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Winners and losers as Knicks claim NBA Cup over Wembanyama, Spurs 124-113

Winners and losers as Knicks claim NBA Cup over Wembanyama, Spurs 124-113 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

An NBA trophy is headed to New York.

The Knicks on Tuesday won the 2025 NBA Cup Final in Las Vegas with a 124-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

It marks New York’s first win in the tournament, as the first two editions went to the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, respectively.

Both teams stayed neck and neck for the opening two-and-a-half quarters, when San Antonio went up by double digits late in the third behind a Victor Wembanyama solo run.

But that didn’t continue in the fourth, as the Knicks capitalized on Wembanyama sitting on the bench due to an injury limiting his minutes. New York outscored the Spurs 35-19 in the fourth, with OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson, the eventual MVP, showing their quality.

Each player on the Knicks will now take home an extra $530,933 for the win. Let’s analyze the game further with winners and losers:

WINNER: OG Anunoby, Knicks

Anunoby chose a fantastic game to go above and beyond. The 28-year-old forward recorded a game-high 28 points on 10 of 17 shooting overall, including a 5 of 10 clip from deep. He added nine rebounds and three assists to his stat line, with four offensive boards.

He may not have claimed the MVP award for his game, but these types of two-way performances can give New York the edge come playoff time.

LOSER: De’Aaron Fox, Spurs

With Wembanyama playing limited minutes on a bench role, these are the types of games where Fox has to reach the next level. That just wasn’t the case.

The point guard went for just 16 points on 5 of 16 shooting with nine assists, two rebounds and five turnovers. He was second to everything offensively and defensively down the stretch, and it’s not ideal that Wembanyama and Dylan Harper outscored him in less minutes.

WINNER: Jalen Brunson, Knicks

It may not be the NBA Championship, but Brunson remains on the right track to potentially winning the major trophy. The 29-year-old, sometimes deemed too small to be the No. 1 option on a title-winning team, assembled a 25-point showing to go with eight rebounds, four rebounds and two blocks.

Not everything was clean, though, despite the MVP win. He shot 11 of 27 overall, 1 of 5 from deep and 2 of 4 from the foul line. How things would look in a four-game series vs. San Antonio is unclear, but it’s a night to celebrate regardless.

LOSER: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

Wembanyama has enjoyed two 40-point games against the Knicks in his young career, but he was limited to just 25 minutes in this one. Had he played the majority of the fourth quarter instead of Luke Kornet, perhaps the outcome may have been different.

But the young French star will not get the chance to add to his resume early on, scoring 18 points on 7 of 17 shooting with a 2 of 6 mark from deep. He added six rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal. Now he’ll need to stay healthy with San Antonio’s roster in much better shape to embark on a playoff run.

WINNER: Mitchell Robinson, Knicks

Sometimes you need your role players to come up big when needed the most. New York received valiant bench-scoring efforts from Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek, but it was long-time center Robinson that was at the heart of everything.

In 18 minutes, he nabbed 15 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive glass. The Spurs had success with second-chance points, but Robinson helped the Knicks tilt that to their advantage, especially without Wemby. New York also had 56 points in the paint to San Antonio’s 44. Again, it’s not the main title, but New York fans will appreciate what Robinson did for them given his time spent with the franchise.

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Mets anticipate Jorge Polanco playing first base, DH while 'bouncing around' the diamond

The Mets made the Jorge Polanco signing official on Tuesday evening.

Days after New York signed Polanco to a reported two-year, $40 million deal, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns talked up his acquisition in a press release, and gave some insight into how he anticipates the team to use the 32-year-old.

“We are excited to add Jorge to our organization and expect him to be a big part of our team over the next two years,” Stearns said in a press release. “Jorge’s athleticism and versatility on both sides of the ball make him a perfect fit as we continue to build out our team.  As we stand now, we would anticipate Jorge playing first base, DH, and bouncing around to other positions as needed.”

