Starting 5: Will there be a champion, or a Game 6?

One sport. Two questions.

Will the Knicks seize their first NBA championship in 53 years?

Or will the Spurs lengthen an unforgettable Finals?

Larry’s on the road tonight in San Antonio (8:30 ET, ABC | Tap to Watch).

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5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

June 13, 2026

Game 5 In 2 Minutes: Knicks eye long-awaited title, Spurs battle to maintain season alive

Captain Comeback: Zillgitt on how Brunson fuels New York’s no-quit mindset

What They’re Saying – Knicks: Resetting to “0-0” after the joys of Game 4

What They’re Saying – Spurs: Eyeing comeback historical past and following the 2016 Cavs’ instance

Finals Frames: NBA photographers share the tales behind their favourite photographs from this Finals

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BUT FIRST … ⏰

Will we see a champion topped tonight?

Game 5 of the NBA Finals ideas off tonight (8:30 ET, ABC) because the Knicks, up 3-1, search their first championship since 1973, whereas the Spurs look to drive a Game 6.

The 2026 NBA Finals are the most-watched NBA Finals via 4 video games since 1998. The Knicks’ comeback win over the Spurs on Wednesday averaged 20.9M viewers, making it the most-watched Finals Game 4 since ‘98.

Game 4 was the most-viral NBA game ever on social media, producing 3 billion views and counting.

Forever Finals: Exactly 10 years in the past at present, going through a 3-1 deficit, LeBron James & Kyrie Irving delivered matching 41-point performances to guide the Cavs previous the Warriors in Game 5 of the 2016 Finals.

Cleveland went on to win the sequence in seven video games, changing into the one workforce in Finals historical past to beat a 3-1 deficit — one thing the Spurs will now look to recreate.

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1. GET READY FOR GAME 5 IN 2 MINUTES

Three nights in the past, the Knicks had been observing a 29-point deficit and the potential for a tied Finals at 2-2.

Today, they’re one win away from their first NBA championship in 53 years.

After finishing the biggest comeback in NBA Finals historical past – capped by OG Anunoby’s iconic game-winning tip-in – the Knicks go to San Antonio tonight (8:30 ET, ABC) with an opportunity to seize a title that has eluded the franchise for greater than a half-century.

Standing of their means: Victor Wembanyama and a Spurs squad that’s no stranger to staving off elimination. | Steve Aschburner’s 3 Things To Watch

The Knicks’ instant-classic Wednesday win was simply the most recent chapter in a Finals that’s delivered drama at all-time ranges.

Four video games in, the moments hold coming – and the historical past retains piling up.

• Last-Second Thrillers: This is simply the 2nd Finals ever – and the primary in 50+ years – that’s seen a number of video games determined by one level (Games 2 & 4)
• Last-Minute Theatrics: All 4 video games have come right down to clutch time, with lead adjustments within the remaining two minutes of Games 1, 2 & 4
• Unprecedented Drama: No different Finals on file has featured lead adjustments within the remaining two minutes of three of its first 4 video games (relationship again to 1971, when Finals play-by-play monitoring started)

Before this electrifying sequence, just one different Finals on file had seen Games 1-4 all inside 5 factors within the remaining minute.

The yr? 1973 – when the Knicks captured their final championship.

Tonight, they’ll look to come back full circle behind a trio that has performed its finest within the largest moments: Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns.

• Engine Eleven: The late-game hero in Games 1 & 2, Brunson leads all gamers this sequence in each ppg (29.5) and whole clutch factors (15)
• OG Everywhere: Anunoby’s game-saving block and game-winning tip-in in Game 4 completely encapsulated the two-way impression he’s introduced all through the Finals, vaulting him atop Shaun Powell’s newest Finals MVP Ladder
• Big KAT: Towns has delivered on each ends all through the sequence, averaging a double-double (15.8 pts, 10.8 reb) whereas rating 2nd on Powell’s Finals MVP Ladder
• But The Job’s Not Done: “The hardest game to win is the one that ends someone’s season,” stated Towns at Friday’s Media Day. “We’ve got to be our best version tomorrow.”

Ready To Respond: The Knicks maintain a 3-1 Finals lead, however they’ve outscored the Spurs by simply eight factors over the primary 4 matchups.

That’s one bucket per sport of separation – and San Antonio has loads of causes to imagine it may well lengthen this sequence.

• Flashes Of Fire: The Spurs have led after the first quarter and constructed double-digit leads in every of the primary 4 video games this sequence
• Been Here Before: Facing elimination is nothing new for San Antonio. The Spurs trailed OKC 3-2 within the West Finals earlier than profitable two straight to oust the defending champs
• Home-Court Response: That comeback started with a Game 6 bounce-back in San Antonio, the place Wembanyama was dominant (28 pts, 10 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk) in a 118-91 win
• “We’re very confident,” stated Wemby on Friday. “It’s the Playoffs – there’s no time to regret things for too long.”

