Brunson seals Finals MVP with 45-point showcase

Tim BontempsJun 14, 2026, 12:00 AM ET

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Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what's impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.

SAN ANTONIO -- Thanks to a performance for the ages, Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship in 53 years and also earned Finals MVP honors.

Brunson was the unanimous choice among 11 voters after scoring 45 points in the Knicks' 94-90 title-clinching victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 on Saturday night.

"We're going to find a way," Brunson told ESPN's Lisa Salters shortly after the buzzer sounded. "Whatever you put in front of us, we're going to find a way. ... Every time we step on this court. Every time."

Brunson carried the Knicks across the finish line with a historic performance. He became one of four players, joining Michael Jordan, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bob Pettit, to score at least 45 points in a closeout game in the NBA Finals.

"It's everything we ever dreamed of," Brunson said while standing next to his father after accepting the Bill Russell Trophy. "It's why I came to New York."

Brunson, who struggled from the floor earlier in the series, shot 14 for 27 in Game 5, including going 4-for-7 from 3-point range and 13-for-15 from the foul line.

He scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Knicks overcome a seven-point deficit to pull away and end the franchise's championship drought.

Saturday's title victory caps a remarkable four years since Brunson signed with the Knicks as a free agent in 2022. When he signed a four-year, $104 million contract after leaving the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent, many felt the Knicks overpaid him.

Instead, it has turned into one of the best free agent signings in NBA history. Before Brunson's arrival, the Knicks had won one playoff series in 21 seasons. In his four years with the Knicks, they have won at least one series in each of the past four seasons.