Imago
Dec 16, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after winning the Emirates NBA Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Imago
Dec 16, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after winning the Emirates NBA Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Two teams defined ‘upset’ on the way to their maiden in-season titles. The San Antonio Spurs stunned the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder and the reigning MVP by halting their winning streak and proving this team isn’t invincible. They now have Victor Wembanyama back to face one of the top scorers of the East, Jalen Brunson, and his team, the New York Knicks. After a very, very tight game, the Knicks claimed their first NBA Cup title with a 124-113 win.
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New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs player stats and box score
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San Antonio Spurs
| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| STARTERS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Harrison Barnes #40 | 23 | 11 | 4-9 | 0-4 | 3-3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +4 |
| Luke Kornet #7 | 23 | 14 | 7-9 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +7 |
| De’Aaron Fox #4 | 32 | 16 | 5-13 | 2-6 | 4-6 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -4 |
| Devin Vassell #24 | 33 | 12 | 4-14 | 2-7 | 2-2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -9 |
| Stephon Castle #5 | 35 | 15 | 5-15 | 1-3 | 4-5 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -5 |
| BENCH | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| Keldon Johnson #3 | 16 | 3 | 1-3 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 |
| Julian Champagnie #30 | 25 | 3 | 1-5 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -11 |
| Victor Wembanyama #1 | 25 | 18 | 7-17 | 2-6 | 2-4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -18 |
| Dylan Harper #2 | 28 | 21 | 7-14 | 5-7 | 2-2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -15 |
| Kelly Olynyk #8 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Lindy Waters III #43 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jeremy Sochan #10 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Carter Bryant #11 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Bismack Biyombo #18 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jordan McLaughlin #0 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| TEAM TOTAL | – | 113 | 41-99 (41%) | 14-39 (36%) | 17-22 (77%) | 42 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 13 | – |
New York Knicks
| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| STARTERS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| OG Anunoby #8 | 40 | 28 | 10-17 | 5-10 | 3-5 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | +7 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns #32 | 30 | 16 | 6-12 | 2-5 | 2-2 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -2 |
| Josh Hart #3 | 29 | 11 | 5-7 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | +3 |
| Mikal Bridges #25 | 33 | 11 | 4-12 | 1-5 | 2-2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -10 |
| Jalen Brunson #11 | 41 | 25 | 11-27 | 1-5 | 2-4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +15 |
| BENCH | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| Mitchell Robinson #23 | 18 | 4 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | +9 |
| Ariel Hukporti #55 | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +4 |
| Jordan Clarkson #00 | 27 | 15 | 6-15 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +15 |
| Tyler Kolek #13 | 20 | 14 | 5-9 | 2-5 | 2-2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +14 |
| Guerschon Yabusele #28 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Trey Jemison III #50 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tosan Evbuomwan #20 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pacome Dadiet #4 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mohamed Diawara #51 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kevin McCullar Jr. #9 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| TEAM TOTAL | – | 124 | 49-105 (47%) | 15-40(38%) | 11-15(73%) | 59 | 27 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 20 | – |
Knicks vs Spurs: Game summary and key moments
The Spurs were the underdogs who overthrew the Thunder as soon as Victor Wembanyama was back. Meanwhile, the Knicks were on a winning streak with Jalen Brunson on a 30+ point run. At halftime, the Spurs led 61-59 in a nail-biter at T-Mobile Arena. Despite their strong start, however, it was the Knicks who claimed their first-ever NBA Cup title. The Garden will finally have a new shiny banner next to the ’73 championship banner.
After trailing the Spurs for most of the game, the Knicks went on a 13-1 run late in the third quarter and held the lead until the end.
Both teams kept their turnovers impressively low, especially the Spurs, who’ve been putting in the work on that. Although the Knicks’ turnovers cost them 19 points.
The Knicks players not only bring a title to New York after 5 decades, but each also gets a $318,560 cash prize. The team receives $530,933 for reaching the tournament’s finals.
Who are the top performers who stood out?
OG Anunoby was the star of the Knicks squad. He kept the Knicks in the game with a 20-point display in the first half that even caused a few romantic rumors. He finished the game with 28 points. Jalen Brunson had 25 points to go with a shiny new NBA Cup MVP trophy.
Karl-Anthony Towns played through an injury and still managed a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges had 11 each.
Victor Wembanyama came off the bench for his second consecutive game. Not far off from why Hart feared him, he had 18 points going 7 of 17 from the field.
Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 21 points. De’Aaron Fox with 16 points and Stephon Castle with 15 points kept them in the lead during the first half.
Which key players are underperforming tonight?
Neither team went deep in its rotation for the finals. The Knicks out-rebounded the Spurs, with Mitchell Robinson’s game-high 15 rebounds. But he recorded only four points across 18 minutes on the floor.
Julian Champagnie had been leading the Spurs’ offense in Wembanyama’s absence for a while. But his three points on a 1 of 5 field shooting, with two rebounds and an assist, were underwhelming tonight.
The NBA Cup final doesn’t count in the standings. Both teams stand firm at 18-7.
The Knicks now face old foes, the Indiana Pacers, on Thursday.
On the other hand, the Spurs hope to bounce back when they host the Washington Wizards the same night.
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