The Knicks stole Game 1 of the NBA Finals in an instantly iconic series-opener against the Spurs in San Antonio on Wednesday night, with Jalen Brunson & Co. lifting New York to a pivotal win that inches them closer to their championship dreams.Brunson, clutch as ever, put up 30 points while Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds) and helped contain Victor Wembanyama to 26 points on 6-of-21 shooting. Down by as many as 14, the Knicks clawed their way back into the game, and Brunson took over in the fourth quarter to help New York steal a 105–95 victory from right under the noses of the tournament favorites.After the stunning upset, Towns spoke to reporters about his gameplan for Wembanyama on both sides of the ball.“You just try to make it difficult,” Towns said, of his approach to defending the Spurs big man. “He’s an amazing player, a one-of-a-kind player in the NBA and that the league has ever seen. You just try to make it as difficult as possible.”Towns was later asked about his mental persistence to stay aggressive in attacking Wembanyama all game long, as the Knicks center enjoyed an efficient night shooting 7-of-15 from the field and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe for a total of 18 points.“You just trust your work and you trust your decision-making,” Towns said. “I always say about being aggressive and play-making, it may not be for the shot but to get someone else a shot or get the hockey assist going. So for me, when I go out there I try to be aggressive in play-making and early in the game I just—you never know what the defense is going to give you, what’s going to unfold. But I just wanted to be aggressive ... and bring that energy for our team.”Karl-Anthony Towns proved he could match up with Victor Wembanyama in Game 1 of NBA Finals. Can he do it again?Across four quarters, Wembanyama was held to 6-of-21 shooting from the field and went just 2-of-9 from beyond the arc. Even the Spurs star himself admitted he played poorly in Game 1 despite finishing with a team-high 26 points. Though Towns and the Knicks got the job done on Wednesday, they’ll likely have to step up their game against Wemby, who’s shown an incredible resilience that’s allowed him to bounce back after tough losses. After Wembanyama scored just 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting in the Spurs’ Game 5 loss to the Thunder in the Western Conference finals, he came back with a tremendous performance in a do-or-die Game 6 (28 points, 10 rebounds) to beat Oklahoma City and tie the series. Towns is expected to play a major role in containing Wembanyama for the rest of the Finals, and it already looks like he’s mentally prepared for the challenge. Following his big game, Towns got a bit emotional talking to the Inside the NBA crew about how he was able to deliver for the Knicks in Game 1.“I just felt a calm and a peace that had to be come from the woman above [Towns’s mother],” Towns said. Towns’s mother died in 2020 due to complications from COVID-19. “I felt really confidence about today, I felt good. I felt like a kid. It was just fun out here. ... It felt like I was a kid getting ready to go play my Saturday AAU games and Sunday AAU games. In a way, I felt like I was seeing her in the stands.”KAT:"I just felt a calm and a peace that had to be come from the woman above (his mom). I felt like a kid. It was just fun out here. It felt like I was a kid getting ready to go play my Saturday AAU games and Sunday AAU games. In a way I felt like I was seeing her in the… pic.twitter.com/iGj4FwxL8C— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) June 4, 2026Walking off the court victorious in San Antonio, Towns made clear that the Knicks weren’t celebrating anything just yet. He called Game 1 “a prizefight” between two heavyweights that will continue to bring out the best from both teams with their next star-studded showdown set for Friday.“There’s a lot more basketball to be played. Like I said to y’all and the media and those who’ve followed us on our journey here, every game has to be approached like it’s 0-0. You gotta come out with that same energy, intensity and desperation,” Towns said. “We got 48 hours to rest up and do that all over again, and even at a higher level.”More NBA Finals From Sports IllustratedListen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow