The New York Knicks (18-7) enter Tuesday’s NBA Cup Final against the San Antonio Spurs (18-7) as -2.5 point betting favorites, per DraftKings, even though both teams own identical records at the 25-game mark of the season.
Perhaps oddsmakers are giving the Knicks a slight edge due to their experience advantage, not to mention the fact that Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama will be on a minutes restriction in his second game back after a 12-game absence with a calf strain.
Either the Spurs or the Knicks will be crowned the third winner of the annual NBA Cup, after the Los Angeles Lakers (2023) and Milwaukee Bucks (2024) prevailed in the first two editions of the in-season tournament.
The Spurs and Knicks clashed in the 1999 NBA Finals when Tim Duncan led the Spurs to the first of five titles. Could Tuesday’s game be a preview of the 2026 NBA Finals?
Spurs, the Crowd Favorites?
Although the Knicks and Spurs will clash at a neutral venue, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Mitch Johnson’s team may have the fans in their corner. During Saturday’s semifinal win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning NBA champions, fans in Las Vegas were firmly behind Wemby’s Spurs, a game that went down to the wire.
The youthful Spurs took a big step by snapping the Thunder’s 16-game win streak and handing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. just their second loss of the season.
As the Spurs improved to 18-7 — their best 25-game start to a season since 2016-17 — Wemby sent a warning to the rest of the league.
“It’s our first time playing [with] everybody [healthy],” Wembanyama said, via ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “We were already a solid team already more than 20 games ago. It’s just experience. We’re just figuring it out. And the difference with us and [Thunder] is we haven’t had this many reps recognizing what it takes to win. This is our next step.”
Wemby credited his teammates for going 10-2 during his 12-game absence — an outcome that nobody saw coming.
“Almost every night they have proven to me that I have nothing to worry about,” the Frenchman said of his teammates. “The brand of basketball we are playing, that they have been playing, just makes me proud because it’s getting closer to the ideal basketball in my opinion. It’s just beautiful to see.”
Knicks on Hot Streak
As impressive as the young Spurs have been, the Knicks are on a roll of their own, having won nine of their last 10 games — including five in a row.
Although Tuesday’s NBA Cup final won’t count against the 82-game regular-season record, the Knicks have an opportunity to play in a pressure-cooker game in preparation for another deep playoff run, a year after reaching the Conference Finals.
Unlike last season, the Knicks have a deep bench and a more polished offense under Mike Brown, something Karl-Anthony Towns has credited for the recent hot streak.
“We’re all adjusting and he’s making it as easy as possible for us to do that,” Towns said of the new Knicks head coach, via NBA.com’s Shaun Powell. “We’re still learning, but winning games while learning is a testament to the coaching staff and the guys in the locker room, that we’re doing what it takes to win.”
Either Jalen Brunson (Knicks) or Stephon Castle (Spurs) is expected to win the NBA Cup Finals MVP trophy. Wemby is unlikely to be eligible due to games missed. LeBron James (2023) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2024) won the previous two awards.
The Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Cup Final will tip off at 8:30 PM ET on Tuesday, streaming live worldwide on Amazon Prime Video.
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