For the first time in 53 years, the New York Knicks are NBA champions. A season that began with championship aspirations ended in historic fashion Saturday night as the Knicks completed their remarkable postseason run by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals. The championship caps off an unforgettable year for New York, which finished the regular season with a 53-29 record and secured the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
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A Dominant Playoff Run
The road to the championship was anything but easy. The Knicks opened the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks and found themselves in a competitive first-round series. After six games, New York emerged victorious, closing out the matchup by winning the final three games.
Things became much easier after that. In the second round, the Knicks completely overwhelmed the Philadelphia 76ers, sweeping the series in four games. They followed that performance with another sweep, this time against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Suddenly, New York was headed back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Revenge Against the Spurs
Waiting for them was a familiar opponent. The San Antonio Spurs were the same franchise that defeated the Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals, denying New York its long-awaited championship dream.
This time, however, the Knicks were determined to change history. New York won three of the first four games of the series, including an incredible Game 4 victory that featured the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
That comeback gave the Knicks a 3-1 series lead and put them one win away from ending a championship drought that had lasted more than half a century.
History Made
Game 5 looked like it might slip away early as the Spurs built another significant lead. But just as they had done in Game 4, the Knicks refused to quit.
New York stormed back in the second half, erased the deficit, and completed yet another stunning comeback to secure the 2026 NBA Championship. For a franchise, fan base, and city that waited 53 years for this moment, the celebration can finally begin.
The New York Knicks are champions once again.
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