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Knicks Win 2026 NBA Title After Fox’s Shooting Woes and Johnson’s Late-Game Plan

Mitch Johnson’s public pledge to give De’Aaron Fox the ball late is being viewed as a decisive coaching misstep that will shape the Spurs’ offseason.

Overview

  • The New York Knicks clinched the 2026 NBA championship with a 94-90 Game 5 victory over the San Antonio Spurs to finish the series 4-1.
  • De’Aaron Fox finished Game 5 with seven points on 3-of-15 shooting and 1-of-8 from three, capping a Finals in which he shot 24-of-70 (34.2%) from the field and 7-of-28 (25%) from long range.
  • Spurs coach Mitch Johnson publicly insisted before Game 5 that Fox would have the ball late, and reporters and analysts now point to that decision as a key factor in the Spurs’ collapse.
  • A turning point came in Game 4 when OG Anunoby blocked Fox’s contested left-handed layup late, a play that helped fuel New York’s 29-point comeback and put San Antonio in a 3-1 hole.
  • San Antonio enters the offseason with cap space and difficult roster choices, and the club now faces pressure to decide whether to adjust its late-game structure and personnel after the Finals loss.