From one New York sports champion to another: Game 5 of the NBA Finals was déjà vu all over again.
For the fifth time in this series, the San Antonio Spurs took a double-digit lead in the first quarter. And for the fourth time in five games, the New York Knicks didn't care, instead making all the winning plays down the stretch to complete yet another methodical comeback.
Led by 45 points from Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, the Knicks won Game 5 94-90 to clinch the franchise's first title in 53 years. It might take 53 more years for the partying in New York to stop.
Amid all the celebration, for one final time this postseason, let's break down how the Knicks finally returned to the NBA mountaintop, and what the Finals outcome means for both the Knicks and Spurs.
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An MVP-worthy finale for Brunson
Entering Game 5, Brunson's status as New York's MVP in this series was far from assured. Karl-Anthony Towns excelled through the Knicks' first two wins in San Antonio. And OG Anunoby was the hyperefficient hero in their historic comeback in Game 4.
But that uncertainty clarified quickly on Saturday. Towns and Anunoby dealt with foul trouble and combined for 13 points on 4-for-18 shooting, as part of broad offensive struggles for the visitors. Through the first 16 minutes of the game, the Knicks had five made shots, five shots blocked by Victor Wembanyama and nine turnovers.
One player kept the Knicks' offense afloat, however: Brunson, who finished the postseason as the top scorer (28.4 points per game) in the whole playoff field.
He saved his best for last in Game 5, scoring 45 points on 14-for-27 shooting (and going 13-for-15 on free throws). After the Spurs went up by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, Brunson scored 10 points in a row to bring New York even. He added three more points following a Spurs jumper, then the game-winning bucket on an 11-foot floater with 1:06 left.
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In total, Brunson scored 48% of New York's points in Game 5, which is the second-highest ratio for any player in a closeout game in Finals history, according to ESPN Research -- behind only Michael Jordan's legendary performance in the "Last Dance" 1998 Finals.
Highest scorers in Finals closeout games
On a night with little effective offensive process from either team, Brunson pulled out every trick in his bag to stage a dazzling display for a decidedly Knicks-friendly crowd in San Antonio.