After Pete Alonso signed with the Orioles last week, the Mets signed Polanco to give the team more versatility and to play first base. Interestingly enough, Polanco has appeared in just one game at the position in his 12-year career. 

Polanco slashed .265/.326/.495 with 30 doubles, 26 homers, 78 RBI in 138 games last year with the Mariners, and while he's not expected to deliver the offensive production of Alonso, it gives Stearns and the Mets options to fill out the rest of the roster. 

There are currently still other viable first base options in the free agent market, including veterans Paul Goldschmidt and Luis Arraez. There is also Cody Bellinger, who plays both outfield and first base, who is still available and the Mets are currently "very in" on. 

But the Mets do have other areas of need this offseason, including in the outfield, starting rotation and bullpen.

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If Sabres Are To End Cycle Of Disappointing Seasons, GM Kekalainen Has To Take Chances WIth Big Swings On Trade Market

Owen Power (Sergei Belski, USA TODAY Images)

In the past five days, the NHL has seen not one, but two blockbuster trades – one that sent late sent superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild, and one that sent veteran goalie Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Edmonton Oilers. Thus, we don’t want to hear any talk that, in the salary cap era, it’s next to impossible to get deals done.

However, if you judge the work done by now-former Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams in his more than five-years running the team before he was fired Monday and replaced with former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, you might take that talk about impossible trades a little more seriously. But from this writer’s perspective, that had more to do with Adams’ paralysis about taking big swings than it does about other teams pulling off major deals. 

Now, are there trades that constitute significant gambles? Sure there are. But don’t you think the Wild just gambled that Hughes is going to be a long-term piece of the puzzle in Minnesota? And don’t you think the Oilers just gambled that Jarry is going to do what former Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner couldn’t do and carry the Oilers to a Stanley Cup championship? 

The answer to both those questions is a resounding ‘yes’. But the old saying about nothing ventured, nothing gained is accurate when it comes to trades. And that means Kekalainen has to take a chance if the Sabres are going to be a playoff team for the first time in a decade-and-a-half.

New Sabres GM Kekalainen Must Address These Three IssuesNew Sabres GM Kekalainen Must Address These Three IssuesThe Buffalo Sabres fired GM Kevyn Adams Monday. And his replacement, former Columbus Blue Jackets architect Jarmo Kekalainen, needs to prioritize making some major changes to the Sabres. Here are the three key areas Kekalainen must address.

As we’ve argued recently, Buffalo needs to deal from positions of strength, and when it comes to the Sabres’ goaltending and defense corps, they have strength. So trading someone such as defenseman Owen Power is something the Sabres should be looking into. But that said, Kekalainen can’t play it safe and only make a minor deal or two in the immediate weeks and months ahead. Because they have to know sticking with the status quo is going to enrage Buffalo fans.

There’s another saying that applies to the Sabres, and that saying is ‘safe is death’. It will be easy for Kekalainen to keep his core together, but as we’ve seen this season, that core simply doesn’t have what it takes to be winners. That’s not up for debate. That’s a fact.

Here's Why Sabres Need To Connect With Retooling Canucks To Acquire Star Center PetterssonHere's Why Sabres Need To Connect With Retooling Canucks To Acquire Star Center PetterssonThe Vancouver Canucks pulled off a blockbuster trade this week. But the Buffalo Sabres need to connect with the Canucks to try and acquire star center Elias Pettersson. A bold trade package might just lure him from Vancouver's rebuild -- and generate a Sabres retool.

And if Buffalo is ever going to break this cycle of letdown season after letdown season, they’re going to need Sabres management to step to the plate and and acquire a different set of players. 

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Canadiens: Montembeault Sent Down To Laval For Conditioning Purposes

When Martin St-Louis was asked Tuesday morning after practice whether there was a chance Samuel Montembeault would play a game this week, he said he didn’t know and that they needed to figure it out. Well, they did that quickly as the Montreal Canadiens announced that Montembeault, who had started the season as their number one goaltender, was being sent down to the Laval Rocket on a conditioning stint.