Now, one workforce stands 48 minutes from a championship, whereas the opposite fights to maintain its season alive.

Who will take Game 5?

Game 5 Reads: Dive into the most recent Finals tales and evaluation earlier than tonight’s tip-off (8:30 ET, ABC).

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2. CAPTAIN COMEBACK: HOW BRUNSON HAS FUELED NY’S NO-QUIT MINDSET

Since play-by-play monitoring started in 1998, groups are 5-734 when trailing by 20+ factors within the 4th quarter of a Playoff sport.

The Knicks have two of these wins – each within the final month.

The first got here in Game 1 of the East Finals, beautiful Cleveland to propel New York to a four-game sweep.

The different got here Wednesday – an all-time rally capped by an all-time end from OG Anunoby, sending New York into bedlam and leaving sports activities followers all over the world in disbelief.

For Jalen Brunson, although, perception has by no means been briefly provide, writes NBA.com’s Jeff Zillgitt:

“Where does an epic, never-before-seen NBA Finals comeback start?

It is an existential and sensible query.

Existentially, does it begin within the coronary heart? In the thoughts? Deep inside?

Practically, does it begin with a defensive cease? A bucket? Inspiring phrases throughout halftime or a timeout?

…However you need to dissect and analyze what occurred – and the storylines from OG Anunoby to Jose Alvarado are ample, great and perplexing – Knicks All-Star level guard Jalen Brunson is sort of at all times on the middle of the spectacular.” | Read More

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3. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: KNICKS PUT GAME 4’S HIGHS BEHIND THEM

Jalen Brunson was requested at Friday’s Media Day what it feels prefer to be one win away from an NBA championship.

In Brunson’s thoughts – and within the Knicks’ collective thought course of – they aren’t.

“Zero-zero.”

Brunson’s response, a small phrase, made up of even smaller numbers, speaks volumes in regards to the psychological method that has the Knicks one win from an NBA championship.

• “Regardless of what’s going on, our mindset and approach has to stay the same,” Brunson stated. “I think we’ve done a very good job of that.”
• “The biggest thing is continuing to preach 0-0,” coach Mike Brown stated. “Continuing to preach ‘stay present,’ continuing to preach ‘next possession…’”
• “Zero-zero, knowing you don’t get complacent,” Mikal Bridges stated … “I think it’s still 0-0, no matter what”

This time, the “what” is arguably a extra tantalizing diversion to the Knicks’ psychological method than they’ve handled all postseason.

The franchise’s first championship in 53 years is as shut as 48 minutes away, OG Anunoby transformed probably the most miraculous game-winners in Finals historical past, and Knicks followers celebrated all evening. Things will not be regular.

• “Of course that night we all enjoyed the shellshock of what happened,” Karl-Anthony Towns stated… “But we all understood the next morning that we had to get back to work.”
• “[OG’s play is] a great moment. It’s one of the best sports moments in New York history. But we’ve got to solidify it with one more win,” stated KAT
• “I’ve always told myself when you wake up the next day, it’s time to turn the page,” Brunson stated. “Yes, we won, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
• Said Bridges: “We know our job’s not finished.”

Behind them would be the Knicks devoted — who’ve proven up for his or her workforce, in spirit and in particular person, all Playoffs lengthy.

• “It means everything to us,” Anunoby stated. “We know we have the best fans in the world … They’re loud, they’re rowdy, they’re excited … we all feel that. We feed off their energy.”
• Kon On The Scene: Game 5 Player Correspondent Kon Knueppel took in Friday’s exercises, lobbed questions alongside press, and requested Mike Breen where Game 4 ranks all-time amongst video games he’s referred to as…

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4. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: SPURS READY TO RESPOND, AGAIN

San Antonio has seen the movie from their Game 4 loss, and the Spurs are prepared to show the web page.

• “I feel like everyone took a day to relax, debrief and just hit that reset button,” Dylan Harper stated at Friday’s Game 5 media day. “We’ve got another opportunity to go and prove who we are as a team.”
• “I wouldn’t say it was so hard to, like, shake off,” Victor Wembanyama stated. “Harder than any other game before, by far, for sure. Now we’re over it.”
• “Woke up this morning ready to go,” Devin Vassell stated. “Ready to execute the game plan for the next day.”

