The in-season tournament, the NBA Cup, is going to end and bring us a colorful event this Tuesday. Coming Tuesday, we have the Knicks facing the Spurs in the NBA Cup finals. We have several exciting pieces of news ahead, including Wembanyama’s return, Jalen Brunson’s MVP pride, and more. The semi-finals went excellently, with the Spurs beating the Thunder and the Knicks beating the Magic. This narrative surprised everyone, as the majority expected the Thunder to win. Moreover, the Knicks vs Magic game was also entertaining to the core. Coming to the NBA Cup 2025 finals, the Knicks vs. the Spurs has a rich storyline behind it. We will explore it along with the detailed prediction. So, let’s jump in. If you like to get more basketball predictions, follow Bettingpremier.
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What Can Be Expected in the NBA Cup 2025 Finals?
Victor Wembanyama’s return to the team has raised hopes for the team and its fans. His standalone scoring form has been the talk of the town ahead of the upcoming NBA Cup finals. Facing the Knicks, the Spurs star has reported that he is more confident for the upcoming game against the Knicks. Conversely, the Knicks’ star, Jalen Brunson, is expected to be pivotal as he ranks among the top players this season. Stay tuned to get more sports updates from Bettingpremier.
NBA Cup 2025 Season – A Short Recap of What Happened
Group Stage
The 2025 NBA Cup event saw numerous clutch performances from underdog teams that we never expected. On top of that, the previous champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, got eliminated as they lost to the Knicks. It was completely unexpected as nobody expected the Knicks to beat the Bucks on the final Cup Night.
The Raptors, Magic, Lakers, and Oklahoma City Thunder all had an unbeaten streak in the group stage. They all had a perfect record of 4-0 and undoubtedly secured a knockout stage qualification.
Besides them, the Western Conference had a competitive drama over the wild-card qualification. The Phoenix Suns got a wild-card entry by beating the LA Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies in a tie-breaker. Follow Bettingpremier for more NBA Cup commentaries.
East Group A
The Toronto Raptors took the first spot in East Group A with their perfect 4-0 record. They used their opponents’ injury list as an opportunity and capitalized on it. Their qualification was confirmed in the final shot by Brandon Ingram against the Pacers.
East Group B
The Orlando Magic won all their group stage games and held the unbeatable record of 4-0. They had an MVP-caliber performance from Desmond Bane in the all-or-nothing game against the Pistons. They left the Pistons and the Celtics behind; the Magic entered the knockout stage.
East Group C
The New York Knicks were so close to losing the knockout stage qualification to the Heat, who were also 3-1. But the Knicks took the lead in the point-differential stat. Above all, the Knicks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, who were the previous season’s champions. This win against the Bucks was unexpected and came out of the blue. The Miami Heat won the wild card entry, coming close to the Knicks.
West Group A
The Oklahoma City Thunder continued its usual dominance, already at its peak from its regular-season. In addition, they captured the NBA Cup group stage title in the West Group A final. They finished with a 4-0 record and had the best point differential in the tournament of +75. The Phoenix Suns followed them with a 3-1 record and entered via the wild card.
West Group B
The Los Angeles Lakers captured the West Group B with their resilience and depth. But the Memphis Grizzlies lost the chance to enter the wild card, given the tiebreaker rules.
West Group C
The West Group C was highly competitive among the teams: the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and the Rockets. The Spurs ultimately won the knockout qualification, beating out the other teams in the group stage.
Knockout Stage Recap
Quarterfinals
The NBA Cup quarter-finals have closed, leaving the four best teams to fight in the semifinals. It started with the Magic vs Heat rivalry, where the Magic edged out the Heat by 9 points. Similarly, the Knicks also had a great game against the Raptors. Brandon Ingram scored relentlessly against the Knicks, but OG Anunoby’s performance was nothing inferior. He scored numerous shots and led the Knicks to a win over the Raptors. OG Anunoby’s performance is the highlight, which enabled them to win. The Thunder outscored the Phoenix Suns with an extremely high margin that would intimidate the Knicks in the semi-finals. They scored 128 points and never allowed the Suns to score after 89 points. Likewise, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Lakers, led by the scoring giant Stephon Castle. Despite having legends like LeBron James, the Lakers failed to capitalize on their chances.
Semi Finals
The NBA Cup 2025 semi-finals have concluded with the final set to be between the Knicks and Spurs. After a hard battle, the Spurs defeated the Thunder by 2 points, and the Magic lost to the Knicks. The Spurs had Wembanyama sidelined for a long time, who will return in the next game against the Knicks. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams went on a scoring spree and saved the team from a disaster. On the other hand, the New York Knicks outscored the Magic in the last three quarters. OG Anunoby’s dominance, along with Jalen Brunson’s MVP shooting, propelled them to the finals. After a 3-point deficit in the first quarter, the Knicks closed the gap and edged out the Magic. They led by 7 points in the second quarter and won the next two quarters. Ultimately, the Knicks head to face the Spurs in the finals.
Knicks vs Spurs – NBA Cup Finals
Event Details
The NBA Cup finals will be held at T-Mobile Arena on 16 December 2025. This game will start at 08:30 a.m. ET.
The New York Knicks’ previous performance was a significant victory over the Orlando Magic. Their 132-120 win over the Magic was dominant and efficient as they held the Magic to 12 points below. The key to their victory is their effective scoring. Jalen Brunson’s 40 points singlehandedly lifted the team’s confidence, along with Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. The Knicks also showed great ball movement within their squad, which enabled them to control possession. OG Anunoby also provided a good defense, given his three steals and a block in the game.
The San Antonio Spurs turned the tables with their recent win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They had only 2 points from drawing the game, but managed to edge out the Thunder. Particularly, Victor Wembanyama was sidelined earlier; his anticipated return has positively impacted the team. His dynamic contribution was the primary reason for their win over the Thunder. But he is not the only hope for the team, as their bench has quality and depth. Several players like Vassell, De’Aaron Fox, Castle, and Johnson scored equally well, which showed their versatile offensive side. Above all, their clutch performance is off the charts as they scored the decisive points.
Currently, the New York Knicks show a strong scoring ability with 121.0 points per game. But the overall scoring efficiency favors the San Antonio Spurs, who have a more versatile squad. Even in two-pointer efficiency, the San Antonio Spurs have the lead by a slight difference. But the New York Knicks have a more stable and frequent 3-pointer efficiency. Defensively, the New York Knicks have a good rebounding ratio, but the Spurs have a higher possession rate. This game will be a close contest, but the San Antonio Spurs have a more stable scoring probability.
Prediction
The San Antonio Spurs will win in this NBA Cup game.