It all comes down to this.
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The San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks will face off in Las Vegas on Tuesday night for the Emirates NBA Cup championship. It’s the first final appearance for either team, who both had impressive semifinal victories.
The Knicks took care of business first, defeating the Orlando Magic 132-120 after a stellar performance from guard Jalen Brunson. He dropped a season-high 40 points, plus eight assists. It marked Brunson’s 19th 40-point performance as a Knick, the third most in franchise history, according to ESPN Research. Knicks coach Mike Brown said Brunson’s performance is “what MVPs are supposed to do.” Karl-Anthony Towns provided 29 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field — his eighth 25-point game on the season. New York is 7-1 when Towns scores at least 25 points.
The Spurs then took down the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109. The Thunder entered the matchup with a 24-1 record and on a franchise-record 16-game win streak. San Antonio center Victor Wembanyama returned after missing 12 games with a calf injury and led the Spurs to victory with 22 points. He was one of four players — along with De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell — to score 20-plus points for the Spurs, marking a first in the franchise’s history.
New York and San Antonio have yet to face off this season and split both matchups last season. However, the Knicks didn’t face a Spurs team with Fox, whom they acquired on Feb. 2, in either of those meetings. Therefore, it’ll be a new look New York will have to figure out, though the same can be said for San Antonio as the Knicks are now led by Brown. Both teams enter the matchup on winning streaks — the Spurs have won three straight and the Knicks have won five.
Just over $530,000 and an NBA Cup title are on the line for each player Tuesday. Who will come out victorious in Las Vegas? Follow along for live updates and highlights.