According to CBA rules, this is something the netminder had to agree to, and it can last up to 14 days. While this is probably not where Montembeault thought he would be at this stage of the season, it was a good move on his part to agree to this.

Canadiens: Big Decision Ahead
Canadiens: Looking For A Winning Streak
Canadiens Important Defenseman Out vs. Flyers

His last appearance with the Habs was in relief to Jakub Dobes on December 9, when he gave up three goals on just 13 shots. As for his previous start, it dates back to December 2 when the Canadiens played an atrocious game against the Ottawa Senators and lost 5-2.

In 15 games this season, the Becancour native has a 5-6-1 record, a 3.65 goals-against average and a .857 save percentage. A lot can happen in a calendar year in the NHL. Last season, at this stage of the season, Montembeault was starting every single game and was being earmarked as one of Canada’s three netminders for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

For whatever reason, the 29-year-old netminder can’t seem to get it together this season. It’s not that he hasn’t been allowed to build his confidence back up, but he’s been unable to do it in the NHL with the Canadiens battling for a playoff spot this season. Perhaps in Laval, where the stakes will be lower and the scrutiny less intense, he’ll find a way to do it.

This option also makes sense for the Canadiens; it will allow both Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes to get some ice time. Both could have been sent to Laval without clearing waivers, but neither deserved to be based on their latest performance. When Dobes shone bright against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night, he told the Habs loud and clear that he shouldn’t be going anywhere.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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Panthers to host Winter Classic Jersey Nights, will wear new threads during additional home games

There has been a noticeable fashion movement in certain parts of South Florida over the past several weeks.

In popular areas across Miami-Dade and Broward County, people have been seen sporting their new Winter Classic gear in growing numbers.

The NHL officially revealed the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers uniforms for the 2026 Winter Classic last month.

Since then, Panthers fans both locally and on the road have been decking themselves out in the fresh new gear.

Considering the sudden and obvious popularity of the special edition threads, it’s not surprising that the Panthers are going to wear them more than once this season.

In addition to the Winter Classic itself, which takes place on Jan. 2, Florida will wear their new uniforms during two other home games at Amerant Bank Arena this season.

They will be on Sunday, Jan. 4, when the Panthers host the Colorado Avalanche, and on Wednesday, Feb. 4 against the Boston Bruins.

For more information on the Panthers’ Winter Classic uniforms, including a few photos, click here.

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A deeper Flyers team picks up another win in tough building

A deeper Flyers team picks up another win in tough building originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For a second time this season, the Flyers went to Bell Centre and left with a win.

They beat the Canadiens, 4-1, Tuesday night in Montreal.

Carl Grundstrom, Trevor Zegras, Bobby Brink and Travis Konecny all found the back of the net for the Flyers. Konecny’s goal was a game-sealing empty-netter.

Dan Vladar was strong again in net and Sean Couturier collected two assists.

The Flyers (17-9-6) snapped a season-long three-game losing streak (0-0-3). Despite those losses, the Flyers are on a five-game point streak (2-0-3).

Rick Tocchet’s club has earned at least a point in 16 of its last 20 games (11-4-5).

The Flyers are 2-0-0 in their three-game regular-season series against the Canadiens (17-12-4). They won a crazy game at Bell Centre a month and a half ago, beating Montreal in a shootout, 5-4.

The building is known for its lively atmosphere and it’s the home of a team that made the playoffs last season.

The Flyers and Canadiens don’t meet again until the regular-season finale April 14 in Philadelphia.

• Vladar continued to look like one of the Flyers’ best players with 21 saves on 22 shots.

The 28-year-old has already matched his win total from last season, when he went 12-11-6 as the Flames’ backup. Vladar has given up two or fewer goals 13 times in 20 starts with the Flyers.

Both the Flyers and Montreal struck in the final minute of the first period. Alexandre Texier put the Canadiens ahead after a risky pass by Konecny resulted in a neutral-zone turnover. But Grundstrom answered 39 seconds later with his third goal in six games with the Flyers.

Vladar nailed things down for the Flyers with 12 saves in the third period.

