NEW YORK, NY — The New York Knicks opened the NBA Finals with a 96-91 victory over the Houston Rocketsat Madison Square Garden, ending a 27-year wait for a win on basketball’s biggest stage.

Jalen Brunson scored 24 points and handed out 9 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 points and a season-high 18 rebounds to give New York a 1-0 series lead.

“It means a lot to give these fans something they’ve been waiting a long time for,” Brunson said afterward. “But we’re not celebrating one game. We came here to win a championship, and there’s still a lot of work ahead.”

Towns played a pivotal role in the victory, dominating the glass with 18 rebounds, including 6 on the offensive end, creating numerous second-chance opportunities for the Knicks.

New York’s defense was equally impressive. The Knicks focused much of their attention on Kevin Durant, limiting the Rockets star to 25 points on 9-of-21 shooting. Durant was held to just 2 points in the fourth quarter and missed both of his three-point attempts in the final frame.

The Knicks wasted no time asserting themselves, jumping out to a 32-21 lead after the first quarter. Houston responded in the second, tightening its defense and outscoring New York 27-19 to cut the deficit to 51-48 at halftime.

New York regained control after the break. The Knicks dominated the third quarter 32-20, stretching their lead to 83-68 entering the fourth.

Houston made one final push late in the game. Trailing by 11 with just over three minutes remaining, the Rockets closed on a 10-2 run to trim the margin to 94-91 with 11 seconds left.

But that was as close as they would get.

Forced to foul, Houston sent Brunson to the free-throw line, where he calmly knocked down two free throws to seal the victory and secure the Knicks’ first NBA Finals win since Game 3 of the 1999 Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.