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Knicks' bench unit steps up to help secure NBA Cup clinching victory

Jalen Brunson didn’t have his best scoring night on Tuesday, but it didn’t matter. 

The Knicks received contributions from up-and-down their bench as they pulled out a thrilling victory over the San Antonio Spurs to secure their first NBA Cup title. 

Brunson was named the tournament MVP, but he was sure to tip his cap to his teammates afterwards. 

“Without them, we don’t hold that trophy,” he said.  

It starts with OG Anunoby, who led the way offensively with a game-high 28 points. 

Anunoby also continued his stellar all-around play on the other end of the floor, reeling in nine rebounds and earning himself Defensive Player of the Game honors.

“The way he’s shooting the ball is fantastic,” Brunson said. He’s making plays and he has confidence -- when everyone is working on their game even in-season that confidence stays, so it’s a credit to him and what he’s been doing.”

It wasn’t just Anunoby, though, as big man Mitchell Robinson also stepped up with 18 outstanding minutes off the bench while Karl-Anthony Towns battled through some bruises. 

Robinson set an NBA Cup Final record with 10 offensive boards, and reeled in 15 in total. 

“That’s what Mitch does,” Towns said. “I knew playing against him just how much he impacts the game, to be his teammate now and to see what he does, he’s impacted the game how many times -- shoutout to Mitch, hell of a day at the office.” 

Jordan Clarkson had another strong scoring night with 15 big points off the bench, but it was youngster Tyler Kolek who took advantage of the opportunity the most and truly shined on the biggest stage. 

Kolek was leaned on heavily down the stretch and he finished with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists, and turned the ball over just once over his 20 minutes of action. 

It was arguably one of his most impressive at the NBA-level. 

“He played big-time, I’m very happy for him,” Brunson said. “It may be a surprise to a bunch of people, but many of you see how hard this kid works and I’m just very happy for him. The way he played tonight helped us for sure, we needed him.”

The hope is that this success in big minutes can help the rest of the way in the regular season. 

“In a game like this where it’s basically win or go home,” the captain said. “You have guys who step up and pick up the slack for a person like me who wasn’t shooting the ball well and made a terrible second-half turnover with the back-court. 

“It’s when those guys come in and do that, that gives us even more confidence. That excites me more than anything, the guys who come in and do that, it gives us an opportunity to win, it’s just a great feeling.”

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Knicks capture 2025 NBA Cup title with dramatic 124-113 win over Spurs

While celebrations for an NBA Cup title stick in the craw of basketball purists, the Knicks need to dust off their trophy case and find room for a new piece of hardware.

The Knicks were crowned champions of the league's in-season tournament on Tuesday night, as they outlasted the Spurs, 124-113, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

By winning the finals matchup, Knicks players earned a cash prize of $530,933 each. Fans can also count on a banner being raised to the Madison Square Garden rafters -- head coach Mike Brown said as much before the game.

Here are the takeaways...

-- The incentive to compete was clear from the jump, as both teams played up-tempo and produced runs in a closely contested first quarter. After making three of the game's first four buckets, the Knicks allowed the Spurs to score nine unanswered points, and the heat-check also occurred without superstar Victor Wembanyama -- hecame off the bench midway through the opening period, under a minutes restriction. But the Knicks regrouped with help from OG Anunoby, who added 10 points on two-made threes. After one, the Spurs led by two, 30-28.

-- There was no change of pace in the second quarter. The Spurs kept their foot on the gas, extending their lead to seven at the halfway mark by forcing turnovers and spreading the floor in transition. They also saw De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle work as catalysts, contributing 15 combined assists. But the Knicks stayed in striking distance, cutting their deficit to one with 2:28 left in the half and knotting the score at 59-59 in the final minute. While the Spurs entered the break ahead by two, Anunoby flexed his muscles by adding another 10 points (20 total).

-- It took just two minutes of third-quarter action to notice an energy shift. The Spurs returned from the locker room with tenacity, orchestrating a quick 9-2 run that forced the Knicks to call timeout. By the halfway point, the Knicks' deficit reached double-digits, and to add injury to insult, Karl-Anthony Towns hurt his left leg after driving to the hoop on a contested layup. While the Knicks' star received treatment on the bench, Wembanyama took advantage of his limited time with the rock, finishing the quarter with 13 points (16 total). Still, the Knicks kept things tight, finishing the quarter on an 8-2 run to trim their deficit to 94-89.

-- The fourth quarter opened with a complete role reversal. Behind a pair of threes from Jordan Clarkson off the bench, the Knicks caught fire with eight unanswered points in 93 seconds that extended their run to 16-2, placed them ahead by three, and forced the Spurs to use a timeout. After the break, the Knicks stretched their lead to 104-97 on a three from Anunoby and a pair of jumpers from Jalen Brunson, who delivered a relatively quiet 23 points up until that point. With 4:49 remaining, Towns surprisingly checked back in after spending more than 10 minutes on the bench. The broadcast crew reported moments earlier that Towns had reaggravated a lingering calf issue.

-- Josh Hart gave the Knicks their largest lead of the night with 2:58 left, draining a three with a noticeable limp from the left wing to push the score to 115-107. Then, after a three from Harper that cut the Spurs' deficit to five, Anunoby took charge again with a corner three that widened the margin back to eight. The momentum swing placed the Spurs in a closing-minutes hole they simply couldn't climb out of, and when the final buzzer sounded, the Knicks were crowned winners of the third NBA Cup.

-- From start to finish, the pace was intense. Both teams combined for 204 shots, and the Knicks made just one more three (15) than the Spurs (14). The difference was seen on the boards, as the Knicks out-rebounded the Spurs, 59-42, and scored 12 more points in the paint. The Knicks' leader on the glass was Mitchell Robinson, who racked up 15 boards in 18 minutes. Towns wound up playing 30 minutes, adding 16 points. The early fourth-quarter swing gave the Knicks a jolt -- they outscored the Spurs, 35-19, during the 12-minute stretch.

Game MVP: OG Anunoby

Anunoby found a groove early and never gave it up. He finished with a game-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting with eight rebounds and three assists. It was Brunson who earned NBA Cup MVP honors, however -- he scored 25 on 11-of-27 shooting with eight assists and four boards.

Highlights

Up next

The Knicks (18-7) will resume regular-season play on Thursday night, with a road matchup against the Indiana Pacers (7 p.m. tip-off).

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Knicks' Jalen Brunson named 2025 NBA Cup MVP

Jalen Brunson has been everything for the Knicks over the past few seasons. 

On Tuesday, the captain was officially named the 2025 NBA Cup MVP. 

Brunson was spectacular for New York throughout the tournament to help them secure the title. 

He led all scorers averaging 33.5 points and 6.5 assists on a stellar 55 percent shooting from the field. 

While Brunson took home the award, he credited his teammates for stepping up during Tuesday's win over the Spurs.

"OG Anunoby, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, they played their a-- off tonight," he said. "Without them, we don't win this, they played their a-- off tonight."

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Olivia Miles has 3rd straight triple-double, and Marta Suarez her 1st as No. 9 TCU beats Pine Bluff

Olivia Miles had her third consecutive triple-double and finished with a season-high 25 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, Marta Suarez had the first of her career with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and No. 9 TCU beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 109-54 on Tuesday night. Miles, the active career leader with nine, is only the third player with three triple-doubles in a row, and the first since Chastadie Barrs for Lamar in January 2019.