The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 114-89 on Sunday, snapping the Spurs' 11-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden. A decisive 26-2 run by the Knicks in the first half proved pivotal after an early Spurs lead. Mikal Bridges led New York with 25 points, while Victor Wembanyama scored 25 for San Antonio.
The San Antonio Spurs entered the game undefeated in February, marking their longest winning streak since a 13-0 run in the 2015-16 season. They started strong, leading 19-7 in the first quarter on a Stephon Castle 3-pointer with 4:56 remaining and holding a lead of up to 12 points. However, Jalen Brunson scored New York's final 11 points of the period, including a 3-pointer, to give the Knicks a 22-21 edge at the end of the first quarter.
The momentum shifted dramatically as the Knicks embarked on a 26-2 run spanning the first and second quarters, culminating in a Mikal Bridges fast-break dunk off a Wembanyama miss, resulting in a 33-21 lead. New York maintained control, leading 51-41 at halftime, and extended the advantage with a 17-6 run to start the fourth quarter. A 3-pointer by Landry Shamet gave the Knicks a 104-82 lead with 3:37 remaining, prompting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson to pull his starters.
Defensively, the Knicks forced 22 turnovers from San Antonio, converting them into 24 points, and held the Spurs to a season-low 89 points while outrebounding them 54-41. San Antonio struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 9-for-34 (26%). Knicks coach Mike Brown praised his team's effort: "Good win by our guys. (San Antonio) is a really good team. They obviously missed some shots, but I thought our weak side defense was really good. For them to shoot 26, 27% from (three-point range), our activity on the weak side was really good."
Scoring for the Knicks included Bridges with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals; Brunson with 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists; Mohamed Diawara with 14 points off the bench; and Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby with 12 points each, Towns adding 14 rebounds. Six Knicks players reached double figures. For the Spurs, Wembanyama tallied 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks; Devin Vassell added 18 points and 7 rebounds; and Castle scored 13.
The victory improved the Knicks' record to 39-22, keeping them tied with the Boston Celtics for second in the Eastern Conference. The Spurs, now 0-1 in March, will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
