NBA finals: Knicks face Spurs in Game 5 with chance to clinch first title since 1973 – follow live

Knicks visit Spurs for Game 5 with 3-1 series lead

New York can clinch first title since 1973 with win

Rao: The Knicks became my escape from politics

Cochrane: Knicks gear is having a celebrity moment

Graham: How Knicks fever reached Rikers Island

Reach out to Bryan on Bluesky or by email

It’s national anthem time at the Frost Bank Center. Four-time Grammy nominated country singer Mickey Guyton does the honors. Starting lineups to come and we should be under way any minute now.

One reason the Knicks’ run has resonated so deeply beyond basketball is that it has arrived at a moment when many Americans seem desperate for a distraction. In her Saturday essay for the Guardian, Ankita Rao argues that New York’s improbable march to the brink of a championship has offered a rare escape from the relentless churn of politics and bad news – and a reminder of the communal joy sports can still provide.