Alas for the New York Knicks, the most valuable Empire State resident repped not Manhattan, but Staten Island instead.
Julian Champagnie’s record-breaking night dealt a sour end to an otherwise sterling calendar year for the Knicks, who dropped a 134-132 decision at Frost Bank Center on Wednesday night. Jalen Brunson scored 29 for the Knicks, who watched a three-game winning streak come to an end. Primary reserves Jordan Clarkson and Miles McBride united to score 41 off the bench in defeat.
The Spurs survived thanks to a breakout night from Champagnie: the St. John’s alum sank 11 three-pointers (eight in the second half) to break a franchise single-game record Chuck Person had held for 22 years and a day. Champagnie also set an NBA record for most points in a game without attempting a two, a mark previously set by Washington’s Davis Bertans in 2021.
San Antonio played most of the fourth quarter without franchise face Victor Wembanyama, who left early enduring an apparent knee injury early in the final frame. Wembanyama did not return to the game but watched the final minutes from the jubilant Spurs bench.
A rematch of the recent NBA Cup final was staged with Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson as the Knicks (23-10) closed out a three-game road trip. Hitting 64 percent of their opening tries from the field, New York scored a season-best 45 in the opening period, fueled by a 9-of-16 output from three-point range. Clarkson’s latest breakout ensured the lead would inflate to as high as 19 before the halftime horn.
But Champagnie offered a sneak preview of what was to come in the third quarter with four threes that prevented the Knicks from pulling away. Wembanyama’s injury, endured when he landed awkward while trying to end a Knicks possession on the other end, forced several other Spurs to step up when it mattered most.
New York led by nine going into the final frame despite the Spurs inching back but a 9-0 run just before the four-minute mark ensured that it would never lead again. Champagnie was assisted by Brunson sibling in the Clutch Player of the Year brother hood De’Aaron Fox, who had 13 tallies in the last dozen. With three assists, all preceding Champagnie threes, Fox contributed to 22 of the last 41 Spur points.
The Knicks never truly vanished but the lion’s share of remaining momentum transferred to the home side when brief New Yorker Luke Kornet earned in on a three-point play on a Karl-Anthony Towns foul in the final minute. Kornet missed the awarded freebie but a loose ball foul on Clarkson immediately sent Keldon Johnson to the line for subsequently successful singles that created a multi-possession lead.
With the win, San Antonio (24-9) not only avenged their loss to the Knicks in the in-season tournament championship but dealt New York its first loss after holding a lead after three periods. Wembanyama had a 31-point, 13-rebound double-double before his departure while Fox had 26 to accompany Johnson’s 19 off the bench. The Spurs come to Manhattan for a rubber match at the start of March.
In the meantime, the Knicks will now come home for the new year, facing the Atlanta Hawks in their first 2026 game on Friday night at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
