No quit in New York.
An all-hands effort. A 4th-quarter comeback. And an Emirates NBA Cup Championship.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Knicks Claim Cup: How New York’s Championship rally defined its identity
MVP Brunson: Cup’s highest scorer gets the recognition New York knows he deserves
Depth Delivers: When it mattered most, New York’s supporting cast shined
Capturing The Cup: Some of our favorite frames from Tuesday’s Cup Championship
All-Star Vote: What to know about the game’s new format as voting begins at 12 ET
BUT FIRST … ⏰
NBA All-Star Voting opens today at Noon ET and closes on Jan. 14. Ahead of the new U.S. vs. World format, fans can vote for starters via the NBA App and NBA.com with their NBA ID.
Two games tip off tonight, with the Cavs visiting the Bulls on League Pass (8 ET | Tap to Watch), while the Wolves host the Grizzlies on NBA TV (8 ET | Tap to Watch).
Next Week: NBA on Christmas Day (Thursday, Dec. 25) unwraps five marquee matchups, including a Cup Semifinals rivalry rematch between the Thunder and Spurs (2:30 ET, ABC).
1. KNICKS RALLY PAST SPURS IN EMIRATES NBA CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
At Monday’s Media Day, Karl-Anthony Towns was asked what makes this Knicks group special.
He didn’t point to stars. He pointed to sacrifice.
“All those guys in that locker room are willing to do whatever it takes,” said Towns. “Our team last year showed that in the Playoffs, when it wasn’t just one person, it was a collective group of guys willing to make that one play…
“This team has the same philosophy – whatever it takes to win, we’ll do.”
On Tuesday, with the Emirates NBA Cup Championship seemingly slipping away and New York facing its biggest deficit of the Knockout Rounds, that collective group found a way – play after play after play.
Knicks 124, Spurs 113: Trailing by 11 with 2:07 left in the 3rd after a Victor Wembanyama surge, the Knicks stormed back on a 43-21 closing run, with OG Anunoby (28 pts, 9 reb) and Jalen Brunson (25 pts, 8 ast) leading a full-unit charge to win the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup in Las Vegas. | Recap
Spurs Storm: After leading the entire 2nd quarter, but only holding a 2-point lead at the half, San Antonio was searching for a spark. That’s when Wemby made his move.
A reverse alley-oop dunk to get things started. Three minutes later, a knockdown 3 – followed by another oop, then another 3 – all in a 57-second burst before splashing a midrange soon after
“The Extraterrestrial Taking Over!”: It was 10 straight points from Wemby (18 pts, 6 reb, 2 blk), jolting T-Mobile Arena as the Spurs seized control
But the Knicks were never fazed. New York answered with a 10-0 run bridging across the 3rd and 4th quarter – where its collective edge ignited a championship close.
It Started On The Glass: Mitchell Robinson opened the 4th with a putback dunk, before hauling in another offensive board to set up Jordan Clarkson’s game-tying 3
Up Next? Yet another offensive board from Robinson – setting up another Clarkson 3 to take the lead, sending Spike Lee and the Knicks bench into a frenzy
The run never stopped. Brunson took command with 6 points and 3 dimes. Tyler Kolek added a string of clutch buckets. Josh Hart delivered a block-turned-banger-3. Anunoby drilled two more triples.
And New York’s hustle fueled it all – grabbing more offensive boards (11) in the quarter than San Antonio had baskets (5).
The Result: Down 5 entering the 4th, the Knicks outscored the Spurs 35-19, using six different scorers, while holding San Antonio to its second-lowest scoring quarter in all of 2025 Cup Play
The Finish: A collective win – and the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup title
And for the Knicks, that title is a testament to who they are.
2. KING OF THE CUP: BRUNSON EARNS MVP HONORS
Emmy winner Ben Stiller appeared on the NBA on Prime halftime show last night to ask his fan hotline question:
“When is Jalen Brunson gonna get the respect he deserves in terms of being in the MVP conversation?”
He got his answer 24 minutes later.
Brunson scored 25 points and dished out eight assists to help make the Knicks the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup Champions, joining LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the NBA Cup MVP club.
1/3 New Yorker: Seventeen points resulted from Brunson’s eight assists, like this dime-drop to Tyler Kolek, meaning he contributed to 42 of New York’s 124 points (33.9%)
Tourney Leader: The captain’s 199 total points in his six Cup games (he missed the Knicks’ second Cup game on Nov. 14 with a sprained ankle) are the most points by any player in this year’s tournament, besting SGA by four
Consistent Attack: Brunson netted at least 25 points in all Cup games this season, an average of 33.2 points (6th-most), to go with 5.8 assists per game
“They just told me to be myself,” Brunson said of his teammates. “They had the utmost confidence in me… the coaching staff, the organization, this fanbase… all of them collectively. Without them, I wouldn’t be here, seriously.”
