NEW YORK (AP) — Mikal Bridges had 25 points, Jalen Brunson scored 24 and the New York Knicks snapped the San Antonio Spurs’ 11-game winning streak with a 114-89 victory on Sunday.
After going unbeaten in February, the Spurs were shut down to open March, never recovering from the Knicks’ 26-2 run in the first half and losing for the first time since Jan. 31 in Charlotte.
Victor Wembanyama bounced back from two quiet offensive games with 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, but a Spurs team that became the first in NBA history to go unbeaten and score at least 110 points in every game while playing at least 10 in a month fell flat after a fast start.
Mohamed Diawara had 14 points off the bench for the Knicks, who also beat the Spurs earlier this season to win the NBA Cup in Las Vegas.
Wembanyama had been limited to 12 points in each of the last two games. He was much sharper Sunday in his first game at Madison Square Garden since finishing with 42 points and 18 rebounds in a loss on Christmas 2024 in his first time playing on the holiday.
But the Spurs couldn’t overcome 22 turnovers that led to 24 points and were also outrebounded 54-41.
The Knicks beat the Spurs for the Cup title in December, when they started 23-9 and looked like a contender to play for the more important championship that gets decided in June. They had been only 15-13 since, starting with the Spurs’ 134-132 victory on New Year’s Eve.
But after missing 14 of their first 18 shots, they were the dominant team against one that had been the NBA’s hottest.
The Spurs led 19-7 after Stephon Castle’s 3-pointer with 4:05 remaining in the first quarter. But Brunson had 11 points in the final 1:52 to give the Knicks a 22-21 lead after one.
New York opened the second quarter with an 11-0 spurt, with Bridges’ basket making it 33-21. New York led by 26.
Up next
Spurs: Visit Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Knicks: Visit Toronto on Tuesday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press
