By Blessing Nweke
OG Anunoby scored a game-high 28 points and Jalen Brunson added 25 as the New York Knicks rallied past Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs for a 124-113 victory Tuesday night to win the NBA Cup.
The triumph delivers New York its first trophy to hang in Madison Square Garden since the franchise’s 1973 NBA championship, a symbolic milestone for a team with renewed title ambitions. While the NBA Cup does not count toward the regular-season standings, the Knicks’ performance underscored their growing belief that this roster is built for bigger stages.
Brunson, who was named NBA Cup MVP, led a veteran group that includes Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, both of whom cut down nets during championship runs at Villanova. Together, they form the backbone of a Knicks squad hoping to emerge from a wide-open Eastern Conference and contend for an NBA Finals berth.
Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 16 points and 11 rebounds despite battling a calf injury that forced him briefly to the locker room late in the first half and kept him on the bench for much of the third quarter. He returned late in the fourth to help seal the win.
San Antonio was led by Dylan Harper with 21 points, while Wembanyama finished with 18 and De’Aaron Fox contributed 16. The Spurs controlled much of the game before New York surged ahead with a decisive 13-1 run late in the third quarter, turning a deficit into a 100-95 lead they never relinquished.
The Knicks dominated the interior, out-rebounding the Spurs 59-42. Mitchell Robinson was pivotal, grabbing 15 rebounds—10 on the offensive glass—as New York posted a 56-44 edge in points in the paint.
Beyond the trophy, the victory came with a financial bonus. Each Knicks player on a standard contract earned $318,560 for winning the NBA Cup, bringing their total bonus to $530,933 for reaching the final.
Both teams remain 18-7, atop their respective divisions. The Knicks visit Indiana on Thursday, while the Spurs host Washington.
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