Montreal netminder Jacob Fowler stopped 17 of the Flyers’ 20 shots on the night.

• After going over nine months without game action, Rasmus Ristolainen made his season debut and played alongside Nick Seeler on the Flyers’ third defensive pair.

Ristolainen had been recovering from surgery in March on a second triceps tendon rupture.

It didn’t take long for the bruising defenseman to get involved against the Canadiens. Not even nine minutes into the game, Ristolainen delivered a hard and clean hit on Juraj Slafkovsky. The early thump put the Flyers on the power play because Ivan Demidov wanted retribution and went after Ristolainen.

The physicality seemed to set the tone for Ristolainen’s return. He was highly effective with three hits, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in 19:18 minutes.

The Flyers are now significantly deeper defensively. A lot of teams would love a Seeler-Ristolainen third pair.

• Brink padded the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 with just 50 seconds left in the second period.

Matvei Michkov set up the goal with his second assist in the last two games. He found Brink after jumping on a mistake by Fowler behind Montreal’s net.

The Flyers took their lead earlier in the period when Zegras and Konecny executed a 2-on-1 rush. The goal gave Zegras his 33rd point in 32 games, eclipsing his point total from all of last season, when he had 32 in 57 games with the Ducks.

• The Flyers are back in action Thursday when they visit the Sabres (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN+, Hulu).

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The Reality of Tsyplakov's Situation With Islanders

New York Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov did not find himself in a top-six role alongside Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman on Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, as Mathew Barzal was able to give it a go. 

Barzal did not partake in the morning skate due to something that occurred in their 3-2 shootout win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

For Tsyplakov, he's found himself on the outside looking in more often than not. While Tsyplakov has played better in his latest outings, the current 12 forwards are collectively playing too well to make a change.

The Islanders enter their game against Detroit on a three-game winning streak. 

"Absolutely not," was Roy's answer when asked if Tsyplakov's lack of game action as of late has been because of anything he's done wrong. 

"It's tough for him [to not play], and it's tough for us, as a coaching staff. I mean, that's the decisions you want to be making, to be forced to make. Sometimes, there are tough calls, and this one is a tough one because he's done what he's had to do. But right now, we have 12 guys who are playing really well. The line of Cizikas has an identity, and we love the way they're playing. We feel like Ritchie's playing really well with Shabby and Anthony Duclair. And the other lines are clicking. It's hard to make some changes sometimes."

Roy added that Tsyplakov has come in with a great attitude and has worked hard so that when he does get his next chance, he'll be ready. 

Now, you have probably heard the trade rumors surrounding Tsyplakov, which is to be expected regarding a forward who shown that he can play in the NHL over his first season-and-a-half in the big leagues. He's also affordable, signing a two-year extension worth $2.25 million annually this past summer.

The Islanders should listen to calls they get on the player but that doesn't meant they are actively shopping the 27-year-old. 

With all the injuries to the forward group, Tsyplakov is a quality 13th forward for now, especially if he plays the responsible brand of hockey we've seen from him over his last handful of outings. 

Yes, he was supposed to be a goal scorer in this league, but he's doing a stronger job using his 6'3, 203-lb frame to win more puck battles and help the team go north, rather than south. 

Obviously, if Tsyplakov were playing very well, he'd be considered one of the Islanders' 12 best forwards and in the lineup every day. His lack of consistency has undoubtedly been a part of the problem, along with the play of everyone else.

Maybe there's a world where the Islanders flip him to a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs for Matias Maccelli, given his struggles to find consistency. 

But, as of right now, having an NHL-caliber player waiting in the wings as an option, even if he is better than a "13th forward' is a good problem for the Islanders. 

Tsyplakov, in his second NHL season, has recorded 1 goal and 0 assists in 20 games, averaging 9:20 minutes per game. He has 37 hits over that span. 

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Mikaela Shiffrin extends record with 105th World Cup win in slalom

  • US skier finished 1.55 seconds ahead of second place

  • Shiffrin has won the opening four slaloms of the season

Mikaela Shiffrin isn’t just winning every slalom of the Olympic season. She’s dominating each race and winning by large margins, too.

