Jalen Brunson blinkedand somehow the Knicks held on

SAN ANTONIO — Captain Clutch was crumbling.It felt like eons since Jalen Brunson had looked so cold in such a big moment, missing open shots he could normally hit with his eyes closed.The Knicks superstar had made seven shots.

He’d missed 18, the last coming on a go-ahead attempt from the elbow with 15 seconds left, giving the Spurs a chance to hold for the final shot of regulation in a tie game.But Victor Wembanyama threw a pass off Stephon Castle’s back and Brunson scooped up the ball, getting bumped by the Spurs big man to get sent to the free-throw line with 9.5 seconds remaining.Even on this miserable shooting night — even if there was a draft of every player in NBA history — the Knicks had the only player they would ever want at the line with the game on the line.Brunson made the first, putting the Knicks ahead.Then, the impossible: his first missed free throw of the NBA Finals, putting the Knicks in jeopardy of returning to New York with the series even.The nightmare ended when Wembanyama missed the potential game-winning jumper in the final seconds, putting the Knicks two wins from achieving a dream that is 53 years in the making, following a 105-104 win in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center.Brunson finished with 20 points (7-for-25 from the field, 2-for-8 on 3-pointers), six assists, five rebounds and four turnovers.“We had to do a good job of staying composed in those situations,” Brunson said.

“It’s a credit to the character that this team has.Not being able to fold in situations like that is key to winning games like this.

At this stage of the season, things aren’t going to be pretty.It’s going to be ugly.

It’s going to be grinded out.It’s simple as that.”Brunson shot 12-of-31 in Game 1, but finished with 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to clinch the Knicks’ first NBA Finals win in 27 years.

The Spurs did everything to ensure he wouldn’t maintain his momentum, guarding him 94 feet, blitzing him wi...