What they discovered within the footage of the Knicks’ 29-point comeback wasn’t advanced or laborious to interrupt down, they stated. In all 4 video games of the sequence, the Spurs have performed properly sufficient to go up by double digits. They’ve additionally surrendered leads of that dimension in all 4 video games.

• “I feel like once we get those leads, we start to play a little bit different, take our foot off the gas defensively,” Stephon Castle stated. “We have to stay aggressive but be smart through it.”
• “We have to figure out ways to continue to extend our lead,” De’Aaron Fox stated. “When they do make these games close, we have to figure out ways to execute down the stretch.”
• “We’ve played them really good for the past four games,” Vassell stated. “We just really haven’t been able to close out games.”

At Friday’s Media Day, the Knicks weren’t the one East workforce on San Antonio’s thoughts. Needing a historic climb, the Spurs cited the 2016 Cavaliers – the one workforce in Finals historical past to beat a 3-1 deficit.

• “We still have this belief because we’ve seen it,” Fox stated. “We’ve seen it be done: that teams have come back from 3-1…”
• “Even with those series, the games that they lost, they were losing by double digits. The games that we’re losing have all been close games.”
• “We’ve made history all year,” stated Stephon Castle. “And we’ve proven that with our backs against the wall, we can step up. So I don’t really expect this to be any different.”

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5. FINALS FRAMES: NBA PHOTOGS’ DEFINING SHOTS SO FAR

The best NBA Finals moments — those that outline sequence, those that outline eras, those that may outline complete cities — can really feel frozen in time.

Often, as a result of they’re.

After one of many wildest four-game stretches to begin the Finals ever, we talked to a couple of the NBA photographers protecting the sequence to get their favourite frames — and the tales behind them — as we head into Game 5.

Joe Murphy

“I used to be going huge as a result of it was the ultimate shot, and I’m attempting to point out the shot clock in case it goes in. You prefer to have that perspective with the picture, so that you let the viewer know there are 2 seconds left, 1 second left, no time left.

I simply loved having this one, between the angle being that good, seeing folks on the bench, the clock, you may see OG along with his hand on the ball … and you recognize it goes in.

I used to be simply honored to have the ability to catch that shot: an incredible second for the Knicks, for the NBA, for the historical past of the Finals. It’s a shot I’ll be pleased with eternally.”

Michael Gonzales

“I do that middle distant strobe for tipoff, the place it’s one gentle that hits and also you get a very cool shadow.

Wemby was strolling towards the bench and occurred to be on the trophy. I hit it, and it completely body his shadow, the place it’s proper in the midst of the trophy.

The Spurs are all in regards to the Spurs household, they’re so loyal to one another. So the story of this one is that one of many workforce as a lot as Victor — the place it reveals the Spurs brand, in addition to it being his first Finals too.

…his ardour for basketball is basically deep. He’s an emotional particular person, and that is his courtroom, that is his dwelling.”

Adam Pantozzi

“It’s not straightforward to attain on Wemby, and Towns managed to get round him and his lengthy arms. He was actually enthusiastic about it. He got here down and had plenty of emotion afterward.

In a state of affairs like this, you sort of monitor a participant as he goes to the rim. And as he will get there, you hope he does one thing nice. In this case, he did.”

Garrett Ellwood

“Victor Wembanyama is such a singular expertise.

I had an concept previous to the Finals that I needed to create a picture that will spotlight his uniqueness. This picture is precisely what I used to be going for.

I spotlit the basket to create the lighting impact that I needed, and Wemby did the remaining.  He adjustments the way in which I {photograph} a sport as a consequence of his size, dimension and athletic capacity.”

Jesse Garrabrant

“Sometimes the moments earlier than the sport even begins imply essentially the most to me.

This complete journey for me began with the Big East. My grandmother used to carry me to video games means again when Seton Hall nonetheless performed on campus with only one,500 folks.

I used to be into the Big East from then on, watching Ewing’s complete profession, with him finally going to the Hall and me beginning this pictures profession.

The Big East led to my job on the NBA. I used to be right here all via Shaq’s profession, so to have the legends arrange for a bounce ball on the best stage so a few years later was a an unimaginable second to witness that introduced again plenty of recollections.”

Nat Butler

“My finest shot I wanna get tomorrow. Every day I wish to get one thing higher.

Having stated that, this was a cool body that was a bit of completely different. Jalen did a loopy transfer and as an alternative of celebrating, he checked out his hand. He’s not a man to go too loopy, however I like these emotional photographs.

At Finals, we’ve different photogs there, so it’s a possibility to get one thing completely different as a result of my colleagues will get that shot. Like Murphy received the wonderful shot of the tip-in, that’s a tremendous shot.

And as you get nearer to a clincher these develop into extra magnified.”