The New York Knicks stepped onto the floor at Frost Bank Center on Saturday night with a chance to capture their first NBA championship in 53 years. By the end of the first quarter, that history felt like a weight — and the stat sheet told an embarrassingly simple story.
Through the first 12 minutes of Game 5, the Knicks committed six turnovers. They made just four field goals. That’s right: more giveaways than buckets. As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps pointed out, that ugly ratio put New York in a 23-13 hole before the second quarter even started.
For fans who’ve watched this series closely, the slow start is nothing new. The Knicks have stumbled out of the gate in almost every game of these Finals, only to find their rhythm later. But there’s a difference between a sleepy first quarter in Game 2 and a sleepy first quarter in a closeout game on the road.
“Closeout games are the hardest,” NBA veterans often say. The Knicks are learning that lesson in real time. They won the first two games in San Antonio earlier in the series, but the Spurs have made adjustments. They’re blitzing ball handlers, jumping passing lanes, and forcing New York into rushed decisions. The result? A first quarter that looked more like a panic than a plan.
History Hangs in the Balance
What makes this particular slow start so frustrating is the context. The Knicks entered Saturday with all the momentum after a historic 29-point comeback in Game 4. That win pushed them to the brink of ending a championship drought that dates back to 1970. But as any basketball insider will tell you, the fourth win is always the hardest to get.
The Spurs, meanwhile, looked like a team that had finally figured out how to handle New York’s early energy. They jumped to a double-digit lead and never let the Knicks breathe in that opening period. The crowd in San Antonio fed off every turnover, every missed shot, every frustrated timeout.
Can New York Flip the Script?
If there’s one thing the Knicks have proven this postseason, it’s that they don’t quit. They’ve made a habit of falling behind early and clawing their way back. In Game 4, they erased a 29-point deficit. In Game 5, a 10-point hole after one quarter doesn’t seem insurmountable — but it does require a shift in focus.
According to team sources, the message in the huddle after the first quarter was simple: take care of the ball, get stops, and let the offense flow. The talent is there. The question is whether the nerves that come with being one win away from a title will loosen their grip enough to let that talent show.
One thing is certain: the Knicks can’t afford to dig another first-quarter hole if they want to close this series out in Game 5. The Spurs have already proven they can protect their home court. Now it’s up to New York to prove they can handle the moment.
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