Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Cup championship predictions
Knicks and Spurs clash in NBA Cup Championship Game, predict who will win
The New York Knicks are the new NBA Cup champions, and their players just got a little lucky.
On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Knicks built a lead behind a decisive effort that crushed their offense in the fourth quarter, defeating the San Antonio Spurs by a score of 124-113 in the 2025 NBA Cup Finals in Las Vegas.
OG Anunoby had an efficient night, making 10 of 17 shots and leading all players with 28 points. He also made an impact on the boards, contributing nine points.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson scored 25 points on 11-of-27 shooting, but San Antonio had limited effectiveness from the free-throw stripe as Brunson made just four shots from there.
Seven players scored in double figures for the Spurs, but their impact in the final stages was limited due to Victor Wembaneyama’s playing time being limited as he continues to recover from a calf strain. Wenbanyama spent most of the game on the bench as New York went on a 15-3 run early in the fourth inning.
The Knicks outscored the Spurs 59-42 and had a huge lead in points scored in the paint, 56-44. San Antonio made just 5 of 18 shots in the fourth quarter.
This will be New York State’s first NBA Cup championship since the Lakers won the first tournament in 2023, followed by the Bucks in 2024.
The Spurs are working on strengthening their offensive line and are struggling to get shots in the fourth. Meanwhile, the Knicks extended their lead to 15-3 and to 104-97 with 7:40 remaining. The Spurs missed their first three field goals in the period, while the Knicks made 14 in the same period.
New York isn’t going away quietly. The Knicks quickly regained an 8-0 lead in the first minute and a half of the fourth quarter. This should give you a firm finish. Fasten the buckle.
Victor Wembaneyama took over in the third quarter. And coincidentally, the San Antonio Spurs built a solid lead heading into the final quarter of the 2025 NBA Cup.
Wenbanyama hit a few threes, hit a mid-range jumper and made an impact on defense. He currently has a team-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
Both teams are trying to pick up the pace and catch the opposing defense in compromised positions. And while the Spurs opened up an 11-point lead in the third, New York had the answer to close the gap heading into the final frame.
OG Anunoby continues to lead the Knicks with 22 points, while the Spurs’ guards have done a great job holding Jalen Brunson to 19 points.
One thing to note in New York is that Karl-Anthony Towns appeared to hurt his knee and sat on the bench in favor of area.
The Knicks started the third just 2-of-8 from the floor, giving the Spurs a double-digit lead. New York would get it back to single digits, but the highlight was this reverse alley-oop slam from Victor Wembaneyama.
The battle for the NBA Cup is heating up.
The Knicks rallied from a 3-point deficit, but OG Anunoby was active from all three levels of the floor, dropping a game-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Jalen Brunson added 15 points, but San Antonio did a solid job of keeping him off the line. He only attempted three free throws, but made 6 of 15 overall.
Both teams attack in the paint and both protect the ball, but it’s San Antonio’s bench that has the early advantage. The Spurs bench gave up 18 points to New York’s five.
Stephon Castle was a dynamic performer for the Spurs, cutting into the paint and breaking through New York’s defense, often attracting attention and feeding his teammates. Castle had six points and seven assists. However, De’Aaron Fox is not the team’s leader in assists, as he has eight points to go with nine points.
The Spurs are shooting 47.1% from the floor and the Knicks are shooting 45.3%.
San Antonio began a modest 7-3 run that culminated with two dunks to take a 50-43 lead. The seven-point difference marks the Spurs’ largest lead of the game.
The first slam came off an offensive rebound where Stephon Castle found a streaming Devin Vassell and vaulted over OG Anunoby for a dunk. The second goal came after a steal by Victor Wembaneyama. After stealing the ball from Josh Hart, Wembaneyama tossed the ball to Castle on the fast break for an unbeatable slam.
In a back-and-forth first quarter, it was the Spurs who gained an early advantage by tightening up their defense in the final stages.
San Antonio forced New York to miss four of its last five attempts to end the quarter.
Several starters contributed for the Spurs. Devin Vassell (7 points) led the way, with De’Aaron Fox (6 points) and Harrison Barnes (6 points) also hitting timely hits.
Interestingly, unlike his performance in Saturday’s upset performance against the Thunder in the semifinals, Spurs phenom Victor Wembaneyama didn’t have the same impact coming off the bench against the Knicks. Wembangyama played 5 minutes, 13 seconds and struggled to find a rhythm, hitting only 1 of 4 shots and earning 2 points. After posting a +21 in 20:39 against Oklahoma City, Wenbanyama was -6 in his first stint on the floor.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby were the spark for the Knicks offense. The two combined for 19 points and five assists.
The Knicks are shooting 48% from the floor, including making 4 of 10 3-pointers.
Watch NBA Cup games on Amazon Prime Video
Just because Victor Wembaneyama comes off the bench doesn’t mean the Spurs are going to start slowly.
San Antonio started the game shooting 7-of-11 (63.6%) from the floor and took a narrow 17-12 lead at the first media timeout. The Knicks entered Tuesday’s season ranked fourth in the NBA in rebounds per game (45.9), but San Antonio had the early advantage, outscoring New York 8-3 in rebounds.
The Spurs also took advantage of two offensive rebounds, scoring four second-chance points early in the game.
How to watch the Spurs vs. Knicks NBA Cup Finals: TV, live streaming
The 2025 NBA Cup Finals between San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks will be streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
- date: December 16th (Tuesday)
- time: 8:30 PM ET (5:30 PM PT)
- position: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
- tv set: Not applicable
- streaming:Amazon Prime Video
What time is the NBA Cup Final between Spurs and Knicks today?
The San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks will compete for the third annual NBA Cup title on Tuesday, December 10th at 8:30pm ET (5:30pm local time) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
- jalen brunson
- and anunoby
- Mikal Bridge
- josh hart
- Karl Anthony Towns
The San Antonio Spurs will once again have Victor Wembaneyama off the bench. Their starting five is:
- De’Aaron Fox
- steffon castle
- Devin Vassell
- harrison burns
- Luke Cornett
The San Antonio Spurs will have enough players for tonight’s game.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks will be without guard Myles McBride with a sprained left ankle and guard Landry Shamet with a sprained right shoulder.
The New York Knicks are considered the favorites to take on the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup championship game.
Odds from BetMGM as of December 16th:
- spread: Knicks (-2.5)
- money line: Knicks (-140). Spurs (+115)
- over/under:233.5
Three NBA experts from USA TODAY Sports have chosen the winner of the Spurs-Knicks game. Click here to read a breakdown of each.
