Knicks WIN the NBA Cup | LIVE REACTION POD

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily: Knicks WIN the NBA Cup | LIVE REACTION POD (Dec 17, 2025)

Hosted by: Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and panel (sporadic appearances by Andrew Schlecht)

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Episode Overview

The crew delivers a spirited, in-depth live reaction to the New York Knicks' historic victory in the NBA Cup Championship. This episode captures the emotional significance for Knicks fans, analyzes standout player performances (notably Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby), breaks down game-changing moments, and discusses what the NBA Cup means for the league’s competitive spirit. There’s also detailed analysis of the losing Spurs, specifically Victor Wembanyama’s struggles and the promise of the Spurs’ young guard corps.

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Main Topics & Discussion Breakdown

1. The Emotional Weight of the Knicks’ Cup Win

• Opening Reactions
  • Dave DuFour observes that the Knicks’ victory celebration “meant a lot to them,” highlighting how the win carries extra weight for a team and fanbase that hasn’t captured a title since 1973.
  • Mike Brown’s postgame reflections are echoed:
    • “Anytime you could be the last team standing, no matter what, you can't act like it doesn't mean it.” (Dave DeFore, 02:46)
• Importance of the NBA Cup
  • The panel agrees the NBA Cup creates a new avenue for teams to win something meaningful, especially for franchises in long droughts.
    • “This is exactly why the cup is actually important, because...you get something else that you can win.” (Esperahenne Zena Cato, 02:56)

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2. Jalen Brunson: The Tournament MVP and Knicks Offense Engine

• Brunson’s Performance
  • Named NBA Cup Tournament MVP after dropping 25 points against the Spurs.
    • “Jalen Brunson is the reason that they won the game.” (Dave DeFore, 03:30)
  • Brunson’s poise against much larger defenders (including Victor Wembanyama) is underscored as a key to his playoff-level value.
    • “When it's tight spaces, when they're not calling as many fouls, he can still get to his spots.” (Esperahenne Zena Cato, 05:12)
• Improved Playmaking
  • Eight assists in the final, with evidence of off-ball movement and transition play facilitating Mike Brown’s pace-and-space system.

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3. OG Anunoby’s Star Turn

• Offensive Firepower
  • OG drops 28 points, including 5/10 from three-point range.
    • “Every single time, they need, let's be more specific, corner three. I mean, it is crazy how much he is...found...in transition, open so many times and he was able to knock them down.” (Sports Analyst, 05:48)
• Defensive Assignment
  • OG spends significant time on Victor Wembanyama, holding his own defensively while still contributing massively on offense.

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4. Bench Shift: The Knicks’ Key to Victory

• Bench Intensity and Rebounding
  • Mitchell Robinson: 10 offensive rebounds, swinging the momentum in the second half.
    • “He had 10 offensive rebounds. Insane. Dominates this game from the middle of the third quarter to the middle of the fourth to the point where that won the Knicks this game.” (Dave DeFore, 07:09)
  • Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek also credited for change-of-pace contributions.
    • “Tyler Kolek is a guy who feels like he's forcing himself into the rotation. Playing huge crunch time minutes for this team is something that I didn't expect.” (Dave DeFore, 18:59)
• Winning the Possession Battle
  • Knicks outwork the Spurs on the glass especially in the second half (NY 34 to SA's 18).
  • Spurs struggle to secure defensive rebounds:
    • “There’s one possession where there's like seven missed shots and all of them were Mitchell Robinson.” (Dave DeFore, 08:04)

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5. Spurs’ Struggles and Building Blocks

• Victor Wembanyama’s Rough Night
  • “This was his worst game of the season...I didn't like his shot selection...I thought he got a little jumper happy.” (Dave DeFore, 09:29)
  • Third quarter saw a scoring burst (12 points), but overall effort deemed forced and inefficient.
    • “Honestly, I don't think he got in any good positions to make a threat on the offensive side other than when he was the lob guy.” (Esperahenne Zena Cato, 10:06)
  • Only 6 rebounds, outclassed on the glass by Mitchell Robinson.
• The Young Guard Positives
  • Future is bright thanks to De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and rookie Dylan Harper.
    • “I do think that this was a bright spot for them in a game that they lost...Dylan Harper, a rookie...guarding the best guard in the Eastern Conference, picking his pocket and just honestly dominating him physically...” (Dave DeFore, 11:58)
  • The future challenge: blending their energetic, transition-driven guard play with Wembanyama’s unique skillset.

