Stephen A. Smith holds back his excitement after Knicks take NBA Finals Game 1 | SC with SVP

Vegas started the Stanley Cup final with a road win.The New York Knicks answer in kind on Wednesday in San Antonio as they push their postseason win streak to a dozen games.Their first finals win since the 99 finals.Their fourth finals.Game one win in franchise history.Previous three all came against the Lakers.

The last was back in 72.New York now has seven consecutive victories away from MSG, which is tied for the second longest road winning streak in a single playoff run in the history of the NBA.They're one shy of tying Shaq and Kobe's 2001 Lakers, who won their second of three in a row.Mike Brown's squad improves to 4 -0 in Game 1 this postseason.First time they've done so in franchise history.They've won their last five playoff series after winning Game 1 on the road, dating back to 99.

Pleasure to welcome Michael Wilbott and Stephen A. Smith to the program.Stephen A., I'm going to let you go second and empty the clip on New York.We're going to give the elder statesman of our group here, Michael Wilbott, a veteran of so many NBA finals, the first word on what we saw tonight.New York's ability to withstand the runs and the game of runs and their ability to get the ball in the hands of the man who delivers when it matters most, Brunson.That's what the headline will be.To your mind, what was most important about the manner in which they won?

Brunson, Brunson, and more Brunson, Scott.And you just talked to him.And it was amazing sitting here watching him.just carry them home after early in the game.He goes back to the locker room.He limps off the floor reluctantly, comes back to the benches on the bench for a while, and you don't know if he can go.

And I think you guys talked about sort of the feeling of a heavyweight fight.It was.And for Brunson, it was like he has to take a standing eight count.What can the Knicks do withoutBrunson if they have to go without him?And I'm sitting next to Mr. New York over here, who, you know, Stephen A won't admit it now, Scott, but he was damn nervous in real time.

And you know, you just don't, you want to see the best players in the world, and particularly the two best players in this series, Brunson and Wimby.Go.and be healthy and go through this series as hard and as long as they can go.But in that moment, you don't know if Brunson can go and he delivers again.

He looks like the most clutch player in the league because it's what he is.Hollis Queens in the building, New York City in the building, Stephen A. Smith.You can't you can't win the fight.You can't win the fight in the first round, but you can make a statement in the first round and grab another victory 12 in a row, seven in a row on the road.This New York Knicks team that you're watching.What impresses you most about them?

The guts, the grit, the kind of thing that we thought was gone when Tom Thibodeau walked out the door and we watched them for the first 75 % of this season.We didn't know if we were going to see it come playoff time, but absolutely they stepped up.And tonight was another the latest example of what happened.They were up by 7, 14 to 7.San Antonio closes the first quarter going on a 20 to 5 run.They look like they can handle the New York Knicks, but the New York Knicks just wouldn't go away.

Bumped into, you know, Mikel Bridges, or whoever it was, goes in and brunts his knee.His knee's hurting.He's got to go out of the game.He's got to go to the locker room.He comes back.He gets his ankle stepped on.

He won't come out the game.He's still there.You got Josh Hart, can't get a shot, but he got 15 rebounds.You got Carl Anthony Townsend, Wimby's the biggest dude, the tallest dude on the court, but I'm going to take advantage of all these other little guys.Y 'all got the nerve to put on me. I saw OG Ed Inouye.All of a sudden, he couldn't find a shot.

And the next thing you know, he hits two big time threes.when it's time to close, okay?After you had a 14 point deficit, after you come back from that, then all of a sudden, you're giving up.ball to Jalen Brunson.And what does he do?What he always does.

He closes for you.This is what I'm talking about.We were looking to see if we were going to see this from the New York Knicks, because we saw it against Philly.We saw it against Cleveland.We knew neither team measured up to the San Antonio Spurs.Could you do it and gain one of the finals on the road?

And that's what the Knicks did.So anything that the New York Knicks fans believed about the Knicks coming into this series was validated in game one tonight.And that's why I'm excited.Not too much.I got to hold it back.You got three more to go.

But this is holding back, Scott.

I'm talking about it.This is holding back, right?Michael, I'm going to give you.I got to hold him down.The final word, Michael.Are you mentally prepared for what you will deal with if three more wins come for the man next to you?

Are you mentally prepared for that?

Scott, you know it because we're in the same building all the time.Exactly.I got Stephen A at this level, and Tony in corners.I'm surrounded by New Yorkers that I love and work with, but it's a bit much.But you know, look, there is a long way to go in this series.But I will say this, the Knicks to come on the road and do this, I did say I wanted to pat myself on the back.

I said they will be down between 4 and 11 points at some point.They got to play the rust off.They did that.They played the rust off.And so to me, they start in game two, not just in a much better place from being up one, nothing, but from the way they'll feel about themselves and their game.And it's up to San Antonio to do what they've done multiple times already, which is respond.

The Spurs have been good at that.Scott?Yeah?I'm going to be calm and say this.

All right.The New York Knicks won.Josh Hart didn't shoot the ball well.OG there wasn't particularly great.Mikel Bridges wasn't particularly great shooting the ball.And they won anyway.

We will be calm.There we go.But it's three to go, baby.Understood.First to four.

