Knicks rally to beat Spurs, win first NBA Cup final

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New York Knicks extremity their more-than-half-a-century trophy drought successful the NBA with a triumph implicit the San Antonio Spurs.

Published On 17 Dec 2025

OG Anunoby scored 28 points arsenic the New York Knicks ended their 52-year trophy drought with a 124-113 NBA Cup last triumph implicit the San Antonio Spurs connected Tuesday.

Forward Anunoby rattled successful 5 three-pointers and constituent defender Jalen Brunson finished with 25 points arsenic New York clinched their archetypal silverware since the 1973 NBA Finals astatine the T-Mobile Arena successful Las Vegas.

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San Antonio went into the last brimming with assurance aft upsetting apical seeds and reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City successful Saturday’s semifinals, acknowledgment to a superb show from French prodigy Victor Wembanyama.

But a dogged all-round show from New York thwarted San Antonio’s hopes of crowning their cupful run with victory.

The Knicks constricted Wembanyama to 18 points portion delivering a balanced violative show to propulsion wide successful the 4th fourth aft trailing by 11 points precocious successful the third.

Seven Knicks players finished successful treble figures, with Anunoby and Brunson backed by Karl-Anthony Towns (16 points), Jordan Clarkson (15), Tyler Kolek (14) and 11 points apiece from Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges.

Mitchell Robertson provided a invaluable antiaircraft cameo from the bench, hauling successful 15 rebounds with 2 blocks.

“OG Anunoby, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robertson – they played their as**s disconnected tonight,” said Brunson aft being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“Without them we don’t triumph this,” Brunson said. “We got down 10 oregon immoderate it was and we recovered a mode to win. That’s going to beryllium our motto going forward: We’re going to find a way.”

San Antonio had looked to beryllium motoring towards triumph erstwhile Wembanyama knocked down a 27-foot three-pointer with conscionable much than 2 minutes near successful the 3rd play to enactment the Spurs up 92-81.

But Clarkson and Kolek drained three-pointers to trim the Spurs pb to 5 points, and the Knicks past chopped escaped successful the 4th quarter, outscoring their opponents 35-19 to seal the win.

Last 1 standing

Knicks caput manager Mike Brown said winning the rubric augured good for the team’s hopes of mounting a title tally astatine the NBA Finals successful his archetypal play successful charge.

“Any clip you tin enactment successful an lawsuit wherever you’re the past 1 lasting and you’re capable to bent up a banner, particularly astatine iconic MSG (Madison Square Garden), you instrumentality that seriously,” Brown said. “And each of our guys took it seriously.”

San Antonio’s scoring was led by Dylan Harper with 21 disconnected the bench, portion De’Aaron Fox was the prime of the starters with 16 points.

Spurs manager Mitch Johnson blamed corporate shortcomings for the decision alternatively than Wembanyama’s performance.

“I deliberation we struggled much arsenic a team… We gave up a batch of violative rebounds, which wounded america getting retired successful transition,” Johnson said.

“When we played with the due space, but the close spacing and the close tempo, we got immoderate truly bully looks. And we missed them. I deliberation it was astir apt much of a squad happening than I thought Victor was individually struggling.”

Johnson, though, believes San Antonio person plentifulness to physique connected arsenic they acceptable astir pursuing leaders Oklahoma City successful the Western Conference.

“Playing truly competitory games against really, truly bully teams,” Johnson said. “Seasoned, experienced teams that person been successful akin situations. To beryllium capable to consciousness those games, enactment those games, beryllium successful the infinitesimal successful those games, I deliberation is simply a invaluable experience.”