The San Antonio Spurs entered the 2026 NBA Finals riding the momentum of a dramatic Game 7 victory over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and carrying the confidence of a franchise that had never lost a Game 1 in the Finals.
One night later, history is suddenly working against them.
The New York Knicks erased a 14-point second-half deficit and closed the game on an 11-0 run to stun the Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 on Wednesday night at Frost Bank Center, seizing homecourt advantage and putting San Antonio on the wrong side of a significant NBA Finals trend.
For Spurs fans hoping Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper and company can deliver the franchise’s sixth championship, the numbers offer an early warning sign.
NBA Finals History Strongly Favors Game 1 Winners
Since the NBA adopted the current best-of-seven Finals format, teams that win Game 1 have gone on to capture the championship 55 times in 79 opportunities, a success rate of nearly 70 percent.
That statistic now belongs to the Knicks.
While the series is far from over, history suggests New York has taken a meaningful step toward ending its 53-year championship drought.
The Spurs now face the challenge of becoming just the 25th team in Finals history to recover after dropping the opener.
Spurs Suffer First-Ever Game 1 Finals Loss
The defeat was historic for another reason.
San Antonio had never previously lost a Game 1 in the NBA Finals, entering Wednesday with a perfect 6-0 record in championship-series openers during its title runs in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013 and 2014.
The Spurs also had never trailed an NBA Finals series before the conclusion of a championship round.
That streak ended when Jalen Brunson drilled a go-ahead three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining before New York finished the game with a decisive closing run.
Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper Unable to Hold Lead
The Spurs appeared in control midway through the third quarter.
Wembanyama scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his NBA Finals debut, while rookie Dylan Harper continued his strong postseason run with 16 points.
Julian Champagnie also added 16 points, and Stephon Castle contributed 17.
San Antonio pushed its lead to 14 points in the third quarter before the Knicks stormed back.
The Spurs shot just 36 percent from the field and 25.6 percent from three-point range, allowing New York to gradually erase the deficit.
Wembanyama, despite his 26-point, 12-rebound line, shot just 6-for-21 from the field against a physical Knicks defense anchored by Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson.
Knicks Continue Historic Playoff Run
The loss also came against a Knicks team that continues to pile up postseason milestones.
New York won its 12th consecutive playoff game, tying the 1998-99 Spurs for the second-longest winning streak in a single postseason in NBA history. Only the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors (15) have won more.
The Knicks also won their seventh straight road playoff game, tying the second-longest road winning streak in a single postseason. The 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers hold the record with eight.
Most concerning for San Antonio, New York’s stars delivered in the biggest moments.
Brunson finished with 30 points — including 13 in the fourth quarter — while overcoming both knee and ankle scares earlier in the game.
Now the pressure shifts squarely onto the Spurs heading into Friday’s Game 2.
Another loss would send the series to Madison Square Garden with New York holding a commanding 2-0 advantage and history even more firmly on its side.
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