I don’t want to wait another 26 years to see the New York Knicks play in the NBA Finals. But their Game 1 win was worth every leg of the journey back.

Jalen Brunson‘s fourth quarter and Josh Hart‘s four quarters will be the story of the game for many, and rightfully so.

But the Knicks don’t pull this one out without their second star stepping to the plate. Karl-Anthony Towns was the victor in his matchup with Victor Wembanyama.

For all the “David vs. Goliath” talk given the size disparity between the team’s two stars, this 2026 NBA Finals series opened with a chess match between two giants.

On Offense

Wembanyama’s conditioning—endurance may be the better term—is considered one of the few solutions to the problems he poses for today’s NBA.

His minutes have waned throughout his entire career, leading many teams to enact a pretty blatant strategy: make him run, make him work.

He averaged 29.2 minutes per game over the regular season. So this postseason, teams counted on the playoff-sized helpings of minutes to slow him down.

New York was no different in Game 1, actively and openly putting Wembanyama into action, and making him work for every basket on the other end.

Towns was the number one aggressor, taking Wembanyama off the dribble, each finish more crafty than the last.

Something that is so often lost in the discourse surrounding his foul tendencies is Towns’ ability to use his length at the rim.

He doesn’t attack the rim like a prototypical big man of the NBA’s past. He finishes in fashions that were otherwise unheard of for someone at his size prior to this era.

It was all on display in Game 1, as was Wembanyama, worse for wear.

On Defense

Towns’ defense this season has been the best of his career. We’re past debating that.

Since the Knicks gambled on the oft-maligned star last summer, talks of them playing two “traffic cones” on defense have ruled any discourse about their ceiling.

It’s been some time since that’s been a topic of discussion. Towns made it all look silly in front of millions and millions on Wednesday night.

According to Pivot Fade, New York’s co-star neutralized the impact of San Antonio’s franchise face and reigning Defensive Player of the Year:

  • In 31:01 with Towns and Wembanyama on the floor, the Knicks outscored the Spurs by nine points and posted a 93.1 defensive rating as a team.
  • Conversely, in the 6:47 when Towns sat, and Wembanyama played, San Antonio outscored the Knicks by 6 points, posting a 105.9 offensive rating.

Towns bodied Wembanyama, sometimes fouling, sometimes not, and still getting called for it. It doesn’t matter. This stage of the game is almost exclusively mental.

And all of the numbers say Towns took this man’s lunch money:

  • Wembanyama, when guarded by Towns: 2-for-12 shooting and four turnovers
  • Wembanyama, when guarded by anyone else: 4-for-9 shooting and two turnovers

Don’t look for Towns and Wembanyama to be matched up as much in Game 2. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson will probably take Josh Hart’s advice.

Most teams have opted to have their big man guard Hart in ghost coverage, leaving him almost wide open from three, so they can better protect the paint.

Wembanyama, who spent a lot of time on the perimeter in Game 1, will likely open Game 2 in a similar fashion. It’s up to Hart to make San Antonio pay for it.

Off the Floor

Sometimes success can be chalked up to the little things; not entirely, but they play a larger part the longer your playoff run goes.

Which brings us to my favorite non-basketball moment from the broadcast on Wednesday night: Towns on the mic, encouraging the team after a slow start.

Then there’s his postgame interview, where he told Shaquille O’Neal and company that he felt his deceased mother’s presence with him all game long.

It was Towns’ night in Game 1. He won the first battle as the Knicks remain prepared for war. Game 2 in San Antonio tips off Friday at 8:30 pm EST.