LAS VEGAS — OG Anunoby scored 28 points, Jalen Brunson had 25, and the New York Knicks rallied to beat Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 on Tuesday night to win the NBA Cup.
Now the Knicks can hang a banner next to the 1973 NBA championship banner in Madison Square Garden, the last time they won the title.
But this is a championship roster — NBA Cup MVP Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges cut down the nets in college at Villanova — with high hopes of representing a weak Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 11 rebounds despite battling an injury. He went into the locker room with a minute left before halftime and later exited for the bench with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter and didn’t return until late in the fourth. The broadcast said he had a calf injury.
Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 21 points, Wembanyama scored 18 and De’Aaron Fox had 16.
New York dominated inside, outrebounding the Spurs 59-42, with Mitchell Robinson collecting 15 boards, including 10 on the offensive end. That helped give the Knicks a 56-44 edge in points in the paint.
The Spurs, however, led for much of the game before the Knicks went on a 13-1 run that began late in the third quarter to go up 100-95. New York never trailed again.
The Knicks got more than a trophy — each player with a standard contract got an extra $318,560 for winning, making the total $530,933 for even reaching the final.
This game doesn’t count in the standings, so both teams remain 18-7, putting them atop their respective divisions.
Just making the final bodes well for both teams. The previous four finalists — Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks — also made the playoffs. The Pacers made the Eastern Conference finals in 2024, and the Thunder won the NBA championship last season.
