United States President Donald Trump is just as thrilled as scores of other New Yorkers to see the New York Knicks make a run to the NBA Finals.
Ahead of his appearance at Madison Square Garden for Game 3, Trump praised the “amazing” Knicks for playing a great brand of basketball, revealing that he watched Jalen Brunson and Co. pull off a 105-95 win in Game 1 on Wednesday night.
“I’ve been a Knicks fan for a long time,” he told media at the White House on Thursday.
“And I’m also a Jim Dolan fan — he’s a nice guy. He’s been wanting to win an [NBA title] for a long time; he’s a competitive guy, and he’s got a team that’s amazing.
“I don’t think they’ve lost a playoff game. Can you believe it?” Trump said of the Knicks. “And it was not looking good — I saw the beginning [of Game 1 of the NBA Finals] but missed the middle as I was talking to generals.
“I watched the end of the game, and they were dominant. Really amazing,” he added.
Knicks on 12-0 Winning Streak
Donald Trump got nearly all his facts right, though the Knicks did lose two games earlier in the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks. Since those losses in the first round, though, the Knicks have gone on a 12-0 run, including three straight wins against the Hawks, the sweeps of the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers and victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Knicks will try to keep their winning streak alive in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday. While they open as 5.5-point underdogs, it shouldn’t come as a shock if they pull off the upset win to go up 2-0 in the NBA championship round.
Knicks Primed to Win NBA Finals
The Game 1 win means the Knicks are now the betting favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy and end their 54-year drought of an NBA title.
ESPN’s Doug Greenberg explained why Las Vegas flipped the odds after just one game after the Spurs entered the Finals as massive -185 favorites.
“The New York Knicks came into the 2026 NBA Finals as +155 underdogs to capture the title, but after a big road win in Game 1, they’ve been elevated to championship favorites at -140. The San Antonio Spurs, in turn, have lengthened from -185 to +120 to win the Finals,” wrote the betting expert.
“Both teams were well-supported in the championship futures markets this season, with Caesars Sportsbook telling ESPN’s David Purdum that each is a liability in the future book.
“San Antonio opened the 2025-26 season as 65-1 underdogs to win the title, which would make them the largest preseason underdogs to win the NBA Finals in at least 40 seasons if they were to follow through, according to data from SportsOddsHistory.com.”
The report added that Jalen Brunson is now favored to win NBA Finals MVP.
“Jalen Brunson has taken the mantle of Finals MVP favorite at -105, with former favorite, Victor Wembanyama, lengthening significantly from -165 to +125. Karl-Anthony Towns (11-1), OG Anunoby (70-1) and Stephon Castle (90-1) round out the top five.”
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