First to four.Fellas, I appreciate the time.We'll talk again if not Friday.I'll see you in New York City come Monday for game three.I appreciate you.All right.

Thank you.Sounds good, Scott.Thank you.

Three to go, Stephen A. Brunson drives, pulls up jumper, tie game.Right now, both teams answering their call with big time shot making.Brunson driving, layup, shot is good.Brunson Barrage here in the fourth quarter, whipping with the three.Nails it.Drives on Towns, goes inside, layup, he banks it in, and a foul.

Back to Brunson.Corner three is up.Bang from downtown.And the Knicks take a two -point lead.Brunson underneath, puts it up, puts it in.12 consecutive wins for the Knicks as they take game one of the NBA Finals.

Brian Windhorst joins us following a Knicks road victory, which continues their winning streak.And Brian, much of our conversation on the program to this point has been through the lens of New York.with good reason.But I want to start with you with San Antonio.It's something you and I talked about in advance of the series.And that's San Antonio and the amount of energy they expended both mental and physical to defeat OKC.

How did that show itself in this night in your estimation.

Yeah I mean he might deny it but I felt Victor Wemba Yama was low on energy from the first quarter.I know the game started out frenetic.I know when the stakes are high you sometimes see players need their second wind.I saw Victor bending over and grabbing his shorts midway through the first quarter, and I didn't think he was able to maintain a good energy flow for most of the game.Now, he did summon it a little in the fourth, and it was almost enough.I thought I was coming here saying I didn't think he had enough energy, and he pulled it together in the end, because he's almost their hero.

But when you can tell, Scott, is not the plays that he makes, it's the plays that he doesn't make.When he's not able to close the gap,the lane, when he's not jumping and contesting shots.And I think Brunson smelled it.Brunson's never going to say that, but I think Brunson smelled it down the stretch that he was moving quicker than Victor.And that's going to be something to monitor.

In the last series, I felt it went up and down.So he could just as easily come out Friday and have that more of a burst.But this is something that I think is going to be a story in this series.What is Victor's energy level?

I was interested in that fourth quarter, some numbers.Darren Fox didn't score, had a couple of turnovers, played 11 minutes.And their leading scorer through three was Dylan Harper, and he didn't play a ton in the fourth.And look, Fox has been an all -star, all right?But Harper, at only 20, has announced himself emphatically this postseason.I felt like it had an impact, perhaps.

I see you nodding your head.Do you feel the same?

Yep.What do you do if you're Mitch Johnson?It's the first game exactly first finals game of Dylan Harper's career If you look at the second half Fox played 20 minutes and was ineffective Harper played 11 minutes and was better on offense He didn't play great in the second half.He was awesome in the first half, but they needed some spark down the stretch How do you take out your max player?You know, I get a franchise point guard.I get it.

I get it.It's tough, but that 20 to 11 differential 20 minutes for Fox 11 for Harper Mitch Johnson has to take a look at that.Also, if you're micro managing Mitch in this game, Julian champagne was awesome in the first half, couldn't miss.And he's got Harrison Barnes out there for stretches in that second half when it could have been champagne.Now, he may have he he and he knows his team 1000 times better than I do.He may had a good reason for that.

But playing those those two decisions on the rotation, he might think about going into Game two.

I push back on the champagne Brian the second half.I felt like he pulled and missed everything but the side of the backboard about three or four times like he was five or six in the first half and he was so good in game one.seven.They don't win without him in the six he made there, but I don't know.Champagne looked like he just couldn't find the bucket in the second half.When push comes to shove, the guy that makes the baskets on an old, what a 12 for 30 night is Jalen Brunson.

At some point, their ability to, to win blowout games is one thing, but to win a game like this on the road against San Antonio to grab home court, man, It speaks to what you and I spoke to last night.Why are they underdogs in this series?What most impressed you about New York?

Well, I thought Mike Brown...He put them in position to win.He brought Brunson in the game as Victor Wenbenyama went out for his last rest.Brunson destroyed Luke Cornett in the second half of this game.He just destroyed him.As soon as he saw Cornett in the game, he attacked.

It was so bad in the fourth quarter that he rushed Wenbenyama back to the table to get him back on the court.I thought Brunson moderated his aggression when he was able to do so.And then again, when he felt that Victor wasn't moving well, he attacked him.I thought that the geeks game plan at the other end was also effective.They were slapping at that ball.He had towns on him to have the length they were defending against the drive.

And when he when he started going downhill they started slapping against the ball six turnovers for him.I think you may see women Yama in game to look for post ups more because the perimeter putting the ball in the court didn't work.I thought it was a very good game plan from Mike Brown.Very well executed by towns and Brunson.And you saw the poise of the veteran players specifically Brunson obviously in the fourth quarter.Captain Clutch for a reason.

I'm glad you mentioned Towns.I feel like at the end of these shows we focus, I hyper focus on so many things.Carl Anthony Towns 18 and 12 and the defense he played on Wembanyama in the fourth was spectacular.The Knicks continue winning and they grab, not control, but they land the first punch in this final series.Brian, we'll talk again Friday night and I'll see you in the city on Monday, all right?

Settle in, Scott.I think we're infor a long haul here.Fine by me.