Knicks ‘clearly better’ in Game 1 vs. Spurs, Can Jalen Brunson be slowed down? | The Herd
The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 to take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals. Colin Cowherd reacts to the win and asks if the Knicks stole the game, and he wonders if the Spurs can stop Jalen Brunson.
New York Knicks fans flooded Madison Square Garden and Manhattan streets, bars and restaurants to watch the team play in their first NBA Finals game in 27 years on Wednesday night.
The Knicks were in San Antonio to take on the Spurs, and in typical Knicks fashion, they fought back from down 14 points in the third quarter to earn their own double-digit victory.
With 8 million people living in New York and countless others in the tri-state area, Knicks fever is running sky high, which has caused lots of rowdiness.
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New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns practices before game one of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 3, 2026. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
In fact, Knicks fans got so rowdy that the New York Police Department temporarily banned watch parties outside MSG — yet the decision was reversed for Game 1.
"I pray for the NYPD," Karl-Anthony Towns joked to reporters on Thursday.
But the joking was over quickly, and he praised the first responders for keeping the city safe during perhaps the biggest championship run the city has ever seen.
Knicks fans celebrate winning the Eastern Conference championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers in New York City on May 25, 2026. The Knicks last reached the NBA Finals in 1999 and are seeking their first championship since 1973. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
"I gotta give a shoutout to the NYPD," he continued, "to all those men and women that are out there who are not only protecting everybody, but on the flipside as well, in my personal experience, who are huge fans of the Knicks and support the Knicks fans in their ability to show how much they love the Knicks and being as lenient as possible without causing chaos."
Six arrests were made outside MSG during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks took a 2-0 series lead just days after completing a 22-point comeback in the fourth quarter, which truly began the rowdiness.
Despite no watch party for the Knicks' clincher last week, fans still took to the streets to celebrate.
After Game 1 was complete, the party was on and bigger than ever.
NYPD officers tell fans to leave after the New York Knicks won Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs outside Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 4, 2026. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
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New York will play host to its first NBA Finals game since 1999 on Monday, when the Knicks could have a commanding 2-0 lead returning home.
