The San Antonio Spurs Vs Knicks Timeline produced its most significant chapter on December 17, 2025, when the New York Knicks overcame an eleven-point deficit in the final minutes to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 and claim the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup Championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The victory ended New York’s 52-year wait for silverware, delivering the franchise its first championship banner since the 1973 NBA Finals and earning each Knicks player $530,933 in prize money.
OG Anunoby led all scorers with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting, while Jalen Brunson posted 25 points and eight assists and was unanimously named NBA Cup MVP.
San Antonio Spurs Vs Knicks Timeline: Quarter-By-Quarter Breakdown
| Quarter | Spurs | Knicks | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 30 | 28 | Spurs edge narrow opener; KAT opens scoring with 3 |
| Q2 | 31 | 31 | Spurs lead 61-59 at half; Wembanyama subdued with 4 pts |
| Half | 61 | 59 | San Antonio +2 |
| Q3 | 33 | 30 | Wemby erupts for 10 straight; Spurs lead 94-89 |
| Q4 | 19 | 35 | Knicks go on 43-21 closing run |
| Final | 113 | 124 | New York win by 11 |
Key Momentum Moments
| Time | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 early | Spurs 3-pointer burst | Three threes in first two minutes of Q2 open lead |
| Q2 mid | Castle fast break | Vassell slam + Castle layup; Spurs lead by 7 |
| Q2 end | Anunoby double dunks | Back-to-back dunks bring Knicks within 2 at half |
| Q3 | Wembanyama surge | 10 straight points — 3, oop, 3, middy — Spurs lead 92-81 |
| Q3/Q4 bridge | Knicks 16-2 run | Clarkson back-to-back 3s; Knicks retake lead |
| Q4 | Robinson putback dunk | Opens 4th, followed by offensive board setting up Clarkson 3 |
| Q4 | Clarkson 3 | Second Clarkson triple in sequence; crowd frenzy |
| Q4 | Anunoby corner 3 | Clinches the win with under 2 minutes left; 118-110 |
Box Score — December 17, 2025
New York Knicks
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OG Anunoby | 28 | 9 | 3 | Game-high; 5-of-10 from 3, 10-of-17 FG |
| Jalen Brunson | 25 | — | 8 | NBA Cup MVP; 34 pts per game average through tournament |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 16 | 11 | — | Double-double; left briefly with knee issue |
| Jordan Clarkson | 15 | — | — | 3 triples; key Q4 run |
| Tyler Kolek | 14 | 5 | 5 | Career best; clutch late buckets |
| Josh Hart | 11 | — | — | Block turned 3-pointer |
| Mikal Bridges | 11 | — | — | — |
| Mitchell Robinson | — | 15 | — | 10 offensive rebounds in 18 min; putback dunk |
San Antonio Spurs
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Harper | 21 | 7 | — | 7-of-14 FG |
| Devin Vassell | — | — | — | Active; slam in Q2 |
| De’Aaron Fox | — | — | — | Multiple assists; key facilitator |
| Victor Wembanyama | 18 | 6 | — | 25 min (minutes restriction); 7-of-17 FG; 6 blocks |
| Stephon Castle | — | — | 12 | 2nd-most assists |
Team Stats — December 17, 2025
| Stat | Spurs | Knicks |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 113 | 124 |
| FG% | 41% (41-99) | 47% (49-105) |
| 3PT% | 36% (14-39) | 38% (15-40) |
| FT% | 77% (17-22) | 73% (11-15) |
| Rebounds | 42 | 59 |
| Turnovers | 8 | 11 |
| Largest Lead | 11 | 12 |
| Venue | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas | — |
| Referees | Brent Barnaky, Marc Davis, Nate Green | — |
San Antonio Spurs Vs Knicks Timeline: H2H Historical Context
The most significant prior chapter in this rivalry remains the 1999 NBA Finals, the last time both franchises met with championship stakes on the line.
The Spurs defeated the Knicks 4-1 in that series, with Tim Duncan averaging 27.4 points per game to claim Finals MVP honours, as New York became the first eighth seed in NBA history to reach the Finals.
Twenty-six years on, with 19 of the players who took the floor in Las Vegas not yet born during that 1999 series, the Emirates NBA Cup delivered a new competitive chapter between these two franchises.
2025 NBA Cup Championship Context
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Competition | 2025 Emirates NBA Cup Championship |
| Venue | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas |
| Date | December 17, 2025 |
| Winner | New York Knicks |
| MVP | Jalen Brunson |
| Prize (winners) | $530,933 per player |
| Prize (runners-up) | $212,373 per player |
| Previous Cup Champions | Lakers (2023), Bucks (2024), Knicks (2025) |
| Last Knicks championship | 1973 NBA Finals |
Brunson, who averaged 34 points per game across the entire 2025 NBA Cup tournament and led all Cup competitors in field goals made and attempted, set the tone for a Knicks group that was down 11 with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter before launching the comeback that defined their season.
His post-match tribute spoke as clearly as the scoreboard: “OG Anunoby, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson — without them, we don’t win this.”