The New York Knicks, for the first time since 1973, are champions… sort of.
There were celebrations in the Big Apple last night as the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup final. Jalen Brunson was named Cup MVP with 25 points and 8 rebounds, and OG Anunoby led the final with 28 on the night.
While this is not the NBA title, the Knicks did prove they had championship mettle to win a game played with playoff intensity. They surged late to win the fourth quarter 35-19 to come back and beat the Spurs.
But while winning a trophy for the first time in over half a century would typically be cause for celebration, the Cup’s short history has told us that may not be the case.
How winning the NBA Cup has been a curse for teams
The Knicks are the third winners of the NBA Cup, joining the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers and the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks. That’s an esteemed company, but it might not be company they will want to keep at the end of the season.
When the Lakers won the NBA Cup, they were 14-9, good for fourth in the West. It looked to be a boost for a team that was three years removed from winning the championship and eyeing the top of the conference.
But immediately after their cup win, the Lakers fell apart. They went 3-10 over their next 13 games, fell into the Play-In places, and were eventually knocked out of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets in round one in just five games.
Did the New York Knicks deserve to win the NBA Cup?
The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs to win the 3rd Annual NBA Cup!
The Bucks found themselves in a similar position a year later. They, too, were in the playoff places when Milwaukee won the Cup with a 14-11 record. They had won the title the year after the Lakers and were hoping to build momentum and climb the conference.
They were unable to do so, however, and finished fifth in the East. The Bucks met the Indiana Pacers in round one, and shockingly fell in five games.
Now we turn to the Knicks, who are admittedly better placed than the Bucks and Lakers were when they won the Cup. New York is second in the East with an 18-7 record.
But once again an outside contender for the championship has won the Cup, and once again they hope that their victory gives them the edge to go on to great things at the end of the season. They will need to shake the trend if they want to go one step further than last year and make the Finals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo explained why the NBA season is so hard after winning the NBA Cup
Antetokounmpo explained what he found so challenging in the “weird” aftermath of an NBA Cup victory.
After winning the in-season tournament last year, he said, “It’s definitely weird. Usually, when you hold up a trophy, that’s it. You have your offseason, time to rest, time to be with your family.
Do you care about the NBA Cup?
“Yeah, that’s how I was. The first few, I was like, ‘Oh my god, come on.’ But I was like that with the Play-In game, too. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what are we doing?’
“But you’ve got to give Adam and the decision-makers a lot of credit for trying to find ways to be creative and to help add to the energy of the game.
“With both of those things, the Play-In game and the cup, they have done a tremendous job.”
Mike Brown on NBA Cup
Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
“It’s just weird lifting up a trophy and coming back two days later. You cannot really celebrate because in two days, you’re playing the best team in the NBA. It’s definitely weird. But, okay. It is what it is. The season continues.”
The mental energy spent on the Cup seemed to take its toll on the Bucks and Lakers on the back end of their seasons, so hopefully the Knicks are well prepared for that and ready to re-energize going into the Christmas schedule.
Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say