Villanova Knicks Win NBA Championship; Jalen Brunson Claims MVP

The New York Knicks went more than half a century between NBA Championships. All it took to end the draught was a trio of Villanova graduates.

New York defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 on Saturday, June 13, winning the NBA Finals in five games. The Knicks went 16-3 during the postseason, winning 13 straight games after falling behind 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round.

Villanova legend Jalen Brunson won Finals MVP honors, scoring 45 points on 14-of-27 shooting and helping the Knicks dig their way out of a 16-point deficit. Brunson scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and provided the go-ahead or game-tying shot on three separate possessions, helping the Knicks outscore the Spurs 21-7 down the stretch. That marked Brunson’s fourth game over the 30-point barrier during the Finals; he aided furious comebacks in Games 1 and 4 as well.

After Brunson put New York in front for good on a floater with 1:05 to play, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, his teammates on the Main Line, each sank a free throw in the final 30 seconds to help cap the win. Bridges finished with 14 points, two rebounds, a team-high four assists and a block; Hart contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.

Hart won one national championship while at Villanova; Brunson and Bridges each won two, including the 2018 championship in San Antonio. They join Donte DiVincenzo and Kyle Lowry as Wildcats products with an NBA Championship.