The New York Knicks are the new NBA Cup champions, and their players just got a nice little bump in the bank.
Behind a decisive effort to crash the offensive glass in the fourth quarter, the Knicks built a lead, pulled away and toppled the San Antonio Spurs, 124-113, Tuesday, Dec. 16 in the 2025 NBA Cup final in Las Vegas.
OG Anunoby recorded an efficient night, leading all players with 28 points on a clean 10-of-17 shooting night. He was also impactful on the boards, hauling in 9.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson poured in 25 points on 11-of-27 shooting, though San Antonio limited his effectiveness from the free throw stripe, as Brunson shot just 4 attempts from there, making only 2.
Though the Spurs had seven players score in double figures, Victor Wembanyama’s minutes restriction as he continues his recovery from a calf strain limited his impact down the stretch; as New York mounted a 15-3 run early in the fourth, Wembanyama spent much of that stretch on the bench.
The Knicks outrebounded the Spurs 59-42 and took a massive 56-44 edge in points in the paint. San Antonio shot just 5-of-18 in the fourth quarter.
This is New York’s first NBA Cup championship, after the Lakers won the inaugural event in 2023, followed by the Bucks in 2024.
Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Cup final highlights
San Antonio is starting to crumble
The Spurs are getting worked on the offensive glass and have struggled to hit shots in the fourth. The Knicks, meanwhile, extended their run to 15-3 and opened a 104-97 lead with 7:40 left to play. The Spurs missed their first 3 field goal attempts of the period, while the Knicks took 14 over the same period.
Knicks come alive to start the fourth
New York is not going away quietly. The Knicks raced out to a quick 8-0 in the first minute-and-a-half of the fourth quarter to reclaim the lead. This should be a tight finish. Buckle up.
End Q3: Spurs 94, Knicks 89
Victor Wembanyama took over the third quarter. And the San Antonio Spurs, coincidentally, built a solid lead headed into the final quarter of the 2025 NBA Cup.
Wembanyama drained a couple of 3s, hit a mid-range jumper and impacted the defense. He now has a team-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
Both teams have been pushing pace, looking to catch the opposing defense in a compromised position. And while the Spurs opened an 11-point lead in the third, New York had its answers to close the gap headed into the final frame.
OG Anunoby continues to lead the Knicks with 22 points, while the Spurs guards have done a tremendous job on Jalen Brunson, limiting him to 19.
One thing to watch for New York: Karl-Anthony Towns appeared to hurt his knee and was seen on the bench, favoring the area.
Spurs open lead behind Wemby highlight dunk
The Knicks started the third just 2-of-8 from the floor, allowing the Spurs to open a double-digit lead. New York would bring it back down to single digits, but the highlight was this Victor Wembanyama reverse alley-oop slam.
End Q2: Spurs 61, Knicks 59
The battle for the NBA Cup is intensifying.
The Knicks have cooled off from 3, but OG Anunoby has been active from all three levels of the floor, dropping a game-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Jalen Brunson has added 15 points, though San Antonio has done a solid job of keeping him off the line; he has attempted just 3 free throws but is shooting 6-of-15 overall.
Both squads are attacking the paint, and both are protecting the ball, but it’s San Antonio’s bench that has an early edge; the Spurs’ bench has chipped in 18 points, compared to New York’s 5.
Stephon Castle has been dynamic for the Spurs, slashing into the paint to compromise the New York defense and either getting high-percentage looks or feeding his teammates. Castle has scored 6 points and has dished 7 assists. Yet, he’s not the team’s leader in assists, as De’Aaron Fox has collected 8 to go with his 9 points.
The Spurs are shooting 47.1% from the floor, while the Knicks are shooting 45.3%.
Spurs go on a run
San Antonio has launched a modest 7-3 run, culminated by a pair of dunks, to take a 50-43 lead. The seven-point margin marks the largest Spurs lead of the game.
The first slam came off an offensive rebound, when Stephon Castle found a streaking Devin Vassell who soared over OG Anunoby for the dunk. The second came after a Victor Wembanyama steal. After ripping the ball away from Josh Hart, Wembanyama tossed it ahead to Castle on the fast break for the uncontested slam.
KAT dishes the pass of the night (so far)
End Q1: Spurs 30, Knicks 28
In what has been a back-and-forth first quarter, it was the Spurs who gained an early edge by clamping down on defense down the stretch.
San Antonio forced New York to miss 4 of their last 5 attempts to end the quarter.
The Spurs had several starters contribute. Devin Vassell (7 points) led the way, while De’Aaron Fox (6) and Harrison Barnes (6) also made timely shots.
Interestingly, and unlike his performance in Saturday’s semifinal upset against the Thunder, Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama didn’t have quite the impact off the bench against the Knicks. Playing 5:13, Wembanyama shot just 1-of-4 for 2 points, struggling to find a rhythm. After posting a +21 in 20:39 against Oklahoma City, Wembanyama was -6 in his first stint on the floor.
For the Knicks, it has been Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby who have sparked the offense. The two have combined for 19 points and 5 assists.
The Knicks are shooting 48% from the floor, including going 4-of-10 from 3-point range.
The NBA Cup final is underway
Watch NBA Cup games with Amazon Prime Video
Just because Victor Wembanyama is coming off the bench doesn’t mean the Spurs are planning to start slowly.
San Antonio opened the game shooting 7-of-11 from the floor (63.6%) to open a small, 17-12 lead at the first media timeout. Though the Knicks entered Tuesday ranked fourth in the NBA in rebounds per game (45.9), it’s San Antonio that has taken an early edge on the glass, outrebounding New York, 8-3.
The Spurs have also taken advantage of a pair of offensive rebounds, and picked up 4 second-chance points early in the game.
How to watch Spurs vs. Knicks NBA Cup final: TV, live streaming
The 2025 NBA Cup Final between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 16
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT)
Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
TV: N/A
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
What time is Spurs vs. Knicks NBA Cup final today?
The San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks will compete for the third annual NBA Cup title on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. local) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Knicks starting five
Jalen Brunson
OG Anunoby
Mikal Bridges
Josh Hart
Karl-Anthony Towns
Spurs starting five
The San Antonio Spurs will once again bring Victor Wembanyama off the bench. Here’s their starting five:
De’Aaron Fox
Stephon Castle
Devin Vassell
Harrison Barnes
Luke Kornet
Spurs, Knicks injury updates for NBA Cup final
The San Antonio Spurs will have their full complement of players for tonight’s game.
The New York Knicks, meanwhile, will be without guard Miles McBride, who is out with a left ankle sprain, and guard Landry Shamet, who is out with right shoulder sprain.
NBA Cup odds for Spurs vs. Knicks
The New York Knicks are considered favorites over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup championship game.
Odds according to BetMGM as of December 16:
Spread: Knicks (-2.5)
Moneyline: Knicks (-140); Spurs (+115)
Over/under: 233.5
NBA Cup final predictions
Three USA TODAY Sports NBA experts picked the winners of the game between the Spurs and the Knicks. To read each of their break downs, click here.
Lorenzo Reyes: Spurs 111, Knicks 106
Mark Giannotto: Knicks 125, Spurs 121
Jon Hoefling: Knicks 118, Spurs 110