2026 New York Knicks

New York went 53-29 and finished third in the East under first-year coach Mike Brown, who replaced Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks had reached the conference finals the year before and ran back nearly the same core: Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart.

Brunson carried the offense. He averaged 32.6 points across the Finals and scored 45 in the Game 5 closeout on the road, tying Michael Jordan for the second-most points in a series-clinching Finals game away from home.

The Finals were a string of rallies. New York won the first two in San Antonio, lost Game 3, then trailed by 27 at halftime of Game 4 before winning 107-106 on an OG Anunoby tip-in at the buzzer. They dug out of another double-digit hole in Game 5 to take the series 94-90.

Earlier in the season the Knicks beat the same Spurs to win the NBA Cup, making them the first team to win the in-season tournament and the championship in one year. Mitchell Robinson protected the rim and Miles McBride grew into a steady rotation guard.

The drought reached back to Willis Reed's 1973 team, 53 years, the longest gap between titles in league history. Jalen Brunson and his father Rick, a Knicks assistant coach, became the first father and son to win a championship together on the same staff.