Knicks win NBA Cup as Jalen Brunson named tournament MVP
OG Anunoby scored 28 points and Jalen Brunson added 25 as the New York Knicks mounted a comeback to defeat Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 on Tuesday night, capturing the NBA Cup.
Brunson was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
With the victory, the Knicks can now hang an NBA Cup banner alongside the franchise’s lone NBA championship banner from 1973 at Madison Square Garden. The current roster, however, carries championship aspirations of its own, led by NBA Cup MVP Brunson along with Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, all of whom previously won NCAA titles at Villanova. New York is hoping to emerge from what is considered a relatively weak Eastern Conference and reach the NBA Finals.
Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds for New York despite dealing with a calf injury. Towns briefly went to the locker room with a minute remaining before halftime and later left for the bench with 5:06 left in the third quarter. He did not return until late in the fourth period, according to the broadcast.
Dylan Harper paced the Spurs with 21 points, while Wembanyama finished with 18 and De’Aaron Fox added 16.
The Knicks controlled the interior, outrebounding San Antonio 59-42. Mitchell Robinson grabbed 15 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end, helping New York build a 56-44 advantage in points in the paint.
San Antonio led for much of the contest, but New York seized control with a decisive 13-1 run late in the third quarter to take a 100-95 lead. The Knicks did not trail again from that point.
In addition to the trophy, each Knicks player on a standard contract earned a $318,560 bonus for winning the NBA Cup, bringing their total payout to $530,933 for reaching the final.
The game does not count toward the regular-season standings, leaving both teams at 18-7 and atop their respective divisions.
Reaching the final has historically been a positive sign. The previous four NBA Cup finalists — the Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks — all went on to make the playoffs. The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2024, while the Thunder won the NBA championship last season.
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