Daily Report – 12/10/25
Knicks
There is a television advertisement for the NBA Cup, and it features several NBA stars in a car chase across the desert in pursuit of the trophy. The commercial asks, “Who will capture the Cup?” and it features Karl-Anthony Towns crashing through the glass of a New York City restaurant, jumping in a yellow cap, and speeding through the Vegas desert.
For the first time in franchise history, the Knicks have advanced to the semifinals of the NBA Cup tournament. They defeated the Toronto Raptors 117-101 yesterday, and they will play Orlando in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Winning the NBA Cup is not as significant as an NBA Championship, but it’s been 52 years since the Knicks won anything. Having the opportunity to take home any trophy or raise any banner will serve as a crucial step in the Knicks’ pursuit of a championship. After all, this is the most anticipated Knicks season in over three decades. Now’s as good a time as any for a reason to celebrate.
As he usually does in big moments, Jalen Brunson stepped up for the Knicks, scoring a team-high 35 points, including six made three-point shots. With Miles McBride injured, the Knicks didn’t dive very deep into their bench, but Brunson didn’t mind.
Meanwhile, Towns had another stellar night along the boards, posting 16 rebounds plus a pair of blocks. He was initially listed as questionable to play with calf soreness, but he looked completely healthy once game time arrived.
“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to rep our city, to rep our team over in Vegas,” Towns said. “The Cup brings out a competitive edge in all of us in the NBA, and I’m just happy we have a chance to go out there and compete against the best. I want to win it.”
But how did the NBA Cup turn into a glorified Larry O’Brien Trophy? Why do players care so much? Is it the prize money? Or something more? Head coach Mike Brown offered his opinion.
“Life is short,” he said. “My outlook: You want excitement in your life. So, you try to put yourself in positions where you have pressure at times. That’s something that, if you’re a competitor, you want some excitement in your life, you embrace it.”
This is why Towns crashed through that window. The Knicks want to win the NBA Cup.
“One of our standards is having a competitive spirit,” Brown said. “All of our guys, especially as you go along or advance, you should embrace any time of pressure that comes along with it, because at the end of the day, that’s what you do when you’re a competitor. Any time you can hang a banner, you go get it.”
The Knicks didn’t start yesterday’s game very well, though. At least, not defensively. Despite 20 points from Brunson, the Knicks were outscored 35-39 in the first quarter, and they committed seven turnovers. But in the second quarter, they erupted, holding Toronto to 13 points while netting 34.
“Jalen did what he was supposed to do,” Brown said. “He bailed us out offensively in that first quarter. And so, we were able to score with them and keep it close because Jalen had a big first quarter. Which, obviously, he’s more than capable of doing. That’s just who he is when you’re talking about an MVP candidate of the league.”
With their superb second-quarter efforts, the Knicks garnered a 17-point lead by the time the halftime buzzer sounded. In the second half, they held the lead, expanded it to as many as 24 points, and secured the win.
Throughout the game, OG Anunoby flew across the court. His defensive efforts, particularly in transition, helped the Knicks secure such a lopsided margin of victory, and he got to pose with the coveted Timberland boots after the game. Hopefully, by this time next week, he and his teammates will have finished posing with the NBA Cup.
“It’s not just about playing for ourselves,” Brunson said. “It’s playing for a lot of other people. The players and assistants who put in a lot of work, who come in at seven in the morning and make sure we’re able to improve as a team. It’s a good thing.”
Schedule
7:30 PM (6:30 PM CST): NYR at CHI; TNT, TRUTV, MAX
