61*: Jalen Brunson Dazzles, But New York Knicks Upset By San Antonio Spurs

March madness from Jalen Brunson wasn't enough for the New York Knicks to avoid embarrassment against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

Mar 29, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) shoots during the / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

With the NCAA Tournaments' regional semifinal/final rounds in full swing, a new brand of March Madness from Jalen Brunson wasn't enough to avoid a Cinderella story in the form of the San Antonio Spurs.

The NBA's present and future engaged in a thrilling scoring battle at Frost Bank Center, as Victor Wembanyama's Spurs overcame a one-man show from Jalen Brunson to withstand a Knicks comeback, prevailing 130-126 in overtime. The famed French freshman Wembanyama put in a career-best 40 points in the win while Brunson had a jaw-dropping 61, the second-highest total in Knicks history. Though he fell three assists short of a triple-double, Wembanyama also brought in 20 rebounds, becoming the first NBA rookie to have a 40-20 game since Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal in 1993.

Brunson's 61, two short of breaking Carmelo Anthony's 10-year-old single-game team record, wasn't enough to save the Knicks valuable space on the Eastern Conference leaderboard: a Cleveland victory over Philadelphia pushed the Knicks back down to fourth while the long-forgotten Spurs have generated a three-game winning streak for the first time all season.

Mar 29, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Even with the Spurs' eliminated state, Friday produced perhaps one of the most thrilling games on the NBA regular season schedule, the Knicks' first to require a fifth period this season. Energized by a surprisingly lively home crowd, the Spurs (18-56) built a 17-point lead by halftime, energized by the early efforts of Wembanyama and Devin Vassell.

Despite the deficit, the Knicks (44-29) did enjoy some early history, as Donte DiVincenzo became the franchise's all-time single-season leader in successful three-pointers toward the end of the half. At 245 and counting, DiVincenzo wrangled the mark away from the 241 sunk by Evan Fournier in 2021-22.

DiVincenzo and fellow Villanova alum Brunson were the only Knicks in double figures, uniting for 32 points on 13-of-23 shooting. The rest of the team was a decent 12-of-26 but five different Spurs hit a pair of three-pointers each on 20 united attempts. Keldon Johnson was part of that group, leading the hosts with 16 points off the bench.

Brunson's historic pursuit began in earnest during the third quarter, which saw the Knicks almost completely eat away at the Spurs' lead. The point guard was an astonishing 10-of-13 off the bench and hit all four of his tries with an extra point on the line, setting the tone for a thrilling final period.

With Brunson on the bench for a well-deserved rest, the Spurs scored the first nine points of the final regulation period, re-establishing a double-figure lead. Brunson was re-inserted with 8:42 remaining and had the deficit down to one less than three minutes later. The Knicks took their first lead with 4:39 on a DiVincenzo triple at 4:39. Keeping that lead proved to be difficult, as Brunson and Wembanyama traded baskets over the final stages, the latter hitting free throws that created the overtime period. New York had a chance to win it, with Brunson finding an open Miles McBride from deep, but the temporary starter's tally fell short, putting five minutes back on the clock.

San Antonio clamped down during the extra session, doubling up Brunson and earning the dagger when Wembanyama sank a triple that put them up by two possessions with 1:12 remaining. Mitchell Robinson tipped in a Brunson misfire to get back down to two before Vassell missed his own sealer on the other end. A would-be winner from Brunson once again fell short and Precious Achiuwa earned the rebound, but his attempt to get it out to DiVincenzo went out of bounds, officially fixing the Knicks' fate.

Brunson fell short of Anthony's point total but did manage to set a new Knicks record with 25 successful field goals in a single game, breaking a mark he briefly shared with Anthony, Richie Guerin, and Willie Nauls. The 47 tries from the field that led him to the magic tally were also the most any player in the NBA had taken in a single game since the late Kobe Bryant tried 50 in his final game back in 2016.

Of the Knicks' final nine opponents, only one currently sits outside of their respective conference's top 10. That gauntlet begins on Easter Sunday when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET, MSG).