De’Aaron Fox and the San Antonio Spurs lost the 2026 NBA Championship against the New York Knicks on Saturday. Going into Game 5 at home, the Spurs were confident about extending the series.
However, they couldn’t do anything against Jalen Brunson’s 45-point onslaught and ended up losing 90-94. Other than Dylan Harper, who led the team with 25 points on 10 of 19 from the field, the Spurs roster had a disappointing outing.
Even though it was a team failure, Fox bore the brunt of criticism from fans. He shot 3 of 15 from the field for just seven points in 37 minutes. Despite the loss and the disappointment, the former Kentucky Wildcat congratulated Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns played for the Wildcats in 2014-15, and Fox joined the program in 2016-17. Yahoo Sports posted a video of Fox and Towns hugging each other in the middle of the Knicks star’s championship celebration.
They exchanged a few words before Towns went back to posing for pictures with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
It was a big win for the New York Knicks, ending their trophy drought of over 50 years. The Knicks won their last championship in 1973. Towns played a huge role in the Knicks’ success this season.
Even though he played limited minutes in Game 5 due to foul troubles, his presence on the defensive end made the job a lot easier for the rest of his teammates.
The night belonged to Jalen Brunson as he put up historic numbers, scoring 45 of the team’s 94 total points to clinch his first NBA title. Brunson also won the Finals MVP for averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in the series.
De’Aaron Fox on His Game 5 Performance
Shooting 3 of 15 in the NBA Finals is inexcusable for a player of Fox’s caliber. Fans have seen him average over 27 points in the playoffs before, and to make matters worse, Victor Wembanyama was having a tough time on the floor.
After the game, Fox reflected on his performance. He stated that the Knicks played a very physical game, forcing him to make tough shots.
“I got shots I’ve made in the past. Sometimes you just don’t make them. Some felt good. Back rim, in and out,” he said. But that team is physical. They force you into taking jump shots and try to keep you out of the paint.”
Fox also said that he will “continue to work together” with the Spurs and get better, alluding that he will stick with his team.
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