New York Knicks Cement Contender Status with NBA Cup Win
The New York Knicks are a contender. They have been for years. But now, after an NBA Cup title, they might be the preeminent threat in the East.
The Knicks were considered a good option because the East is tarnished by injuries. The Boston Celtics are without Jayson Tatum for most, if not all, of this year. The Indiana Pacers are without Tyrese Haliburton for most, if not all, of this year, as both tore their Achilles in playoff games. But now, the Knicks look legitimate no matter what the competition is.
New York Knicks Take Home NBA Cup Title
The NBA Cup is a mid-season tournament that means basically nothing. However, it does take a good team to win it, and by beating several quality teams en route to the title, the New York Knicks have confirmed that they are a really good thing. They're still 2.5 games back of the Detroit Pistons in the East, but it's hard to envision them not making up that ground and making sure the East runs through Madison Square Garden.
All of this comes after they fired coach Tom Thibodeau last year. After he took them to the Eastern Conference Finals, they canned the longtime coach and brought in Mike Brown.
Brown has this team playing well, and he said after the game via ESPN, "During the course of the year, you try to find situations to put pressure on your group. This is a single-elimination tournament when you get to a certain point. Every game counts. There's pressure on every game if you expect to be who you think you are."
The Knicks faced quite a bit of that pressure in this final against the daunting San Antonio Spurs, who just got Victor Wembanyama back. But thanks to some timely shooting from Jordan Clarkson, they were able to erase a second-half deficit and emerge victorious.
As he usually does, superstar Jalen Brunson led the way, winning tournament MVP.
"A game like this, an environment like this, you don't really see around the NBA too often," Brunson said. "We got to take advantage of the experience that we got here. I mean, those guys will. Being down 10 in the third and them kind of controlling the game throughout the game. Us just finding a way. Going on the run in the fourth with the help of our bench, it was big-time."
It helped pave the way for the Knicks to win the third-ever Emirates NBA Cup.
Mike Brown Sees Value in Cup
At first, three years ago, Mike Brown didn't see the value in the NBA Cup. And while it does not remotely simulate the playoffs, especially since New York's group included the lowly Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, and struggling, banged-up Milwaukee Bucks. Still, they had to take down the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, and San Antonio Spurs, all teams they could see in the playoffs (or finals).
"That pressure is manufactured without you as a coach having to try to do it all the time," Brown said. "When you're able to have success doing it, it breeds confidence in everybody within the organization. That can propel you come the right time when you're in that environment to be able to handle the pressure because you've already been through it."
Despite a rough shooting night, Brunson finished with 25 points and eight assists. Overall, he averaged 24.2 points, 6.o assists, and 3.6 rebounds with 1.0 stocks (steals and blocks). He shot 47% from the field overall and 37% from three for a 60.4% true shooting mark. His best outing came in group play vs. the Nets, where he recorded 37 points and seven assists.
