Jalen Brunson, Knicks Celebrated By Fans for 2025 NBA Cup Title Win vs. Wemby, Spurs

Tuesday was quite the payday for the New York Knicks.

New York defeated the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 in the 2025 NBA Cup championship game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. There was plenty of money at stake with players on the winning team taking home $530,933 each and the runner-ups pocketing $212,373 each, which gave both teams something to play for in a game that doesn't count in the NBA standings.

The Knicks continued their recent impressive play that included wins in nine of their previous 10 games with the victory that came in large part because of a dominant 35-19 score in the fourth quarter.

OG Anunoby (28 points and nine rebounds) and Jalen Brunson (25 points and eight assists) spearheaded a balanced effort that saw seven New York players score in double figures. Seven Spurs players scored in double figures as well, including Victor Wembanyama (18 points), but it wasn't enough to counter the Knicks.

And the victors drew plenty of reaction from social media in the process:

One of the biggest questions entering the championship game was how much San Antonio would rely on Wembanyama. After all, he returned from a calf injury for Saturday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder for his first game since Nov. 14 and played 21 minutes off the bench.

He once again came off the bench in Tuesday's contest and took more of a secondary role while the Spurs built a 61-59 halftime lead. Instead, it was Luke Kornet establishing himself on the blocks while Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper let it fly from downtown.

The balanced attack was necessary for San Antonio out of the gates just to keep pace with the Brunson and Anunoby combination. 

Anunoby poured in 20 points in the first half alone, two of which came from an incredible pass by Karl-Anthony Towns, while Brunson aggressively attacked the lane while looking for his own shot and setting up his teammates.

It was only a matter of time, though, until Wembanyama made his impact. He dominated the third quarter with two alley-oop dunks, two three-pointers and soft touch on a midrange jumper, underscoring how unstoppable he is as a 7'4" matchup nightmare.

To New York's credit, it remained within striking distance with a five-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter even during the big man's stretch of individual dominance. It didn't help the Eastern Conference team's chances that Towns limped to the bench with an apparent leg injury that kept him out until the final five minutes.

But others picked up the slack with Jordan Clarkson hitting back-to-back threes to take the lead, Tyler Kolek doing a little bit of everything in a complementary role and Mitchell Robinson dominating the boards on both ends of the floor. Just like that, it was the Knicks who seized a lead and expanded on it throughout much of the fourth.

By the time Anunoby drilled a corner three with fewer than two minutes remaining, it was clear who was winning the NBA Cup.

San Antonio won't have to wait long for a chance at revenge since these two teams meet again on New Year's Eve, but the fourth quarter and the NBA Cup belonged to the Knicks.