The New York Knicks have their matchup set for the NBA Cup championship game. After the San Antonio Spurs upset the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, the Knicks and Spurs are now set to face off in a one-game showdown for the title.
Knicks and Spurs set for intense cup championship showdown
The matchup will feature an electric battle of two of the game’s best players in Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama. New York will certainly have their work cut out for them, as San Antonio has gotten off to a very strong start as well.
The obvious key will be to slow down Wembanyama, but they will also need solid offensive production from their backcourt. Brunson scored 40 points in the win over the Orlando Magic in the semifinals, but they also got plenty of good production out of the others in the lineup.
The Knicks dominated the paint against Orlando, scoring 70 points in the paint. However, with Wembanyama defending the rim, they will need to find their touch from three to have a good chance at building a big enough lead.
Knicks will need to shoot better against Spurs
They struggled from three in the semifinals, shooting just 7-for-20 from downtown. The decreased volume of threes worked out for them against a Magic team that was missing Franz Wagner, but they can’t expect to win doing the same against the much more physical San Antonio squad.
The game doesn’t count towards either team’s regular season record, but there is still meaning behind winning the cup title. The Knicks have big aspirations of winning the NBA championship in June, so they want to prove that they can handle the increased pressure of playing on a big stage.
The cup championship game is set for Tuesday, Dec. 16, in Las Vegas, and will tip off at 8:30 PM EST.