The grand finale has begun, the Knicks strike first

The New York Knicks took a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals against San Antonio, after winning away 105-95.

The Knicks, who ended this game with an 11-0 series, recorded their 12th consecutive victory in these playoffs and became the seventh team to have such a streak in NBA history.

Jaylen Branson led the Knicks with 30 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Oji Anunoby finished with 17 points.

Victor Wembanyama had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs, but shot 6-of-21 from the field. Stephon Castle scored 17, and Julian Champenyi and Dylan Harper each had 16 points.

The Knicks led 14-7 at the start of the game, but the Spurs responded with a 20-13 run to take a ten-point lead (27-17). The teams traded the lead six times in the second quarter, with San Antonio leading 55-48 at halftime.

San Antonio increased its lead to 14 points midway through the third quarter, before the Knicks came back into the game, and the teams were tied at 76:76 heading into the final quarter.

New York had an eight-point lead halfway through the final quarter, but with two minutes left, San Antonio took a 95-94 lead after two free throws by Vembanjama. The Knicks took the lead on the next possession with a three-pointer by Branson and started an 11-0 run that ended the game.

In addition to recording their 12th consecutive playoff victory, the Knicks also became the first team to beat San Antonio in the first game of a title series. The Spurs had a 6-0 record in those games so far.

The second game of the NBA Finals will be played on the night between Friday and Saturday, and the host city is San Antonio again.