Jalen Brunson Scored 13 Points in the Fourth Quarter and San Antonio Has No Answer

Holy smokes, did you guys see Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday? The New York Knicks went into San Antonio and straight-up swiped the first game, rallying hard to snatch that victory. And honestly, it felt like Jalen Brunson just put the entire Spurs defensive game plan in a blender in the fourth quarter. He poured in 13 points in the final frame, leaving San Antonio searching for answers before Game 2 hits on Friday night.

The Crushing Collapse and a Coach's Frustration

Seriously, what happened in the final minutes? The Spurs had a one-point lead with just 2:16 left on the clock. Then, poof! The Knicks dropped an 11-0 run to close out the game, making that 105-95 loss sting even more. Coach Mitch Johnson was not holding back after reviewing the film. He said the team wasn't aggressive enough attacking the rim, despite getting good open looks. He was "generally pleased" with the offensive looks, but that lack of aggression cost them big time.

Johnson really pinpointed some core issues, too. He called out second-chance points as a major problem, and get this: San Antonio only dished out 16 assists! He stressed that "Sixteen assists... is not a reflection of this program ever since I've been here and decades before I was." That's a pretty damning statement for a team in the Finals, and it tells you everything about their game-plan execution.

Brunson's Breakout and the Spurs' Mindset

Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson was just built different. After an 11-point first half, he exploded. He took a whopping 31 shots and dropped 30 points overall, totally slicing through what the Spurs thought was an "anyone but Jalen" defensive strategy. Their plan failed, big time. It was an absolute masterclass in taking over a game when it mattered most. San Antonio's defense just couldn't contain him when he turned it up.

Despite the gut punch, Victor Wembanyama is saying "no one in his locker room is blinking." Point guard De'Aaron Fox is trying to keep the focus positive, looking back at how they built a 14-point lead in the third quarter and the process that created that double-digit advantage. Coach Johnson is preaching that "series are long. Games are long," and teams at this stage can "evolve on the fly." He's hoping Victor and a couple of other guys will "play better" and "make more shots" in Game 2.

Game 2: Time to Evolve or Go Down 0-2

So, what's next? Game 2 is Friday night, back at home for San Antonio. They've got to make some serious "change, tweak over here and get better over here," as Coach Johnson put it. If they can't figure out how to stop Brunson, get more aggressive, and move that ball for more than 16 assists, this series could slip away faster than a July evening at T-Mobile Park. The stakes couldn't be higher, and the pressure is on them to show they can truly evolve. Let's see if they bring that fight!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.