Ogugua Anunoby on Tuesday scored 28 points as the New York Knicks ended their 52-year trophy drought with a 124-113 NBA Cup final victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Forward Anunoby rattled in five three-pointers and point guard Jalen Brunson finished with 25 points as New York clinched their first silverware since the 1973 NBA Finals, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
San Antonio went into the final brimming with confidence after upsetting top seeds and reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City in Saturday’s semi-finals thanks to a superb display from French prodigy Victor Wembanyama.
Photo: Getty Images via AFP
However, a dogged all-round performance from New York kept Wembanyama in check and thwarted San Antonio’s hopes of crowning their cup campaign with victory.
The Knicks limited Wembanyama to 18 points while delivering a balanced offensive performance to pull clear in the fourth quarter after trailing by 11 points late in the third.
Seven Knicks players finished in double figures, with Anunoby and Brunson backed by Karl-Anthony Towns (16 points), Jordan Clarkson (15), Tyler Kolek (14), and 11 points apiece from Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. Mitchell Robertson provided a valuable defensive cameo from the bench, hauling in 15 rebounds with two blocks.
“OG Anunoby, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robertson — they played their asses off tonight,” Brunson said after being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
“Without them, we don’t win this,” Brunson said. “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,” he added.
San Antonio had looked to be motoring toward victory when Wembanyama knocked down a 27-foot three-pointer with just over two minutes left in the third period to put the Spurs up 92-81.
However, Clarkson and Kolek drained three-pointers to trim the Spurs lead to five points, and the Knicks then cut loose in the fourth quarter, outscoring their opponents 35-19 to seal the win.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown said winning the title augured well for hopes of mounting a championship run at the NBA Finals in his first season in charge.
“Any time you can participate in an event where you’re the last one standing and you’re able to hang up a banner, especially at iconic MSG [Madison Square Garden], you take that seriously,” Brown said. “And all of our guys took it seriously.”
San Antonio’s scoring was led by Dylan Harper with 21 off the bench, while De’Aaron Fox was the pick of the starters with 16 points.
An emotional Wembanyama fought back tears at the post-game news conference, indicating he was mourning the loss of a loved one.
“Sorry, I just lost somebody today,” he said, before taking one question and departing.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson blamed collective shortcomings for the defeat rather than Wembanyama’s performance.
“I think we struggled more as a team... We gave up a lot of offensive rebounds, which hurt us getting out in transition,” Johnson said. “When we played with the appropriate space, but the right spacing and the right tempo we got some really good looks, and we missed them. I think it was probably more of a team thing than I thought Victor was individually struggling.”
Johnson though believes San Antonio have plenty to build on as they set about pursuing leaders Oklahoma City in the Western Conference.
“Playing really competitive games against really, really good teams,” Johnson said. “Seasoned, experienced teams that have been in similar situations. To be able to feel those games, work those games, be in the moment in those games, I think is a valuable experience.”
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