After 52 years old of fasting, i New York Knicks they returned to raise a trophy. All this, under the eyes of a spirited man Spike Lee – which at times seemed almost the coach of New Yorkers – dressed for the occasion with i social colors dei Knicks. Although Finale from the third edition from the Emirates Nba Cup in fact he saw the team of grande apple beat i San Antonio Spurs 124-113. The matchas expected on the eve, develops on great tracks balance e intensitywith San Antonio capable of dictating the rhythm for long stretches of the meeting thanks to the energy and dynamism of his young. Spurs remain in control despite a Victor Wembanyama away from his usual standardsstopped at 18 points e 6 reboundsand they find a contribution decisive from the bench with a Dylan Harper particularly brilliant, author of 21 points e 7 rebounds.
The turning point However, it arrives between the final part of the third quarter and the beginning oflast periodwhen New York changes pace. The Knicks build success by relying on the leadership of Jalen Brunsonwhich ends with 25 points and is rewarded as MVP of the eventand to the total performance of AND Anunobydecisive on both sides of the campo con 28 points. At that juncture a partial of 13-1 overturns the inertia of we aredelivering to New York the advantage that the team of Mike Brown will then be able to administer with greater experience and clarity until final siren. Il script of the final therefore follows the expectations until the final phase of the third period: San Antonio makes the most of the freshness and intensity of its young players, while the Knicks patiently wait for the right moment to strike. Once they have found the overtaking position, New York never looks back, imposing control and management in the decisive minutes that are worth winning the cup.
Brunson’s performance in the final does not reach the peaks of the Sin the finals and 40 points against them Orlando Magicbut it still remains crucial. The playmaker of the Knicks finishes with 25 points and 8 assists and wins the MVP of the NBA Cup, coming close to achieving unanimity in the votes. Next to him, Anunoby’s performance stands out at the highest level, protagonist in key moments with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists, the result of an excellent 10/17 from the field e 5/10 from long distance. The keys to the Knicks’ success also emerge clearly from the team statistics: net dominance a rebound (59-42) and moles dots in the painting (56-42), data that scales down the impact of Wembanyama and certifies the physical superiority of New York. In this context they are fundamental Karl-Anthony Townscapable of gritting his teeth despite a pain problem calf and close in double double con 16 points and 11 reboundse Mitchell Robinsondecisive from the bench with 15 total reboundsof which well 10 offensive.
For San Antonio, net of the understandable disappointment of the defeat in the final, the path to final four leaves encouraging indications. The most obvious concerns Dylan Harper: il rookie comes off the bench but plays with the personality of a veteran, raising the rhythm offensive of the Spurs and finishing as the best scorer of his team with 21 points, 7 rebounds and an excellent 5/7 from three-point range. The situation is different for Wembanyama who, as already happened in the semi-final against the Oklahoma City Thundersstarts from the bench but struggles to really make an impact. The Frenchman finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds in less than 25 minutes, suffering from the physicality of the Knicks’ defense and coming out defeated by direct comparison con i long opponents.
Updated December 17, 2025 at 5:13 pm
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