The New York Knicks have been crowned the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup champions, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 in a high-stakes championship game held in Las Vegas. The Knicks secured their first NBA Cup title by orchestrating a remarkable comeback, outscoring San Antonio 35-19 in the fourth quarter after not holding a single lead during the second and third periods. Their decisive 12-1 run to start the final frame put them ahead for good.

For the New York Knicks, the victory brought a profound sense of accomplishment, with coach Mike Brown emphasizing that the manner of their win – a come-from-behind effort – held more significance than the mere act of clinching the title. Brown noted the value of the single-elimination tournament in manufacturing pressure for his group, an ideal training ground for future high-pressure scenarios, including the playoffs. Emirates NBA Cup MVP Jalen Brunson, despite being slightly off, still delivered 25 points and eight assists. Brunson was quick to credit the crucial contributions of his reserves: Tyler Kolek, Mitchell Robinson, and Jordan Clarkson.

The Knicks' bench proved instrumental in their triumph. Jordan Clarkson, overcoming a season shooting percentage of 28% from three-point range, hit two consecutive critical three-pointers to put the Knicks ahead by three, capping their comeback from a 10-point deficit late in the third quarter. He finished with a team-high plus-15 rating. Mitchell Robinson dominated the boards, grabbing 10 offensive rebounds out of his 15 total in just 18 minutes, effectively occupying Victor Wembanyama in the paint. His offensive rebounds frequently led to many of the Knicks' 15 three-point attempts. Tyler Kolek, financially incentivized by the $500,000 prize, provided critical assists late in the game as the Knicks fended off a Spurs rally in the final three minutes, achieving a plus-14 rating. Other key contributors for New York included OG Anunoby with a team-high 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns with 16 points and 11 rebounds. A pivotal factor in the Knicks' win was their commanding performance on second-chance opportunities, securing 23 offensive rebounds that translated into an astounding 32 second-chance points – a statistic San Antonio had not allowed since Game 3 of the 2001 conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jalen Brunson reflected on the unique environment, stating, "A game like this, an environment like this, you don't really see around the NBA too often. We got to take advantage of the experience that we got here." Coach Brown, initially skeptical of the NBA Cup, now sees its clear value in building confidence and preparing a team to handle pressure in crucial moments. He noted that while it doesn't fully simulate playoff intensity, the Knicks' recent wins against true playoff contenders like Toronto, Orlando, and San Antonio provided invaluable experience.

For the San Antonio Spurs, their longest-tenured player, Keldon Johnson, articulated the new and