A Detailed Look at Jalen Brunson’s MVP Campaign and His Leadership During the Knicks vs Spurs Final
The New York Knicks (19-7) captured their first major hardware in 52 years on Tuesday night, December 16, 2025, defeating the San Antonio Spurs (18-8) 124-113 in the Emirates NBA Cup final. Playing at a sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the Knicks overcame an 11-point second-half deficit with a dominant fourth-quarter surge to secure the franchise's first trophy since their 1973 NBA Championship.
The immediate score and summary of the championship game was a tale of New York’s late-game resilience. San Antonio controlled the majority of the first three quarters behind the playmaking of Stephon Castle and the scoring of Dylan Harper. The Spurs held a 94-89 lead heading into the final frame, but the Knicks unleashed a devastating 35-19 fourth quarter. A 13-1 run early in the period flipped the momentum, and a clutch corner three-pointer from OG Anunoby with less than two minutes remaining effectively sealed the victory for New York.
Key stats from the final highlight the "Villanova Knicks" pedigree. OG Anunoby led all scorers with 28 points, including five three-pointers, while Jalen Brunson added 25 points and 8 assists. Brunson was officially named the 2025 NBA Cup MVP, averaging 33.5 points throughout the tournament. Defensively, Mitchell Robinson was the "unsung hero," pulling down 15 rebounds including a staggering 10 on the offensive end in just 18 minutes of play. For the Spurs, rookie Dylan Harper led with 21 points, while Victor Wembanyama contributed 18 points and 6 rebounds in 25 minutes while on a limited rotation.
The strategic factor in the Knicks vs Spurs result was New York’s bench depth and dominance in the paint. Despite Karl-Anthony Towns missing significant time in the second half due to a left calf injury, the Knicks' second unit led by Jordan Clarkson and Mitchell Robinson outworked San Antonio on the glass. The Knicks outrebounded the Spurs 67-56 and held a 56-44 advantage in points in the lane. New York’s ability to generate second-chance opportunities proved too much for a Spurs team that shot just 26.3% in the final 12 minutes.
Looking at the future outlook, the Knicks return to regular-season play as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, fueled by the $530,933 bonus earned by each player for the victory. The win solidifies New York as a premier contender for the 2026 NBA title. For the Spurs, the loss serves as a "painful education" for a young roster that remains atop the Southwest Division. Both teams will resume their regular-season schedules on Thursday, with New York visiting Indiana and San Antonio hosting Washington.