The Knicks opened the 2026 NBA Finals by leaning on the second unit, and it was enough to take Game 1 in San Antonio and grab a 1-0 lead. New York's bench outscored San Antonio's reserves 28-20 on Wednesday, the kind of edge that can flip a Finals game before the stars even settle in.
That is why the search for Nba Playoffs 2026 now lands on New York's bench, not just the scoreboard. Heading into Friday night's Game 2, the Knicks' reserves ranked first in the postseason, outscoring opposing benches by 5.1 points per game and by 77 points through 15 playoff games. Landry Shamet led the way in Game 1 with 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting, Mitchell Robinson grabbed six rebounds while playing with a broken pinkie, and Deuce McBride added six points, four assists and a plus-11 rating.
The night turned for a moment in the first quarter when Jalen Brunson went to the locker room after Jose Alvarado accidentally knocked Harrison Barnes into Brunson's right knee. The injury check complicated what looked like a comfortable rhythm for New York, because the Knicks suddenly had to absorb the loss of their top guard in the middle of a Finals opener. Alvarado, who grew up in Brooklyn and has long called himself a diehard Knicks fan, was the one thrown into the spotlight. He drew a goaltending call on Victor Wembanyama and scored seven points in the second quarter, making the most of a role that arrived with almost no warning.
Josh Hart said the Knicks got Alvarado from the Pelicans on Feb. 5, and the fit has been obvious in a bench group that trusts one another. Hart said Alvarado looked rattled at first, then settled into the pace and brought the kind of energy that spread through the roster. Alvarado said his first thought when Brunson left was, “He better come back,” but his second was that this was the moment he had worked for since he was a kid. That is the quiet advantage New York carried out of Game 1: not just depth, but reserves who play as if the next possession is theirs.
Game 2 was set for Friday night, and the largest unanswered question is still the one that hung over the final minutes of Game 1: whether Brunson would be available after the knee check. If he is, the Knicks keep the same depth problem for San Antonio. If he is not, the bench that already tilted the opener may have to do even more.
