Brunson’s 40-piece and Wembanyama’s statement return send New York and San Antonio to a 1999 Finals rematch
The New York Knicks booked their place in the Emirates NBA Cup final with a dominant 132-120 win over the Orlando Magic in the Las Vegas semifinals, riding a 40-point, eight-assist performance from Jalen Brunson that underlined his status as the tournament’s standout guard. Their path included a 117-101 quarterfinal victory over the Toronto Raptors and showcased a clear identity built on tough defense, controlled tempo and efficient half-court execution.
On the other side of the bracket, the San Antonio Spurs produced the upset of the competition by edging the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109, snapping OKC’s 16-game winning run and handing the 24-1 league leaders just their second loss of the season. Victor Wembanyama, returning after a month out with a calf strain and coming off the bench for the first time in his 130-game NBA career, delivered 22 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes, supported by 20-plus-point nights from Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.
This will be the third edition of the mid-season tournament first launched as the NBA’s In-Season Tournament in 2023-24, following titles for the Los Angeles Lakers (2023) and Milwaukee Bucks (2024), and it pits two franchises that met in the 1999 NBA Finals against each other again on neutral floor. For New York, whose last championship dates back to 1973, lifting the NBA Cup would be the clearest recent proof that this core can translate regular-season success into silverware.
San Antonio, sitting at 18-7 and now only the second team to beat the Thunder this season, can use a Cup title to signal that its Wembanyama-led rebuild has graduated into true contention. Beyond prestige, there is a significant financial incentive: every player on the winning roster will take home close to half a million dollars in prize money, adding competitive edge to a one-off final that already carries plenty of narrative weight.
Tactically, the final sets up as a clash of contrasting strengths, the Knicks’ physical defense and Brunson-led pick-and-roll attack versus the Spurs’ collective spacing, outside shooting and length anchored by Wembanyama. New York have yet to face a top-five Western Conference team this season, making this matchup a useful barometer of whether one of the East’s best can hold up against elite West opposition.
For the Spurs, Wembanyama’s sharp impact after injury, even in a bench role, hints at another level they can hit in a single-game setting, especially if Fox controls tempo and Vassell and Castle continue to provide scoring balance. For Brunson, the Cup final is an opportunity to extend his breakout as a genuine title-driving star, with a national-stage performance in Las Vegas that could reshape perceptions of the Knicks’ ceiling when the conversation shifts back to the regular season and playoffs.
The Knicks-Spurs final will be played at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday, December 16, in what will be the last year the competition uses the neutral-site Final Four format before higher seeds begin hosting semifinals from 2026. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. local time in Las Vegas, in the early hours of Wednesday morning for European audiences, with international broadcasts already secured to capitalize on a matchup that blends historic resonance with two of the league’s most compelling current centerpieces.
