New York Knicks make history: First NBA Cup title since 1973

Comeback in the final quarter and match heroes

The final game was intense: during the third quarter, San Antonio held the initiative and led by 11 points.

However, the Knicks regained control at the start of the last quarter. Thanks to a 35:19 run in the fourth, Mike Brown’s team celebrated victory with a final score of 124:113.

The main architects of the win were O.J. Anunoby, who scored 28 points, and Jalen Brunson, who added 25 points.

Historic context and path to title

For the Knicks, this cup became the first official achievement since their NBA championship in 1973.

After that triumph, the team came close to success several times, including losses in the 1994 and 1999 finals, and falling one step short of the decisive series in 2000 and 2025.

New York coach Mike Brown emphasized the importance of the tournament in a comment to ESPN.

During the season, we look for opportunities to test the team under pressure. This is a knockout format where every game matters, and we managed to hold up at that point, the coach told ESPN.

Tournament format and statistics
On the way to the final, New York showed confident play in the group stage (3 wins in 4 games) and in the playoffs, consecutively defeated Toronto Raptors (117:101) and Orlando Magic (132:120).

The Knicks became only the third club in history to hold this trophy. Previously, the in-season cup was won by the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Earlier, we reported on why the International Basketball Federation banned the Ukrainian NBA player.