The American skiing standout claimed a record-extending 105th World Cup victory after several of her top challengers went out during the opening run of a night race Tuesday.

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NBA Trade rumors 2025-26: Bucks want to be buyers, not sellers, to try and keep Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Milwaukee Bucks are not going to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo until he forces them to. While it's been reported that his agent and the Bucks are discussing his future, Milwaukee will try to keep him and make him happy until Antetokounmpo is willing to be the bad guy and demand a trade (and he's not doing that, he's saying he would run through a wall for this team).

Which brings us to the latest reports that the Bucks are telling teams they want to be buyers, not sellers, at the trade deadline. The first report came from the well-connected Eric Nehm, who covers the Bucks for The Athletic.

League sources told The Athletic the Bucks have told teams they are looking to add to their roster in hopes of fortifying their struggling team in the week leading up to Dec. 15. That messaging could certainly change as the Feb. 5 trade deadline nears.

Then there is this via Jake Fischer at The Stein Line.

"After repeatedly telling teams that Antetokounmpo is not available and that it is not interested in fielding trade offers for him, now Milwaukee is messaging that it wants to be buyers at this deadline to try to get Giannis more help. Even with no clear return-from-injury timetable yet in place for Antetokounmpo, Jon Horst's front office continues to hold onto hope that assembling a puncher's chance contender remains viable in the wide-open Eastern Conference.

"One rival general manager I spoke to went so far as to say that the Bucks have convinced him that 'they're going big-game hunting.'"

The Bucks previously have been linked to Miami's Andrew Wiggins and the Kings' Zach LaVine.

Milwaukee has to give up something to get something, and that's where the problems begin. The biggest issue is draft picks: The Bucks have just one first-round pick they can trade at the deadline (at the NBA Draft, that number jumps to three, including drafting a player for another team and sending him there in a deal). As for players, the big names the Bucks can dangle are Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma, but there are also Ryan Rollins (who they really want to keep), Kevin Porter Jr., AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr.

Is there any trade that can turn around a team that has gone 3-11 in its last 14 and remains without Antetokounmpo due to a calf strain? Maybe not, but the Bucks are all-in on Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP who led this team to a championship and is the greatest player in franchise history (we can argue about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar if you want, but at worst they are 1 and 1A). The Bucks are going to try to make Antetokounmpo happy, not trade him.

If there is a parting of the ways, it may be more likely this offseason if Antetokounmpo tells the Bucks he will not sign a contract extension, as he is heading into the final year of his current deal (then Milwaukee would have to trade him or risk losing him for nothing).

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Canadiens Have Interesting Potential Target In Blue Jackets Center

The Montreal Canadiens should be on the hunt for another skilled center. There is no question that they could use an upgrade down the middle, so it would not be surprising if they landed a center by the 2026 NHL trade deadline.

When looking at potential trade candidates around the NHL, one center who could be an interesting addition to the Canadiens' roster is Columbus Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle. 

The Blue Jackets are currently in a tough spot, as they have a 13-13-6 record and are at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. They have also lost five straight games and eight out of their last 10, so they are trending in the wrong direction. If the Blue Jackets do not turn things around and end up being out of the playoff race near the deadline, that could make the pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) Coyle become available for trade later this season.  

When noting that Coyle is a solid middle-six center who contributes offensively, kills penalties, and throws the body, he would have the potential to be a nice addition to a Canadiens club that needs help down the middle. When looking at Montreal's current roster, Coyle could slot in nicely as their second-line or third-line center if acquired.

In 32 games so far this season with the Blue Jackets, Coyle has posted five goals, 15 assists, 20 points, and 47 hits. He also had a big season with the Boston Bruins just back in 2023-24, as he set career highs with 25 goals, 35 assists, and 60 points in 82 games. With this, he has the potential to be a difference-maker, and the Canadiens should consider targeting him because of it.