At Madison Square Garden on Sunday, the New York Knicks delivered a statement win, snapping the San Antonio Spurs’ 11-game winning streak with a dominant 114-89 victory.
Mikal Bridges poured in 25 points and Jalen Brunson added 24, spearheading a decisive first-half surge that the Spurs never recovered from. After falling behind early, the Knicks ripped off a stunning 26-2 run that flipped the game on its head and sent the Garden crowd into a frenzy.
San Antonio entered March riding the league’s hottest streak, having gone unbeaten in February while scoring at least 110 points in every game — the first team in NBA history to accomplish that over a month of at least 10 games. But the momentum evaporated quickly against a Knicks squad eager to reassert itself.
Victor Wembanyama, coming off back-to-back 12-point outings, bounced back with 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in his return to the Garden — his first appearance there since a dazzling 42-point, 18-rebound performance on Christmas 2024. Still, the Spurs couldn’t overcome 22 turnovers that led to 24 New York points, nor a 54-41 deficit on the glass.
The Spurs jumped out to a 19-7 lead after a 3-pointer by Stephon Castle midway through the first quarter, threatening to extend their dominance. But Brunson erupted for 11 points in the final 1:52 of the opening frame, pushing the Knicks ahead 22-21 by the end of the quarter.
New York seized full control in the second. An 11-0 burst to open the period — capped by a Bridges bucket — stretched the lead to 33-21. The advantage ballooned to 26 points as the Knicks overwhelmed a Spurs team that had looked nearly untouchable just days earlier.
Mohamed Diawara chipped in 14 points off the bench for New York, which also defeated San Antonio earlier this season in Las Vegas to capture the NBA Cup.
After a sluggish start that saw them miss 14 of their first 18 shots, the Knicks flipped the script and handed the Spurs their first loss since Jan. 31 — a defeat in Charlotte.
Up next: San Antonio visits Philadelphia on Tuesday, while New York heads to Toronto as it looks to build momentum from a win that could mark a turning point in its season.
