Dec 9, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) hugs New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) after losing at the 2025-26 NBA Emirates Cup at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Knicks Finally Break NBA Cup Curse

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Dec 10, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The New York Knicks had mastered the seeding phase of the NBA Cup. They showed up every year ready to compete in the league's newest attempt at sprucing up the regular season, winning 75% of the group play games that determined whether they'd advance to the knockout round and moving onto the final-eight in all three seasons of the tournament's existence.

They took three of the four seeding games on their schedule in squaring off against the Toronto Raptors in the Cup's quarterfinals, a position the Knicks were no strangers to after back-to-back eliminations at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks. But with the threat of an irritating pattern developing, they rose to the occasion in throttling the Raptors in a 117-101, sealing their first ever Cup semi-finals appearance and a trip to Las Vegas.

Answering the Call of the Cup

Mike Brown made good on his word in voicing his excitement for the first high-stakes opportunity he's been granted as the Knicks' coach, with the new head coach continually reaping the rewards of his revamped rotation.

He hasn't let injuries get his team down in winning eight of New York's last nine games, countering Mitchell Robinson's physical unavailabilities by reinserting Josh Hart back into the starting-five, a decision that's lined up identically with the newest winning spell. He posted a loud 21 points in the victory, thrashing through Toronto's attempt at transition defense and knocking down four 3-pointers as the wide-open shooter.

New York Knicks Guard Josh Hart Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

His presence was huge in this one, as was super role player Mikal Bridges and, of course, Jalen Brunson. The star scorer had one of his best outings of the season with 35 points on 19 shots, converting on nearly 70% of a challenging shot diet that's heavily reliant on pull-up jumpers and unassisted prayers.

Detailing the Path Ahead

Next on the Knicks' schedule stand the Orlando Magic, a physical team that New York's struggled with. Within a week of winging a ball at OG Anunoby, Desmond Bane dropped 37 points to boot the cross-state rival Miami Heat from further tourney contention. Having a sturdy defender like Anunoby back for another go-around will help the Knicks handle the Magic again, but they're certainly worth as much of the Knicks' attention as any team out east.

And even though the league has heard criticism for attempting to force the Cup into the face of the average NBA fan, the opportunity to feed aspiring contenders like the Knicks with opportunities to meet the moment of a playoff atmosphere is just what Brown was looking forward to in previewing the win. The Raptors and their winning record are no chumps; the Knicks are just a team ready to make their Vegas debut.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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