Lead: The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to win the third Emirates NBA Cup. Jalen Brunson was named Cup MVP as New York claimed the trophy and a $530,933 payout per player, while the Spurs players received $212,373 apiece. The single-game final crowned the Knicks as the league’s third Cup champions after the Lakers (2023) and Bucks (2024). The victory added both prize money and momentum for a Knicks squad now navigating an 18-7 start to the regular season.
Key Takeaways
- The Knicks defeated the Spurs 124-113 to secure the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, joining the Lakers (2023) and Bucks (2024) as Cup winners.
- Jalen Brunson was named Cup MVP; OG Anunoby led New York with 28 points and shot 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.
- New York collected 32 second-chance points, with Mitchell Robinson grabbing 10 offensive rebounds compared with Victor Wembanyama’s six offensive boards.
- The Knicks’ bench surged late: through three quarters San Antonio’s reserves led 37-15, but New York’s bench outscored the Spurs’ 18-8 in the fourth.
- Victor Wembanyama, coming off a 12-game calf layoff, played 25 minutes and scored 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting; he was a minus-18 while on the floor.
- Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds despite a knee scare late in the third quarter and limited minutes in the fourth.
- Each Knicks player on the active roster collected $530,933 from the Cup win, more than double the $212,373 awarded to each Spurs player as runner-up.
Background
The NBA Cup is a single-game championship that the league staged for a third consecutive year, offering a midseason trophy and financial incentives alongside the regular-season schedule. The Cup is designed to add competitive stakes to a portion of the regular season and delivered a standalone title game in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena. New York entered the Cup window with an 18-7 regular-season record under new coach Mike Brown, who took over after Tom Thibodeau’s tenure; the Spurs brought a young roster built around Victor Wembanyama and were 9-3 entering the Las Vegas slate.
The Cup final carried both tangible and intangible value: a league trophy, six-figure bonuses for players, and a chance to test rotations under heightened pressure two months into the season. For many participants on both rosters, the moment had different historical resonances; 19 players on the two teams had not been born when New York and San Antonio last met for a championship in 1999. That contrast underscored how the Cup functions as a modern, condensed showcase for teams still shaping identities early in the campaign.
Main Event
The Knicks established balance across their rotation, with eight players logging minutes that together accounted for two of the 240 minutes available across the Cup-run games. New York’s attack featured a first-half surge led by OG Anunoby, who scored 20 of his 28 points before halftime and connected on five of 10 3-point attempts. Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding fueled second-chance opportunities, and the Knicks turned those extra possessions into 32 second-chance points overall.
San Antonio started with bench advantages through three quarters, pushing a 37-15 edge among reserves, but New York’s depth flipped that margin late. Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson combined to score 24 of their 29 points in the second half and helped New York dominate the fourth quarter 35-19. Mike Brown kept the units that were rolling on the floor, a deployment that sustained the closing run and left the Spurs unable to match the Knicks’ late defensive stops and transition opportunities.
Victor Wembanyama, listed as a reserve after a 12-game calf absence, played 25 minutes and finished with 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting. San Antonio was minus-18 with him on the floor, a stat line that reflected both the Spurs’ uneven half-court offense and New York’s ball movement and glass work. Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a left-knee concern with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter, briefly leaving the bench holding his knee; he nevertheless finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, though his fourth-quarter minutes were limited and scoreless.
Analysis & Implications
The Knicks’ Cup title reinforced the value of roster depth and in-game flexibility. Brown’s trust in role players produced concrete results: the bench swing in the fourth quarter and Robinson’s extra possessions demonstrated how attention to rebounding and rotation patterns can decide a one-off final. The Cup also gives Brown tangible evidence against early-season narratives about overworked starters and “minutes police,” since the team delivered while spreading the load across contributors.
For the Spurs, the game highlighted both promise and areas for refinement. Wembanyama’s return as a reserve was managed carefully after the calf layoff, but his minus-18 on-court impact and 7-of-17 shooting show there are integration and rhythm questions to solve. San Antonio’s young core gained experience in a high-stakes environment, and the Spurs’ staff framed the Las Vegas trip as a bonding and learning opportunity despite the loss.
Individually, the Cup provided a reset for players’ narratives. Brunson’s MVP honor places him alongside LeBron James (2023) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2024) as Cup standouts, and Anunoby’s two-way performance elevated his standing as a primary wing option. For Towns, the injury scare will invite monitoring, but his 16-and-11 line and ability to participate in the confetti moment will be read as a positive short-term sign.
Comparison & Data
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Lakers | Indiana Pacers |
| 2024 | Bucks | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2025 | Knicks | Spurs |
The three Cup editions show a pattern where winners and runners-up have used the event differently. Past runners-up (Indiana in 2023, OKC in 2024) leveraged their Vegas experience into deeper postseason runs in the months after, while the Cup winners have had mixed playoff results. That mixed historical record makes it premature to treat the Cup as a reliable predictor of long-term success, but the competition does expose rotations and leadership habits under pressure.
Reactions & Quotes
Postgame, Jalen Brunson credited role players for the result and signaled the team’s mindset going forward.
“Without them, we don’t win this.”
Jalen Brunson
At the on-court ceremony, Brunson also framed the win as a motto for the season.
“That’s going to be our motto going forward: We’re going to find a way.”
Jalen Brunson
Unconfirmed
- Whether the Knicks’ Cup win will materially change their playoff ceiling remains uncertain; historical Cup winners have not consistently translated the trophy into deeper postseason runs.
- Longer-term effects of Victor Wembanyama’s calf management and his minutes plan for the regular season are not clarified beyond coach and team comments this week.
Bottom Line
The Knicks’ 124-113 victory in Las Vegas delivered a midseason trophy, large player bonuses and a validation of Mike Brown’s rotations and the team’s depth. Brooklyn’s bench surge in the fourth quarter and Robinson’s offensive rebounding were decisive elements that undercut San Antonio’s earlier reserve advantage and sealed the game in the final period. While the Cup adds a shiny accolade and a cash boost, its predictive value for playoff outcomes remains mixed based on the first two editions.
For the Spurs, the loss is both a disappointment and a learning moment: Wembanyama’s return from injury and the team’s young core gained valuable experience in a high-pressure final. As the regular season progresses toward Christmas and the longer grind of 2026, the Cup outcome will be one data point among many; teams will watch minutes, chemistry and injury management to judge whether Las Vegas shapes the arc of the spring.