The began their pursuit of their first title since 1973 on Wednesday night in a matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
clung to a seven-point lead at halftime, setting up a back-and-forth second half and a tight fourth quarter. But amid the tension of a tightly contested fourth quarter, an overexcited fan briefly stole the spotlight in pursuit of what he hoped would be a once-in-a-lifetime photo.
The unidentified fan ran onto the court midway through the game’s final quarter, appearing to try to take a selfie next to Wembanyama.
The fan came from the sideline opposite the team benches, starting from behind the play and running into San Antonios offensive end. The person was quickly pulled from the court by two security guards, and it did not appear the person made any contact with Wembanyama or any New York players.
Play was stopped for about a minute before the game resumed with a jump ball. The fan was taken out of the court area through a baseline tunnel.
Earlier in the game, Knicks guard after Spurs forward Harrison Barnes was pushed into his right knee. Brunson returned in the second quarter with his knee heavily wrapped, then appeared to tweak his left ankle later in the game after a Spurs player stepped on him while he contested a shot. He stayed in the game after the second scare.
Brunson finished with 30 points, leading the Knicks in scoring.
The Knicks ultimately secured a 105-95 win over the Spurs in Game 1, marking New York’s 12th consecutive playoff victory.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
