Wembanyama Says Spurs Were Not Ready After NBA Finals 2026 Defeat

The New York Knicks captured the NBA Finals with a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5, closing a 4-1 series. The win on Saturday delivered the franchise’s first NBA Championship in 53 years. New York again overturned a late deficit, erasing a 10-point gap early in the fourth quarter.

NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson drove the comeback with another high-volume scoring night, finishing with 45 points. Brunson hit 15 points in the final period, repeatedly attacking the Spurs defence in isolation. The guard controlled the tempo down the stretch and punished every defensive lapse from San Antonio.

Speaking courtside, Brunson tried to explain the moment after lifting the trophy. “I have no words. It’s everything I dreamed of, he told ESPN. I’m in awe. It’s why I came to New York. Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it. Whatever you put in front of us, we’re going to find a way… every time we step on this court. Every time.” The guard’s performance underlined New York’s resilience through the series.

Brunson entered elite company with the scoring display. The Knicks star became only the fourth player in NBA history to post at least 45 points in a championship-clinching game. Brunson is also just the second player to score 45 or more in a deciding win on the road, following Michael Jordan at Utah in 1998.

San Antonio’s collapse continued a pattern from earlier in the NBA Finals. The Spurs again started fast and built control, leading by eight or more after the first quarter in all five games. Yet they finished the series with a 1-4 record, unable to convert early dominance into wins when pressure increased.

Victor Wembanyama, who scored 19 points in Game 5, admitted the Spurs failed to match the Knicks’ readiness for championship basketball. Reflecting on the defeat, Wembanyama pointed to repeated errors on both ends and suggested that composure, rather than raw talent, separated the two teams throughout the series.

The rookie star did not hide from responsibility when asked about the Spurs’ performance in the NBA Finals. “We weren’t ready. I wasn’t ready to win a ringthat’s clear, said Wembanyama, who finished with 19 points We’re not lacking in talent or ability, but we make too many mistakes. I make too many mistakes. This is the biggest lesson of my lifethe biggest learning moment, he said. It’s painful but I’m not running away from that. I’m using it to fuel me. I’m not satisfied with not winning. As a team, there’s no better experience than what we just lived.”

NBA Finals numbers underline contrasting stories

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The Knicks’ late-game poise and Brunson’s shot-making delivered a long-awaited banner, while San Antonio left with regret and a sense of opportunity lost. The series highlighted New York’s ability to respond whenever challenged and gave Wembanyama and the Spurs a demanding reference point for future playoff runs.