temptation might be to cheat and send help.

New York, however, got burned by that tactic, and it left Julian Champagnie, San Antonio's top 3-point shooter, wide open. Even worse, the Knicks left him open in the corner, which is where Champagnie loves to operate.

Advertisement

He ignited to 15 points in the first half on 5-of-6 shooting — all from beyond the arc — and sparked San Antonio runs. The Knicks can't keep treating him like an afterthought.

Jalen Brunson injury scare looms large over New York

It's obvious to say, but Brunson's tweaked knee changes everything for the Knicks. Brunson returned to the game after a brief spell in the locker room and appears to be back to his normal self. Brunson made four of his first seven attempts in the second quarter after he returned to the floor, and he is a big reason why New York's offense settled in the period.

The injury had happened when Spurs forward Harrison Barnes bumped into Brunson's right knee, which was planted on the court.

Still, if Brunson is eventually impacted by the issue, that will put an immense amount of pressure on Karl-Anthony Towns to be the primary offensive catalyst for New York, especially if this becomes a clutch game in which Brunson is unable to play. The New York offense sputtered somewhat during the time when Brunson was in the locker room.

Young Spurs start frenzied but settle

The Spurs are just four days removed from a very physical seven-game series against the defending champions. They're a very young team and this is the first time they're playing for stakes this high.

That all showed up early in Game 1, with the Spurs playing too rushed through their sets, seemingly amped up by the moment. As the first quarter wore on, San Antonio settled extremely well and used its defense to generate turnovers and easier offense.

Victor Wembanyama shows early force and urgency

It became clear very early in Game 1 that Wembanyama intended to set the tone for San Antonio. Whether he was handling the ball and bringing it up the floor or setting screens in offensive actions, Wembanyama was active, clearly trying to lead by example.

He made two of his first four shots and finished the first quarter with 5 points, but San Antonio tends to feed off of Wembanyama's energy. This was a decent start for the 22 year old.

The Knicks, however, would do a decent job of keeping Wembanyama in check, preventing him from getting too many easy buckets and limiting him to 13 points on 2-of-11 shooting through three quarters.

Karl-Anthony Towns opens up on Wembanyama and his discipline pays off

Interestingly, the Knicks opted to have Karl-Anthony Towns — rather than second-team All-Defensive forward OG Anunoby — start the game guarding Wembanyama. Towns, who is prone to spells of foul trouble, is far bigger and stronger than Anunoby, and Towns showed he was able to match Wembanyama's intensity without committing undisciplined mistakes

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks vs Spurs Game 1 analysis: Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony Towns

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”