The wait is finally over for Knicks fans. New York has finally lifted an NBA trophy for the first time in over 50 years, overcoming the San Antonio Spurs. The Knicks clawed back from a double-digit deficit and sealed the win with a dominant 35–19 fourth quarter, igniting euphoric chants from a sea of fans in Las Vegas. It was only the league’s third NBA Cup, not the holy grail of the NBA championship. Still, the victory guarantees a banner at Madison Square Garden in 2025; an exciting sign of progress for New York’s finest.
Is This NBA Cup Win A Sign Of Things To Come For The Knicks?
The recent history of the two previous winners of the Emirates NBA Cup has not been kind to their subsequent playoff runs. The Los Angeles Lakers won the very first cup in 2023, while the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the eventual NBA champions, the OKC Thunder, in 2024. Neither of those teams made it out of the first round on each occasion. The Lakers suffered a brutal first-round sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, and the Bucks suffered a first-round loss at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in 2024-25 season.
NBA Cup Champions in the playoffs:
2023-24 — Lost in first round
2024-25 — Lost in first round2025-26 — ???? pic.twitter.com/b5S5DRk9Us
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 17, 2025
Does that set a bad omen for the Knicks? It’s hard to predict. However, it’s hard not to look at the Knicks’ run and feel good about where they are at present. Beating a physical Orlando Magic team, the Raptors, and then overcoming a Spurs team with unbelievable size and depth that was good enough to win the seemingly unbeatable Thunder in the semifinals.
Mike Brown, in his first year taking over from Tom Thibodeau, had an impressively coached final. It was a genuine team effort. For instance, giving Tyler Kolek an opportunity, he had big minutes off the bench on both ends. Brown seems to be unlocking something with the young point guard despite not being allowed to produce under Thibodeau. Jordan Clarkson hit some clutch fourth-quarter shots for Brown’s men.
Mitchell Robinson battled hard on the offensive glass, giving the Knicks several second-chance opportunities, and held Victor Wembanyama in check in key possessions.
OG Anunoby, having a borderline All-Star caliber year, led the way with a terrific 28 points. Furthermore, the Knicks achieved this without the injured role player Miles McBride, willing themselves and the team to victory despite the injuries.
The Knicks captain, Jalen Brunson, walked away with the MVP award for a truly sensational cup run. Averaging an excellent 33.3 points on 55% shooting from the field — 50% from the perimeter, Brunson was the personification of a captain throughout the run, having an MVP-caliber year to date, many would argue.
The @emirates NBA Cup MVP – Jalen Brunson! pic.twitter.com/uamNyEAWDI
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 17, 2025
The Knicks have really come together as a team, and they are on a hot streak. Winning nine of their last ten and five straight, not including the cup final, and sitting second in the Eastern Conference with an 18-7 record. Overall, the strong bet is that the Knicks are at the beginning of something rather than the end.
They are still getting used to a radical new system change under Brown, which they are beginning to benefit from, to a man.
Furthermore, with a trade deadline looming, they could add a bit more size, depth, and shooting, and they look primed to overcome the hex on previous Cup winners and potentially have themselves a deep playoff run this year. After tonight, few should bet against it.
