The King of Comebacks, Brunson, the King of New York!

Congratulations to the New York Knicks for winning the NBA championship for the 25-26 season. Many claim the 4-1 series score doesn't reflect the true strength of the two teams. But I believe by this point in the series, a 4-1 result genuinely reflects their real abilities.

Across five games, the Spurs held double-digit leads in the first quarter every time, only to see the Knicks catch up and surpass them each time, with Game 3 being the only exception where the Spurs ultimately secured a win. I'm not sure if it's a record, but all four victories for the Knicks came via double-digit comebacks, which clearly shows the real gap in strength between the two squads.

One comeback can be chalked up to the Spurs' lack of experience; two comebacks could still be excused by their youth. But blowing a 29-point lead in Game 4, the Spurs threw away a golden opportunity. The drop in their physical stamina in the second half and the Knicks' relentless resilience both highlighted the difference in strength.

Today, the Knicks even fell behind by more than 15 points on two separate occasions. At the start, New York's offense was completely stifled, hitting only 4 of their first 25 shots, with only Brunson and OG able to score. It wasn't until just before halftime that Hart made the Knicks' first layup of the entire game.

Yet the Knicks, once again trailing by double digits early on, began their comeback, grinding it out possession by possession. When they couldn't get inside, they found breakthroughs from outside. A 16-point deficit was trimmed to just 5 by halftime, and the momentum was firmly in New York's hands.

This game was also bizarre. The Spurs tried to reduce the number of Knicks fans by canceling ticket orders from areas outside a 150-mile radius. But on the secondary market, New York fans were still buying tickets like crazy. So in the Spurs' home arena, Knicks fans were able to match the Spurs fans in numbers, raining boos on Wembanyama time and again.

In the third quarter, the Spurs once again stretched their lead to 15 points. The turning point came when Wembanyama appeared to trip Brunson on a landing, with no call from the officials. The Spurs then hit a flurry of threes, followed by Bridges getting smacked in the face by Harper right in front of the refs without a whistle, allowing San Antonio to widen the gap further.

At that moment, I honestly thought the Knicks couldn't complete another comeback, but they still did. Towns continued to be plagued by foul trouble, offering little on the court besides fouls. OG's shooting went cold, but Bridges started hitting threes. And of course, the most crucial figure was still Brunson.

After being tripped by Wembanyama, Brunson lost his composure for just a few dozen seconds. Then, with renewed determination in his eyes, he returned to the court, scoring 14 points in the third quarter without attempting a single three-pointer—all drives to the basket, constantly drawing fouls.

In the fourth quarter, the Knicks ran almost every possession through Brunson, with everyone else focused on defense. That was the fundamental reason they always managed to complete comebacks. The Knicks consistently had better stamina than the Spurs, and Brunson's clutch shooting was superior to everyone else's.

In the fourth quarter, Brunson scored another 15 points, hitting crucial shots time after time, coming from behind to take the lead—like a replay of previous games. In the Spurs' three home games, the Knicks completed massive comebacks in all of them. After the game, Wembanyama said they controlled most of the Finals, but I believe control isn't about who's leading. The Knicks' counters often came when they were trailing, and during the comeback phases, it was the Knicks who dominated, not the seemingly-ahead Spurs.

After the Knicks took the lead, the Spurs could only rely on rookie Harper to break through. Wembanyama played only 37 minutes but was once again exhausted, going 1-of-5 for just 3 points in the fourth quarter, and missing another free throw. The best performer for the Spurs today was undoubtedly Harper with 25 points. In fact, across all five Finals games, the Spurs' best guard was also Harper.

Harper's missed free throw at the end was a tuition fee for inexperience. The Knicks' foul strategy worked perfectly; under immense pressure, no one can guarantee making both free throws. Winning the championship in San Antonio wasn't the perfect script, but every victory was precious. They wanted to end the Finals today, unable to wait another moment.

Wembanyama still appears to be the Spurs' undisputed leader, but in these four losses, he had various issues each game. In Game 1, he dribbled the ball off his foot in the final minute. In Game 2, a baffling turnover handed the victory away. In Game 4, he missed two critical free throws. Today, his trip on Brunson should have earned him a flagrant foul and a suspension, and he completely lost his dominance in the fourth quarter.

If the Spurs had won today, Wembanyama's reputation would still have taken a hit. That trip was far too obvious, and the officials' lack of a call was equally inexplicable. If there had been a Game 6, Wembanyama would likely have been suspended; his overly aggressive moves would eventually catch up with him.

In 2007, LeBron James made his first Finals and was swept. After the game in the tunnel, Duncan found James and said, "The future is yours." No one from the Knicks had a chance to say that today, because Wembanyama went straight back to the locker room as soon as the game ended.

If there was still doubt about the Finals MVP after the first four games, today's game silenced everyone. Brunson's legendary performance convinced all; he scored 45 points, while the rest of his teammates combined for only 49. When his teammates faltered, he took over—that's how every game went. Today's Brunson embodied the purest form of heroism. After this game, no one can deny he is a superstar.

He is the absolute captain of the Knicks, always holding the wheel. His efficiency has been criticized, but he carried the entire offensive load, which is incredible given his physical frame. After that trip in the third quarter, his ankle showed no issues; it might have been sore, but his hunger for the championship overshadowed everything.

When the final buzzer sounded, Spurs head coach Mitch showed great sportsmanship by approaching Brunson to greet him. Then Brunson turned and saw his father, and the emotions built up over five games erupted. Hart kept shouting, "We did it, we did it!" Brunson just covered his head with a towel and knelt on the floor, crying.

Brunson deserves all the praise, and so does every member of the Knicks. These players, including their head coach, were all doubted, given up on, and discarded at some point. But they came together here and created a miracle, bringing a championship to New York for the first time in 53 years.

Years from now, how will people remember this year's Finals? The Knicks had resilience embedded in their very being, completing huge comebacks in every game, including the astonishing 29-point rally in Game 4. They are without a doubt the Kings of Comebacks in Finals history, and Brunson, at this moment, officially crowned himself the King of New York.

The season has officially ended today. Thank you all for your company. See you in the long offseason.