For the first time in over 50 years, the New York Knicks are holding up a trophy.
If you’re a Knicks fan, you might want to pinch yourself because this is real. On Tuesday night in Las Vegas, the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 to win the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup. The last time this team won any kind of NBA trophy was way back in 1973 when they won the actual NBA Championship. That was before your parents were probably even born!
The game took place at T-Mobile Arena on the famous Las Vegas Strip, and it was one of those games that had fans screaming at their TVs. Why? Because for most of the game, it looked like the Knicks were going to lose. The Spurs were playing incredible basketball and had built up an 11-point lead late in the third quarter. Most teams would have given up at that point. But not these Knicks.
The Comeback Nobody Saw Coming
Here’s the thing about basketball: a game isn’t over until the final buzzer sounds. The Knicks proved that in the most exciting way possible. When they were down by 11 points with about two minutes left in the third quarter, something clicked. The team went on what basketball fans call a “run,” which is basically when one team scores a bunch of points in a row while the other team can’t get anything going.
The Knicks finished the game on a massive 43-21 run. That means they scored 43 points while only letting the Spurs score 21. In the fourth quarter alone, the Knicks outscored San Antonio 35-19. The Spurs scored only 19 points in that entire quarter, which was one of their lowest-scoring quarters in the whole tournament. The Knicks completely took over when it mattered most.
One of the biggest reasons for this comeback was something that doesn’t always show up in highlight videos: offensive rebounds. When you shoot the ball and miss, getting that rebound and having another chance to score is huge. The Knicks grabbed 23 offensive rebounds in this game, which led to 32 second-chance points. To put that in perspective, the Spurs hadn’t given up that many second-chance points since way back in 2001. The Knicks were just hungrier for every loose ball.
The Heroes of the Night
Every great victory needs great performances, and the Knicks had plenty of them. OG Anunoby was absolutely incredible, scoring a game-high 28 points while grabbing 9 rebounds. He made 10 of his 17 shots, including some huge three-pointers when the team needed them most. Anunoby plays tough defense too, so he was making life hard for the Spurs on both ends of the court.
Then there’s Jalen Brunson, who won the MVP award for the entire tournament. Throughout the NBA Cup, Brunson averaged over 33 points per game, which is insane. In the championship game, he scored 25 points and handed out 8 assists to his teammates. What makes Brunson special is how calm he stays when the pressure is on. After the game, he said something that perfectly captures who this Knicks team is: “We’re going to find a way. We’re going to fight. We’re not going to quit.”
Karl-Anthony Towns also had a big night with 16 points and 11 rebounds, which is called a double-double. Towns actually had a scary moment when he limped off the court in the third quarter with what looked like a leg injury. The crowd held their breath, worried their star might be done for the night. But like a true warrior, Towns came back onto the court and helped his team finish the job.
The bench players deserve a shoutout too. Jordan Clarkson came in and drained back-to-back three-pointers during the crucial fourth quarter run. He finished with the best plus-minus on the team at plus-15, which means the Knicks outscored the Spurs by 15 points when he was playing. Tyler Kolek was almost as good at plus-14. These guys might not be the biggest names, but they showed up when it counted.
What About the Spurs?
You can’t tell this story without talking about the San Antonio Spurs and their young superstar Victor Wembanyama. “Wemby,” as fans call him, is one of the most exciting players in basketball. He’s only in his second year in the league, but he’s already one of the best players in the world. In the third quarter, he went on a personal scoring rampage that gave the Spurs their big lead.
Wembanyama had back-to-back three-pointers, alley-oop dunks, and a beautiful midrange jumper all within about a minute. He scored 10 straight points and looked unstoppable. He finished with 18 points, but here’s the thing that might have cost the Spurs the game: he only played 25 minutes. In the fourth quarter, when the game was slipping away, coach Mitch Johnson kept Wembanyama on the bench for long stretches. Many fans are wondering if things would have been different with their best player on the court.
Dylan Harper led the Spurs in scoring with 21 points, and Stephon Castle had an impressive 12 assists. The Spurs are a young team with a bright future, but on this night, they just couldn’t close it out. The future is exciting for San Antonio, and losing this game might actually help them learn how to win big moments down the road.
Why This Matters So Much
The NBA Cup is only three years old. The Lakers won it in 2023, and the Milwaukee Bucks won it last year. So it’s not like winning the actual NBA Championship. But for the Knicks, this trophy means everything. Think about it: the last time they won anything was 1973. That’s 52 years of waiting, hoping, and being disappointed.
Knicks fans are some of the most passionate in all of sports. Madison Square Garden, where they play their home games, is called “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” Famous actors, musicians, and celebrities sit courtside at Knicks games. Director Spike Lee has been a superfan for decades. Even the comedian Ben Stiller showed up during halftime of this game to ask when Jalen Brunson would finally get the respect he deserves as an MVP candidate.
Here’s what each Knicks player takes home for winning:
- Championship prize money: $530,933 per player
- The Spurs players each receive $212,373 as runners-up
- That’s more than double the prize for winning versus losing
Was This Expected?
Before the game, most people thought the Knicks would probably win, but it definitely wasn’t a sure thing. The Spurs had just beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals, and OKC had the best record in the entire league at 24-2. Any team that can beat OKC is dangerous.
What nobody expected was how the game would unfold. The Spurs controlled most of the action for three quarters. Wembanyama was cooking. The Knicks looked tired and couldn’t get their shots to fall, with Brunson making only 11 of his 27 attempts. Towns got hurt. Everything seemed to be going wrong for New York.
But that’s what makes sports so amazing. The Knicks didn’t panic. They trusted each other, stayed connected, and found a way to win. That’s the kind of thing that can’t be measured in statistics. It’s heart, determination, and belief.
Looking Ahead
The Knicks now head into Christmas and the New Year with confidence. They’ve proven they can win when things get tough. The question now is whether this NBA Cup victory can be a launching pad for an actual NBA Championship run. History is mixed on this. The Lakers won the Cup in 2023 but didn’t win the championship. The Bucks won it last year but got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
But this Knicks team feels different. They have star players, they have depth, and now they have proof that they can come back from any deficit. For New York basketball fans who have waited more than half a century for a trophy, this is just the beginning.
The Knicks are back, and they’re not done yet.
