OG Anunoby chipped in with 28 points, and Jalen Brunson added 25 points to get the New York Knicks a thrilling comeback victory. The Knicks prevailed over Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio Spurs 124-113 on Tuesday night to lift the NBA Cup.

The victory gives New York a chance at a spot in a select group of teams to bring home a new banner at Madison Square Garden. The last time New York won a banner, it came with a 1973 NBA title, and it has stood alone ever since.

The roster of the Knicks is like that of a mature championship team. Jalen Brunson, also named the NBA Cup MVP, along with Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, celebrated cutting down the nets in college with Villanova.

Knicks chasing a spot in the NBA Finals

The trio are the biggest stars of a team that is chasing a spot in the NBA Finals as they look to battle their way to the top in a lacklustre Eastern Conference.

“We got down 10 or whatever it was and we found a way to win. That’s going to be our motto going forward: we’re going to find a way,” said Brunson.

He continued, “OG Anunoby, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robertson — they played their asses off tonight.

Head coach Mike Brown also highlighted why the title served as a significant milestone for his first season. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson blamed the all-round issues within the team for the loss.

“I think we struggled more as a team. We gave up a lot of offensive rebounds, which hurt us getting out in transition. To be able to feel those games, work those games, be in the moment in those games, I think is a valuable experience,” the runner-up coach added.

Karl-Anthony Towns puts on a show despite being injured

New York also had a courageous performance from Karl-Anthony Towns, who closed with 16 points and 11 rebounds while playing with a calf problem.

Towns limped off towards the locker room with a minute left in the half and also headed towards the bench midway through the third quarter, only to go back with about a minute left in the fourth. Reports later confirmed that he suffered a calf problem.

However, San Antonio dished out the offense in the loss, as Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 21 points, while Victor Wembanyama chipped in 18. De’Aaron Fox also made his presence felt with 16. Nevertheless, the Knicks dominated the game throughout the night, as they outrebounded San Antonio 59-42.

Mitchell Robinson made his presence known everywhere on the court, collecting 15 rebounds, of which 10 were offensive.

Knicks roster claims $530,933 payout per player 

Despite dominating the game defensively, San Antonio took long to take the lead, but the tide finally turned towards the end of the third quarter. Spurs found themselves behind, and the Knicks stormed to a 13-1 spurt to take a 100-95 advantage and never looked back after that.

Their win not only gave them the championship but also increased the bank account of all the Knicks players who were on regular contracts by an additional $318,560, taking their total amount from the tournament to $530,933 after winning the final game and entering the championships.

This outcome doesn’t impact the standings within the regular season, so both squads maintain an 18-7 record, sitting atop their respective divisions. However, looking back on past seasons, a deep postseason run often serves as the catalyst for an even more successful campaign to follow. 

Victor Wembanyama’s grandmother passed away before the final

All four finalists from the last NBA Cup competition – the Los Angeles Lakers, the Indiana Pacers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Milwaukee Bucks – each qualified for the postseason the subsequent year.

After the match, Spurs marquee star Victor confirmed that he played the game with a heavy heart as he had ‘lost somebody’. Reports claimed that Wembanyama was earlier informed that his grandmother had passed away in France. He only took two questions in the post-match presser before leaving the podium.

The 21-year-old Frenchman was moved to tears as he told reporters the loss would help Spurs prepare better for the playoffs.

Wemby made his return to competitive basketball after sitting out 12 games due to a calf issue.

The NBA Cup final was a star-studded affair as usual, with some of the biggest names from across the globe attending the marquee clash. Among those who graced the occasion were Chris Bosh, Spike Lee, Adam Silver, and Zach Randolph.