After a riveting second half comeback, the Knicks captured the NBA Cup with a 124-113 win over the San Antonio Spurs. A benefit of the cup is that it offers a glimpse into how teams react in high-leverage situations, how coaches figure out rotations and how the best players handle the bright lights.
New York's run in the NBA Cup was quick with three elimination games over the span of a full week, but it offered a chance to see how a future run in the playoffs could look in 2026.
Let’s look at three things we learned about the team after the NBA Cup title win.
Consistent scorer
After a 25-point, eight-assist night against San Antonio, Jalen Brunson took home the NBA Cup MVP award. It was a pedestrian night for the Knick captain, who shot 11-for-27, but his overall Cup performance was impressive.
Brunson averaged 33.3 points on 54.7 percent from the field and 6.7 assists through the three Cup elimination games.
The two-time All-Star has already cemented himself as one of the top performers in franchise history in just three and a quarter seasons. He has guided New York to more playoff series wins (four) than the franchise had in 22 seasons prior to his arrival.
And even with a new head coach in Mike Brown and an adjustment of having the ball in his hands less, Brunson has thrived.
Though there’s often talk about how hard it is to win with a diminutive point guard, Brunson has quieted doubters with clutch play. In high pressure situations, with elite defenses game-planning to short circuit the Knicks offense, Brunson has delivered constantly.
New York has added the pieces around Brunson to form a contender, but the NBA Cup was a reminder that the Knicks point guard is the ultimate factor that gives this team a chance to make the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.
Third option
The Knicks' pecking order at the top has always been clear. Brunson is the team’s go-to scorer, and Karl-Anthony Towns is a clear number two option. Behind that, the Knicks have a committee of role players that are all capable of taking over the scoring on any given night.
One player making a case to break out into a larger role is OG Anunoby.
New York’s resident “demon” proved to be the catalyst in the club’s cup run, scoring 52 points in the two Las Vegas games. Though his overall scoring (16.2 points) is down from last season, Anunoby’s mix of finishing ability around the rim with corner three-point shooting has been invaluable to New York’s second-ranked offense.
Dec 16, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) dunks the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during the Emirates NBA Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
We’ve seen these types of offensive outbursts before with Anunoby.
He emerged when Brunson was sidelined for 15 games with an ankle injury last year, averaging 23.2 points on 47.6 percent shooting. The question is can the defensive stalwart be a consistent source of offense for New York?
Anunoby had a relatively quiet offensive showing in the playoffs last year, but under a new coach, he could be due for an offensive breakout.
Surprise contributor
The Cup does carry some similarities to the playoffs -- with the high stakes nature of the games, rotations get cut short and minutes for core players increase.
Early in the season, the NBA Cup showcased who New York's new head coach trusts to be on the floor. As an example, Guerschon Yabusele saw just four total minutes in the final two games, including a DNP on Tuesday night.
As expected, Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Clarkson earned minutes off the bench, but an unexpected ascender in New York’s rotation during these games was Tyler Kolek.
The second year point guard scored 14 points in the title game and found himself on the floor in crunch time. Coach Brown went to two point guard lineups with Brunson and Kolek on the floor at the same time often. The decision paid off as Kolek gave the Knicks another ball-handler to ease the full-court pressure applied to Brunson and make plays.
Coming into the season, the Knicks needed one of their recent draft picks to step into a rotation spot. Kolek could use the tournament as a building block to gain consistent playing time.
One concern is Kolek’s play adds to an already crowded backcourt. With Clarkson and the injured duo of Miles McBride and Landry Shamet part of the rotation, it will be tricky for all of them to see minutes, but that’s a good problem to have.
The Knicks can trust Kolek to be on the floor in serious moments.
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