Fifty-two years is a long time to wait for anything, let alone a championship trophy. The last time the New York Knicks hoisted hardware, Richard Nixon was in the White House, the Vietnam War was still raging, and the World Trade Center had just opened. But on Tuesday night in Las Vegas, a new generation of Knicks finally got their moment, rallying from an 11-point third-quarter deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 and claim the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup.
This wasn’t the Knicks of recent playoff heartbreaks or frustrating rebuilds. This was a team that looked dead in the water with two minutes left in the third quarter, watched Victor Wembanyama dominate for stretches, and then responded with one of the most impressive fourth quarters in tournament history. Down five entering the final period, New York outscored San Antonio 35-19, holding the Spurs to their second-lowest scoring quarter in all of NBA Cup play.
The Comeback Nobody Saw Coming
Let’s set the scene. With 2:07 remaining in the third quarter, the Spurs led by 11. Wembanyama was in full alien mode, having just strung together two alley-oop dunks, two three-pointers, and a soft midrange jumper that made the Knicks’ defense look helpless. The 7-foot-4 phenom was doing Wembanyama things, and New York appeared to have no answers.
Then the Knicks remembered who they were. According to ESPN’s analysis, New York’s hustle fueled everything that followed. The team grabbed 11 offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter alone, more than San Antonio had field goals (5) in that same span. Mitchell Robinson, who finished with 15 total rebounds including 10 on the offensive glass, extended possession after possession while his teammates executed.
The run started at 12-1. Jordan Clarkson, who came into the game shooting a miserable 28% from three-point range, suddenly couldn’t miss, hitting back-to-back threes that flipped a deficit into a lead. OG Anunoby, already having a monster game, kept the pressure on with timely buckets. And Jalen Brunson, who wasn’t having his sharpest shooting night, made the plays that mattered when the game hung in the balance.
The Stars Who Delivered
OG Anunoby led all scorers with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including five made three-pointers. As NBA.com noted, the forward best known for his defense carried New York’s offense in the first half with 20 points, then sealed the championship with a clutch corner three in the final two minutes. His ability to guard Wembanyama on one end while scoring efficiently on the other exemplified the Knicks’ balanced approach.
Brunson earned MVP honors for the tournament despite scoring “only” 25 points with eight assists in the final. What stood out was his response while accepting the award. Rather than celebrate his own performance, he immediately highlighted the reserves who made the comeback possible: Tyler Kolek, Mitchell Robinson, and Jordan Clarkson. All three had double-digit contributions in a game where the bench outplayed San Antonio’s second unit decisively.
The Knicks’ depth proved to be the difference. Six different players scored in that pivotal fourth quarter, spreading the defensive attention and keeping fresh legs on the floor. This wasn’t a one-man show. It was a team effort in the truest sense, with role players stepping up alongside stars.
The Emotional Weight of Victory
For Knicks fans, the significance of this trophy goes beyond the NBA Cup itself. Yes, it’s the in-season tournament championship, not the Larry O’Brien Trophy handed out after the Finals. But New York hasn’t won anything since 1973. They haven’t even reached the Finals since 1999, when a strike-shortened season ended with a loss to San Antonio. Generations of fans have known nothing but disappointment.
As Sky Sports reported, this victory puts the Knicks alongside the Los Angeles Lakers (2023) and Milwaukee Bucks (2024) as NBA Cup champions. The championship arrives as European talent continues reshaping the NBA, with Wembanyama himself representing the latest wave of international stars transforming the league. The win also earns each Knicks player $530,933 in prize money, while the Spurs settle for $212,373 each as runners-up. It’s meaningful money, but for a franchise that’s been starving for success, the trophy matters more than the check.
Stephen A. Smith, the ESPN commentator and notorious Knicks superfan, reportedly declared he was “seeing orange and blue skies” after the victory. Love him or hate him, his reaction captured something genuine about what this means to a fanbase that has suffered through decades of mediocrity punctuated by occasional playoff agony.
The Wembanyama Factor
Victor Wembanyama’s night deserves acknowledgment beyond just being on the losing side. The 20-year-old finished with 18 points in 25 minutes of action, but the box score doesn’t capture how thoroughly he controlled portions of the game. His third-quarter explosion showcased why scouts called him a generational prospect, why the Spurs built their entire rebuild around him.
But San Antonio was minus-18 when Wembanyama was on the floor, a reminder that individual brilliance can only carry a team so far. The Spurs’ supporting cast couldn’t match New York’s depth, and down the stretch, the Knicks’ more complete roster made the difference.
After the game, Wembanyama revealed that his grandmother had passed away earlier Tuesday, tearing up at the podium while discussing the loss. The perspective it provided was striking. Basketball is a game, and sometimes life intervenes in ways that dwarf any score. The young star handled a devastating day with remarkable composure.
What This Means for the Season
The NBA Cup is designed to matter without mattering too much. It’s a mid-season tournament that rewards competitive basketball while keeping the regular season and playoffs supreme, part of the league’s ongoing efforts to maintain interest amid the rise of sports betting. The Knicks’ championship doesn’t guarantee anything about their postseason prospects. But it does suggest something about this team’s character.
New York entered the final as co-favorites with San Antonio, both teams sporting 18-7 records. But the Spurs are a young team still learning to win. The Knicks, led by veterans who’ve tasted playoff disappointment, showed what experience looks like in crunch time. When the moment got big, they didn’t shrink.
The Washington Post’s analysis posed the question directly: Are the Knicks serious contenders? After Tuesday night, the answer feels more like yes than it did before. They showed composure under pressure, depth throughout the roster, and the ability to win a game that appeared lost. Those are the traits that translate to playoff success.
The Bottom Line
The NBA Cup is still finding its place in basketball’s hierarchy of achievements. It’s not an NBA championship, and no one is confusing it for one. But for a franchise that hasn’t celebrated anything in over half a century, for fans who have passed down their loyalty through generations without reward, this trophy means something.
The Knicks won it the hard way, falling behind against one of the game’s brightest young stars before storming back with a fourth quarter that will be remembered for years. Jalen Brunson added MVP hardware to his resume. OG Anunoby proved he can carry an offense when needed. And the bench, from Clarkson’s sudden shooting to Robinson’s relentless rebounding, showed that this team is more than its starters. In a year when women’s sports have broken through to new heights, the Knicks reminded fans that traditional basketball storylines can still captivate.
Fifty-two years is a long time. The drought is over, at least for one trophy. Now the Knicks get back to work, with bigger prizes still in their sights.
Sources: Yahoo Sports, ESPN, NBA.com, Sky Sports, Washington Post, Bleacher Report.
