The New York Knicks are the 2025-26 champions. Thanks to a clutch Game 5 performance from Jalen Brunson, helping lead his team to a 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs, the title is coming home to New York for the first time in 53 years. Brunson’s play in Game 5 was so good that ESPN’s Brian Windhorst ranked him within the top five of all close-out game performances in Finals history.
During the latest segment of “NBA on ESPN,” Windhorst claims that Brunson’s Game 5 close-out performance is the fourth-best in the history of the league. The popular analyst and insider has the 29-year-old guard ranked ahead of 2013 LeBron James on his list.
Brian Windhorst’s top five close-out games in NBA Finals history
1. Michael Jordan – 1998
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 2021
3. Magic Johnson – 1980
4. Jalen Brunson – 2026
5. LeBron James – 2013
“No. 4, Jalen Brunson. Jalen Brunson with that 45-point road close-out game is an iconic all-time game,” said Windhorst. “Especially that fourth quarter, taking [Victor Wembanyama] with his off hand all the way to the basket. Scoring 15 points in that fourth, 10-0 run by himself, totally had the Spurs at his mercy. Finishes off three brilliant games, really, to end that series.”
Brian Windhorst names his top 5 close-out games in NBA Finals history:
1. Michael Jordan – 1998
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 2021
3. Magic Johnson – 1980
4. Jalen Brunson – 2026
5. LeBron James – 2013Do you agree
(via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/COQkaWaZWt
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 15, 2026
On top of his 45 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the eight-year veteran also recorded three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. He led the Knicks to the win, shooting 51.8% from the floor, while hitting 57.1% of his three-point attempts and going 13-15 at the free-throw line.
As Windhorst mentioned, it wasn’t just an excellent close-out game for Jalen Brunson. He was amazing throughout the entire series. In the five games played in the Finals, the three-time All-Star averaged 32.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per contest. Brunson averaged those numbers with a 42.1% field goal percentage and shooting 38.9% from beyond the arc.
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