Trophy has arrived in New York after 55 years - Knicks are NBA Cup champions!

It was that lockout-shortened 1998/99 season when the New York Knicks, through no fault of their own, found themselves in the NBA Finals. Their last appearance… Standing across from them were the “Twin Towers,” and thus began the era of the San Antonio Spurs. The era of Tim Duncan. The Spurs dismantled the Knicks 4–1 in the series, and the giant from the Virgin Islands won his first ring already in his second NBA season — the first of five in total.

Last night, the Spurs and Knicks met in a final once again. This time, however, it was not an NBA Playoffs final, but the final of the third edition of the NBA Cup. Still, once you reach the final, everyone wants the trophy. The Knicks prevailed 124–113, served the Spurs a bit of revenge after two and a half decades, and won their first trophy in 55 years.

The Spurs held their own in Las Vegas and looked to be on their way to victory when Victor Wembanyama caught fire late in the third quarter, but the OG Anunoby–Jalen Brunson tandem led the Knicks to a comeback and the trophy. Interestingly, Brunson’s father Rick played one minute for the Knicks in that 1999 final…

Freshly recovered from injury, Wembanyama once again came off the bench, as he did against Oklahoma, and he did not start the game well. He was closely guarded early on and struggled to find his shooting touch, although he did a solid job on the boards and in transition, where the Spurs were more dangerous. Meanwhile, Anunoby and Brunson were deadly from mid-range, combining for 19 of the Knicks’ 28 points, as New York ended the evenly contested first quarter trailing by two (28–30).

Neither team could find their three-point shot before halftime. The Spurs went just 6-of-20 from beyond the arc but dominated the paint and had a balanced offensive effort with contributions across the board. The Knicks did not have such evenly distributed scoring, but Anunoby played the half of his season, scoring 20 points. Along with Brunson’s 15, it was enough to keep them within striking distance at the break (59–61).

Relatively quiet in the first half, Wembanyama exploded after halftime. He started hitting threes, threw down emphatic dunks, pushed the Spurs into a double-digit lead, and scored the final 10 points of the third quarter to give San Antonio a 94–89 advantage heading into the final period.

It seemed New York was running out of steam, but the experienced Jordan Clarkson hit two consecutive three-pointers early in the fourth quarter to turn the game around (97–94). With Wembanyama on the bench, the Spurs went nearly five minutes without a field goal, while Brunson scored and dished assists at the other end, allowing the Knicks to build a seven-point lead (106–99).

Stephon Castle kept San Antonio alive at that point, but a series of mistakes on both sides down the stretch was halted by Anunoby’s crucial baskets, making it 118–110 with two minutes to play. Fox and Wembanyama missed shots in the closing moments, and the Knicks comfortably closed out the game.

OG Anunoby finished with 28 points, Brunson added 25 along with eight assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. For the Spurs, Harper scored 21, Wembanyama had 18, while Fox (16), Castle (15), Kornet (14), Vassell (12), and Barnes (11) also reached double figures — but to no avail.