Fox's Finals Fumble
Knicks Win NBA Title as De'Aaron Fox Struggles in Game 5
The New York Knicks won the NBA championship on June 13, 2026, ending a 53-year title drought. Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in a 94-90 Game 5 victory at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio — the most points in a Finals-clinching game since Giannis Antetokounmpo's 50 in 2021, according to Al Jazeera.
For the Spurs, the night belonged to De'Aaron Fox — and not in a good way. Fox finished with just 7 points on 3-of-15 shooting, capping a brutal five-game series in which he averaged 12.8 points on 34.2% shooting. Meanwhile, Brunson averaged 32.6 points per game and was named unanimous Finals MVP, per CBS Sports.
How the Knicks Closed Out a Historic Series
New York won the series 4-1, but the margin was not always that clean. The Spurs held double-digit leads in all five games. In Game 4, San Antonio led by 29 points in the third quarter before the Knicks stormed back. OG Anunoby hit a game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds left to give New York a 107-106 win and a 3-1 series lead, according to Wikipedia.
That collapse set the tone for Game 5. The Spurs never fully recovered mentally. Brunson's 45-point eruption overwhelmed a San Antonio defense that could not get stops when it needed them most. The Knicks became just the third championship team in franchise history, joining the 1970 and 1973 squads.
Fox's Series-Long Shooting Struggles Doomed the Spurs
The numbers for Fox were hard to defend. He shot 34.2% from the field and just 25% from three-point range across the series. He also turned the ball over 4.2 times per game. Brunson, by comparison, shot 42.1% from the field, 38.5% from three, and averaged just 1.8 turnovers per game, per Heavy Sports.
National analysts were not gentle. Kevin O'Connor said Fox made "so many bonehead plays this series you'd think he's the rookie guard, not the veteran." Charles Barkley publicly called for the Spurs to bench Fox in favor of rookie Dylan Harper during the final minutes of Game 5, according to Heavy Sports.
Mitch Johnson's Game 5 Strategy Backfired Badly
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson leaned heavily on Fox throughout Game 5, even as his shot was not falling. Fox took 15 shots and made just 3. Rookie Stephon Castle went 0-of-7 from the field. The two players who were supposed to complement Wembanyama both went cold at the worst time, according to Sporting News.
Victor Wembanyama had shown flashes all series — including 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in a Game 3 win. But foul trouble limited him late in Games 4 and 5. Without Wembanyama on the floor at full strength, the Spurs had no answer for Brunson, per Inquirer Sports.
What Comes Next for Both Franchises
New York will raise its third championship banner at Madison Square Garden on opening night of the 2026-27 season. The city's playoff run generated an estimated $375 million in economic activity, according to NYC.gov. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said simply, "When the Knicks win, New York comes alive."
For San Antonio, the offseason will be complicated. Fox's contract and his fit alongside younger players like Castle and Dylan Harper are expected to dominate trade talk. The Spurs are still seen as a future contender — Wembanyama is just 22 — but the front office must decide if Fox is the right veteran to lead that next run, according to Heavy Sports.
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