The early history of the NBA Cup suggests a compelling direction for the Spurs, and an unwanted season end for the Knicks.
The New York Knicks have conquered Las Vegas this Tuesday night, completing their run in the NBA Cup as the new champions with a 124-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
San Antonio Spurs / Schedule
After trailing as many as 11 points with less than six minutes left in the third frame, New York responded with a furious 35-19 run for the remainder of the championship game to hoist the NBA Cup trophy and secure the grand prize money of $530,933 per player.
Jalen Brunson paced the Knicks with his 25 points and eight assists, as he was named the MVP of the entire tournament.
What's Next For Knicks, Spurs After NBA Cup Finals?
As the third NBA Cup is finally in the books, the entire league can finally lock in and focus now on delivering a major run for the remainder of the season.
As such, following their Finals matchup, both the Knicks and the Spurs can only be mindful of the possible fate that awaits them as they leave Sin City.
The early history of the NBA Cup suggests a curious trend: teams that win the tournament tend to exit the playoffs in the first round, while the runners-up have advanced to the deep stages of the postseason, mainly the NBA Finals, in the first two years.
NBA Cup Season Champions Runners-Up
2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers
(ultimately lost in the NBA Playoffs - 1st round)|Indiana Pacers
(made it to the 2025 NBA Finals)|
|2024-25|Milwaukee Bucks
(ultimately lost in the NBA Playoffs - 1st round)|Oklahoma City Thunder
(made it - and won - the 2025 NBA Finals)|
Of course, it’s only a small sample size. But it’s intriguing to see how the 2025–26 outing will unfold for the Knicks, and how things will ultimately play out for the Spurs until next season.
Right now, the Knicks have all the confidence that they can pull it off and win the NBA Finals. Under the new leadership of Mike Brown, New York remains in a prime position as the favorites in the East with an 18-7 record.
As for the Spurs, the meteoric rise continues for them behind superstar Victor Wembanyama. They have an identical win-loss record to the Knicks, occupying the No. 4 spot in the West.
Subscribe to BN+ and get access to exclusive content.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.