NBA Cup win announces Knicks as serious title contenders

The New York Knicks got a big win in the NBA Cup final Tuesday night. It might be a preview for some more big wins this May and June.

The Knicks defeated Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, 124-113. New York excelled all over the court, out-rebounding the Spurs, shooting well from outside and, in a big departure from last season, got big contributions from their bench.

New York thwarted Victor Wembanyama in the win

One big difference from last season for the Knicks was the presence of Mitchell Robinson, who missed most of last season with injuries. He came up big in the final, slowing down Wembanyama and grabbing 15 rebounds in 18 minutes, adding two blocked shots and a steal.

Even facing Wembanyama and another 7-footer in Luke Kornet, the Knicks dominated the boards, with 59 rebounds to the Spurs' 42. Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed 11 rebounds, OG Anunoby had nine and the Knicks finished the game with 32 second-chance points, their most since 2020. The Spurs are a top-10 rebounding team and allow the second-fewest offensive rebounds in the NBA, making their inside dominance more impressive.

Wembanyama finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two blocks, but he was -18 in his 25 minutes. He caught fire during the third quarter, scoring 10 straight points for the Spurs while the Knicks had a reserve-heavy lineup on the floor, but the Knicks backups countered with eight points of their own in that stretch.