The New York Knicks are the NBA Cup champions after defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 124-113. It was a battle until the end, and it looked like the Knicks were going to lose control of the rope after being down by as much as 11 points late in the third quarter. That didn't bother the Knicks, as they stormed back and made big plays in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Jalen Brunson was good all night, and he finished the game with 25 points, four rebounds, and eight assists, and with that, he won the MVP award for the game.
Right after the buzzer sounded, Brunson went over and showed respect to all of the Spurs players and coaches. Brunson is a class act, and doing that is commendable.
Knicks storm the court to celebrate winning the NBA Cup.
Jalen Brunson, however, acknowledged every Spurs player before joining in.
Victor Wembanyama wanted no part of him. Barely acknowledged Brunson, who big bro’d him this time with some taps and a W. pic.twitter.com/igEkMB1MNS
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) December 17, 2025
Head coach Mike Brown continued to hype up his point guard after the game, and he let the reporters know that he should be in actual NBA MVP conversations with how he's been playing.
“I hope on this stage, you guys, when you start talking about MVP candidates, his name is one of the first to come out of your mouth. Because on this stage, to go get it done while winning is what, in my opinion, what the MVP is about,” Brown said.
There's no doubt that Brunson has been playing at a high level this season, and the Knicks are benfitting from it, as they are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Before the season started, there was always an expectation that the Knicks would be one of the top teams, and after their loss in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, they were going to come back with a goal in mind.
With them winning the NBA Cup title, the next thing they should have on their mind is the NBA title.
