Former NBL star's son ends Knicks’ 53-year wait

• ‍Game 1: Knicks strangle Spurs to take Finals series lead‍
• Game 2: On the 'Matt': Nielsen's Spurs down 0-2 in Finals‍
• Game 3: Wemby 'The Alien' steals Knicks' talent at the Garden‍
• Game 4: New York's OG completes greatest Finals comeback

For five games, Australian Boomers legend Matt Nielsen's San Antonio Spurs built leads.

For five games, the New York Knicks came back and completed a "gentleman's sweep" of Victor Wembanyama's Western Conference champions.

And on Sunday (AEST), they came back one last time to become NBA champions.

Former NBL star Rick Brunson's son Jalen scored 45 points and took over the fourth quarter as the Knicks rallied from 16 points down to beat the Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, securing New York's first championship since 1973.

Rick is an assistant coach on the Knicks and was part of the New York team that went to the Finals in 1999.

Jalen was named Finals MVP after delivering one heroic performance after another throughout a postseason that will forever be remembered in New York.

"It's surreal," Knicks head coach Mike Brown said.

"I still can't believe it's happened."

The Knicks trailed by double digits in all four of their wins in the series.

They overcame a 29-point deficit in Game 4 – the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history – and found themselves down 23-13 at quarter-time in Game 5 after missing 16 of their first 18 shots.

It didn't matter.

The Knicks never panicked. Neither did Brunson.

The All-NBA guard carried New York when everything seemed to be slipping away, scoring 13 straight points during the fourth quarter and finishing with 45 points on 14-from-27 shooting, including four-from-seven from beyond the arc.

"I don't know what I'm feeling," Brunson said.

"I'm in awe.

"Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it."

The Spurs looked ready to extend the series.

Wembanyama dominated defensively early, blocking five shots and swatting away Knicks attempts at the rim. At one stage in the first half, the French superstar had more blocks than New York had made field goals.

San Antonio led 42-37 at halftime after Devin Vassell beat the buzzer to end one of the ugliest offensive halves in NBA Finals history.

The teams combined for just 79 points before the break and shot a combined 31.8% from the field.

The Spurs stretched the lead back to double figures in the third quarter.

Again, it didn't matter.

Mikal Bridges hit timely shots.

Josh Hart crashed the boards.

OG Anunoby defended everywhere.

And Brunson waited for his moment.

Trailing 72-65 entering the final quarter, Brunson exploded.

He attacked Stephon Castle.

He pulled up over switches.

He got to the free throw line.

He simply would not allow the Knicks to lose.

Brunson scored nearly half of New York's 29 fourth-quarter points, turning a tense elimination game into a coronation.

Bridges finished with 14 points and four assists, while Hart added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Karl-Anthony Towns struggled offensively, scoring just two points, but pulled down 10 rebounds as New York won the rebounding battle 48-47.

For the Spurs, rookie Dylan Harper provided the spark.

The No. 2 pick poured in 25 points off the bench on 10-from-19 shooting, keeping San Antonio alive as De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle struggled.

Fox scored seven points on three-from-15 shooting.

Castle had six points on one-from-10.

Wembanyama finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks.

"This is the biggest lesson of my life," Wembanyama said.

"I can't tell exactly what the lesson is, but we're learning."

Australian assistant coach Matt Nielsen also fell one win short of becoming an NBA champion in his first Finals appearance on an NBA bench.

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson conceded New York had earned the title.

"We weren't ready to win an NBA championship," Johnson said.

"The better team won."

There will be time for San Antonio to reflect.

The Spurs won 62 games.

Wembanyama established himself as one of the game's great forces.

Harper emerged as a star.

But this night belonged to New York.

The Knicks finished the playoffs with a record +283 points differential, the biggest in NBA postseason history.

They won four straight closeout games on the road.

They came back when they looked beaten.

And after 53 years of waiting, heartbreak and hope, they are champions again.