Daily Report – 12/17/25: The Knicks Are 2025 NBA Cup Champions!
Knicks – 2025 NBA Cup Champions
The Small Man conquered the Alien. David beat Goliath. Last night in Vegas, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks defeated Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs by a score of 124-113 to win the NBA Cup, their first title since 1973.
Brunson scored 25 points and was named tournament MVP. OG Anunoby netted 28, including five made three-point shots, plus nine rebounds. Mitchell Robinson recorded a pair of blocks and 15 rebounds, including 10 offensive grabs, in just 18 minutes. Finally, Tyler Kolek dished five assists and combined with Jordan Clarkson for 29 bench points.
Image Courtesy: New York Knicks
They say, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” That is the Knicks’ attitude about their NBA Cup victory. They are happy. They are celebrating. But they also remain committed, perhaps more than ever, to winning an NBA Championship this season. Therefore, the team has decided not to hang a banner commemorating their NBA Cup victory.
Nor should they. Don’t get me wrong, winning the NBA Cup is an outstanding achievement, but the Knicks have loftier goals. They are determined to achieve those goals, and to remind themselves of their objectives, they have decided that what happened in Vegas will remain in Vegas.
“We’re gonna fight,” Brunson said. “We’re not gonna quit. We’re gonna go out there and do what we’ve gotta do. When we fail in those moments, we tip our hats, we respect the other team, and we move forward. But we’re not gonna quit, we’re not gonna lay down. We’re gonna find a way. The game may be ugly. How are we gonna impact the game? Our bench did that tonight; they impacted the game for us.”
The best part of last night’s win – and this is truly remarkable – was that these five players delivered the 8-0 run in the fourth quarter that helped the Knicks overcome an 11-point deficit: Jalen Brunson, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson. Three bench players are included in that list. Tom Thibodeau would have never put that much faith in his bench. Mike Brown’s thought process is a little different.
“OG Anunoby, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, they played their ass off tonight,” Brown said. “Without them, we don’t win this. […] All those guys brought something to the table, and it was an easy decision for me going down the stretch that, ‘Hey, these are the guys that had given us a lift, so we’re gonna stay with them.’”
When last season ended, and the Knicks continued to receive criticism for their shallow bench, president Leon Rose responded by acquiring a top-10 bench scorer in NBA history: Jordan Clarkson. His energy and speed helped the Knicks dictate the pace of play yesterday, particularly in the fourth quarter.
Tyler Kolek, whom I’ve criticized for his lack of defense, proved me and many Knicks fans wrong yesterday with 14 bench points, five assists, and a plus-14 rating. He has ranked among the Knicks’ leaders in plus-minus rating throughout NBA Cup games this season. But the Knicks might not have won the NBA Cup if it wasn’t for Kolek, who was the perfect fill-in for Miles McBride and Landry Shamet.
Kolek is a terrific ball mover and an exciting spark of energy off the bench, and he was on the court for almost the entire fourth quarter. “He played big time,” Brunson said. “I’m very happy for him. Maybe a surprise to a bunch of people, but none of you see how hard this kid works.”
Each player on the Cup-winning team receives roughly $530,933 (before taxes) in prize money, and for youngsters like Kolek, who will earn just $2 million this season, this is valuable cash. “If you’re a rookie, if you’re a young guy, if you appreciate the game, you should be looking at what [Kolek is] doing and how he’s finding his ability to get on the court and stay on the court,” Josh Hart said.
OG Anunoby might have been the Knicks’ best player yesterday (or Brunson, or Clarkson, or Kolek, make your pick), but Mitchell Robinson handled most of the dirty work to quiet Victor Wembanyama. Constrained by a minutes restriction due to a previous injury, and forced to play off the bench, the 7’4 Wembanyama was held to 18 points, and the 7’0 Robinson was his main opponent.
In recent years, Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick, has emerged as the best offensive rebounder in the NBA, and 10 of his 15 rebounds gave the Knicks additional scoring chances. Robinson did an incredible job of matching Wembanyama’s timing and keeping him honest in the paint. Wembanyama, who averages 3.5 blocks per game, was limited to two. And by the way, no San Antonio player finished with a plus-minus rating lower than Wembanyama’s -18.
“Mitch’s ability to challenge Wemby’s shots and then put pressure on Wemby and [Luke] Kornet on the other end of the floor, offensive rebounding, that changed the game,” said Brown.
Robinson is 27 years old, and the Knicks drafted him 36th overall in 2018. Despite several injuries, which have been the greatest challenge of his career, the Knicks retained Robinson when they let so many players go. There is a reason why he survived multiple coaches and general managers.
“Been here eight years, longest-tenured Knick here,” Robinson said. “This is a huge accomplishment in the rebuild and the growth. Been here with four different coaches. Seen it all.”
In the waning minutes of the third quarter, the Knicks found themselves trailing by 11 points, but a three-point shot from Jordan Clarkson kick-started the offense. The Knicks scored 13 of the next 15 points, and back-to-back three-pointers by Clarkson tied the game and put the Knicks ahead 97-94. With 1:55 left in regulation, OG Anunoby served the dagger with a key corner three, giving the Knicks an eight-point lead.
The New York Knicks are NBA Cup champions. This is a historic moment. Ultimately, it’s a piece of the championship puzzle the Knicks seek to complete in 2026.
Schedule
6:30 PM: Road to the Winter Classic; TNT, TRUTV
