Jalen Brunson was named the Bill Russell 2026 NBA Finals MVP after helping the New York Knicks win their first championship since 1973.

The Knicks guard scored 15 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter of the 94-90, clinching Game 5 victory against the San Antonio Spurs. He also added three assists and three rebounds in the game, as New York again found itself down by double digits in the first quarter, only to chip away as the game wore on.

Brunson tied Michael Jordan (1998) for most points in a Finals clinching game on the road, per the ABC broadcast.

Brunson, who was the 2024-25 Clutch Player of the Year, certainly came up clutch in the biggest moments.

He scored 30 or more points four different times in the series, totaling 30 in the Game 1 win in San Antonio, 32 in the Game 3 loss, and 36 in the Game 4 win in which the Knicks stormed back from a 29-point deficit to complete the biggest comeback in NBA history with the 107-106 victory.

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— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) June 14, 2026

But perhaps it was the shot he didn't make that proved to be the series' biggest moment.

Trailing by one late in the fourth quarter of Game 4, Brunson hoisted a 30-foot 3-pointer that missed off the rim, but OG Anunoby came swooping in and was not blocked out and tipped in the miss with 1.2 seconds remaining, sending the Madison Square Garden crowd, who had been despondent for most of the game, into a frenzy.

The 29-year-old Brunson capped off an impressive year, being named an All-Star for the third straight year, while also winning the In-Season Tournament and the Larry Bird Trophy as the Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player awards.

Playoff stats: 28.3 ppg, 6.2 apg, 46.1% FG

Finals stats: 32.6 ppg, 5 apg, 4.5 rpg, 38.7 minutes

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Finals MVP honors go to Knicks guard Jalen Brunson