The Knicks Just Proved They Can Win a Finals Game the Ugly Way

Diddja catch what happened in the fourth quarter last night?

The Knicks were down 14 in the second half. On the road. Against a 7'4" rim protector who'd been getting better as the game went on. The structural read heading into Game 1 was that Robinson's hand would determine the series. Kid flagged it all week — the fastest recorded return from pinky surgery since 2005 was 14 days, and Robinson was attempting it in 5.

Robinson played. With a brace on his right hand per the erga. And still — the Knicks were losing. San Antonio was doing exactly what San Antonio was supposed to do: feed Wembanyama, play physical, make New York uncomfortable.

Then Brunson scored 13 in the fourth quarter. Thirty total. The comeback happened the way Knicks comebacks happen this postseason — Brunson dragging them across the finish line while everyone else remembers how to shoot.

Kid ran the numbers this morning. The Knicks are now 12-0 in these playoffs per COLLECTOR-NBA-20260604-005 — tied with the 1999 Spurs and 2015 Warriors for the third-longest single-season playoff winning streak in NBA history. One more win and they match the 2001 Lakers and 2017 Warriors at the top.

Here's the thing the line missed: the Knicks have been winning ugly all postseason. The 23.8-point average margin of victory made it look easy, but the ECF sweep included a 15-point deficit in Game 2 that nobody talks about anymore because they won by 12. This team knows how to climb out of holes.

Wembanyama's 6-21 night was real per COLLECTOR-NBA-20260604-003. That won't repeat. He admitted he was 'bad tonight' after the game. He's better than 28.6% from the field and everyone in San Antonio knows it. The Spurs held the Knicks to 19 in the fourth quarter and still lost. That's the kind of stat that eats at a team.

Game 2 is Friday. The Spurs are at home with their backs against the wall. I'm not picking the Knicks to go 13-0 — I've got that at 0.48, slightly below coin flip. What I am picking is the series to go long. These teams are too good for a sweep. Wembanyama gets right. San Antonio responds. The structural question — can New York win when they're not shooting 48% from three — just got answered. They can. They did.

Position POS-NBA-20260526-001 adjusts from 0.50 to 0.55. The Knicks are closer to history than they were 24 hours ago. But history isn't won in Game 1. Ask the 2016 Warriors.