Villanova Knicks: Banged-Up Brunson’s Fourth Quarter Magic

The Villanova Knicks took a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals on Wednesday, June 3, scoring the last 11 points as they stormed past the San Antonio Spurs 105-95.

Jalen Brunson, who left briefly after taking a hit to the knee in the first half, led the way with 30 points, battling through a 12-of-31 shooting performance to knock down shots in the clutch. 13 of his points came in the fourth quarter, helping the Knicks overcome a double-digit first half deficits

After giving up a 9-0 run and the lead with just over two minutes to play, Brunson tipped the ball up in the air on a long miss from teammate OG Anunoby, giving former Villanova teammate Mikal Bridges a chance to come down with the offensive rebound.

That set Brunson up for the game-winning three, scored from the corner on a dish from Bridges. The diminutive point guard later drove into the paint for a rainbow of a jump shot that pushed the lead to six; Josh Hart added a rebound and a steal as the Knicks closed the Spurs out, and Bridges sank a pair of free throws.

Hart scored just three points on 1-of-5 shooting but added 15 rebounds, six assists and four steals.

The series will continue at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, June 5 before heading back to New York.