Through The Field: Brunson led all 2025 Cup players in field goals made (78) and attempted (147), tied for the 6th-most 3s made (18) and tied for 11th-most assists (35)
Cup Legend: His 457 points in three years of the NBA Cup are second all-time to Shai’s 502
“I hope now… when you start talking about [regular-season] MVP candidates, his name is one of the first to come out your mouth,” coach Mike Brown said after celebrating.
“Because on this stage, to go get it done, while winning, is what, in my opinion, an MVP is about. So you guys do your job.”
Jalen Brunson did his.
3. NEW YORK’S DEPTH DELIVERS WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
After receiving his MVP trophy, Jalen Brunson had a special request.
He didn’t want the spotlight – he wanted to redirect it.
“OG Anunoby, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson,” Brunson said into the PA mic. “Without them, we don’t win this.”
While the Cup has further illuminated Brunson’s greatness, it’s also provided an elevated stage for New York’s rotational pieces – the kind that championship teams need to reach the mountaintop.
On Tuesday, with the NBA Cup on the line and the whole hoops world watching, those pieces delivered.
Game-Changer: Tyler Kolek posted 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 20 minutes off the bench, finishing the Knockout Rounds with a team-high +45 plus/minus
Spark-Starter: Jordan Clarkson added 15 points, scoring 13 in the 2nd half, including his two momentum-swinging 3s to open the 4th
Board Bully: Robinson finished with a game-high 15 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive glass – six of which came in the final frame
Cold-Blooded: After dropping 24 against Orlando in the Semis, Anunoby followed up with a game-high 28 on five 3s, including the dagger with 1:56 left
“It’s a resilient group,” said Anunoby postgame. “We’re all mentally tough. We’re all battle tested … when adversity hits, we always respond.”
That adversity hit late in the 3rd quarter.
En route to Tuesday’s Championship, the Spurs had knocked off the Rockets, Nuggets and Lakers before handing the 24-2 Thunder just their second loss of the season in the Semifinals.
Now, San Antonio was making another run, with Wembanyama – one of the world’s best players – in another zone.
But the Knicks met the moment. It wasn’t just Brunson. It wasn’t just Towns. It was everybody, with Clarkson (8), Anunoby (6), Kolek (6), Robinson (4) and Josh Hart (5), combining for 29 of New York’s 35 points in the 4th quarter.
“Our bench did that tonight, they did that for us,” said Brunson on New York’s rally. “Without them, I don’t hold that [MVP] trophy, we don’t hold that trophy as a team.”
Now, New York is after a second trophy – the Larry O’Brien – knowing it has what it takes to get there.
“The Cup is special,” said Towns after the win. “You saw tonight, and here in Vegas … it brought out the best of all the teams…
“We’re going to hold this Cup championship dear to our hearts, and now, it’s time to work on the second one.”
4. CAPTURING THE CUP: CHAMPIONSHIP FRAMES
In a tournament that made waves with its easily-identified, colorful, custom courts, the Knicks opted for their blackout Statement Edition jerseys for the finale.
And make a statement, they did.
Here are a few of the Starting 5 teams’ favorite statement shots from their Cup Championship dub.
5. NBA ALL-STAR VOTING OPENS TODAY FOR NEW U.S. vs. WORLD FORMAT
2026 NBA All-Star Game voting begins in just a few hours at Noon ET. Fans can cast their votes today through Jan. 14, with All-Star starters set to be announced Monday, Jan. 19.
How To Vote: Fans with an NBA ID may submit one ballot each day via the NBA App and NBA.com
3-For-1 Days: Votes cast on the following dates count 3X: Dec. 21, Christmas Day, Dec. 30, Jan. 7 and Jan. 14
The 75th NBA All-Star Game tips off on Sunday, Feb. 15, on NBC & Peacock (5 ET) from the LA Clippers’ Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA.
An all-new format, as unveiled on NBA Showtime on NBC & Peacock, gives this 75th All-Star Game a global flavor in line with the NBA’s ever-growing international impact, with this season showcasing a record 135 international players from 43 countries.
U.S. vs. World: 24 All-Stars (12 from each conference) will be placed among teams A, B & C: Two U.S. squads of 8 players each and one World team of 8 international players
Tournament Play: Those three teams will play in a round-robin of four 12-minute games. Each team will face off once, with the two best records advancing to Game 4’s championship
Positionless Picks: This year’s All-Stars will be selected without regard to position
Players and personalities around the league are excited about the new format’s added stakes.
“If I’m blessed and honored with the opportunity to represent the World in this new All-Star format, that would be amazing,” SGA said. “I like playing for my country, it puts a little pride on my shoulders.”
“I think it’s gonna be fun for players to be able to represent their countries… I’m excited about the new format,” Cade Cunningham said.
“This is an incredible format.” Melo and Vince Carter describe the “different feeling” of having USA on your jersey
Don’t forget to cast your votes today, starting at Noon ET in the NBA app and NBA.com.
Get full details on the All-Star Game format, voting and selection processes here.