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6. Knicks Identity & Looking Forward

• Pace, Depth & Offense
  • “Offensive versatility for the Knicks is the thing that I think everybody should take away from the NBA Cup. This is a different team than last year.” (Esperahenne Zena Cato, 20:13)
  • Emphasis on unselfish play, deeper roster, and a high-octane transition attack.
  • Defensive concerns linger, but the overwhelming margin in shot attempts (from rebounding/possession wins) helps cover those flaws.
    • “If you're going to take 12, 15 extra shots than your opponents every night, you'll win a lot of games.” (Dave DeFore, 20:43)
• Tournament Toughness
  • Panelists agree that the Cup creates “games of consequence” and strengthens teams’ postseason credentials.
    • “They've created another games of consequence. Opportunities to know if you're tournament tough earlier in the season.” (Sports Analyst, 22:14)
  • The Cup’s tradition is already seen as a harbinger of playoff success.
    • “Teams that do go far in the cup end up actually doing things in the postseason.” (Esperahenne Zena Cato, 22:35)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Knicks’ win:
  • “This is a team that hasn't won a thing since 1973. Their fans needed something.” (Esperahenne Zena Cato, 02:47)
• On Jalen Brunson’s playoff value:
  • “That's why he's such a good playoff player. Because when it's tight spaces, when they're not calling as many fouls, he can still get to his spots.” (Esperahenne Zena Cato, 05:12)
• On OG Anunoby’s shooting:
  • “It is crazy how much he is just one…open so many times and he was able to knock them down.” (Sports Analyst, 05:48)
• On the Spurs’ young guards:
  • “This is the future for the Spurs. And look, I'm still pretty high on what the Spurs are doing right now, even though they lost this game.” (Dave DeFore, 11:58)
• On the NBA Cup's impact:
  • “It's dope that they've created another games of consequence. Right. Opportunities to know if your tournament tough earlier in the season.” (Sports Analyst, 22:14)
• On winning any tournament:
  • “When you're the last team standing in a tournament. I don't care what the tournament is. Holiday tournament, Thanksgiving tournament...it sucks to lose. It's great to win.” (Dave DeFore, 22:44)

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Key Timestamps

• 02:07 – Show start and host introductions
• 02:19–03:12 – Emotional/celebratory reactions; meaning of the Cup
• 03:30–04:42 – Jalen Brunson’s MVP performance and impact
• 05:25–06:31 – OG Anunoby’s shooting and defensive assignment
• 06:31–09:24 – Knicks’ bench, rebounding edge, and game-changing sequence
• 09:29–11:45 – Victor Wembanyama’s struggles and the Spurs’ adjustment problems
• 11:58–13:30 – Spurs’ young guard core and possible future
• 18:53–20:40 – Knicks’ backcourt depth, Tyler Kolek’s emergence, team depth
• 21:40–23:04 – Reflections on the NBA Cup’s place in NBA culture and its influence on team development

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Conclusion

The episode is a vibrant, thorough postgame analysis that not only recaps the Knicks’ breakthrough NBA Cup win, but also explores the strategic, emotional, and cultural ripple effects of the NBA’s new midseason tournament. The panel commends the Knicks’ team orientation, depth, and resiliency, acknowledges concerns (particularly on defense), and notes the Cup’s growing legitimacy among players and fans. In parallel, the Spurs’ promising youth movement is highlighted despite the loss. The hosts agree: the NBA Cup is here to stay, and it matters.

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For any Knicks fan or hoop head, this is a can’t-miss recap blending game analysis, player insight, and lively, big-picture debate.

Transcript

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[Andrew Schlecht]

Hey, Andrew Schlecht here. This Tuesday at 8:30 Eastern it's the Emirates NBA Cup Championship Game on Prime. This year's quest for the cup has delivered incredible moments and jaw dropping highlights and they've been building toward this. The final two teams. I am so pumped for the NBA cup here at the NBA Daily. We will be there live in person ready to take in the cup, ready to respect the Cup. And what's been really fun is that the players have been very motivated this year to win this thing. They have. Multiple teams have expressed this and you can see it through the competition and I cannot wait to see it live in Las Vegas. The Emirates NBA Cup Championship Game live from Las Vegas Tuesday night at 8:30 Eastern on Prime. And if you're not a Prime member, that's not a problem. Sign up for a 30 day free trial to get started today. The Emirates NBA Cup Championship Game this Tuesday at 8:30 Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.

[Dave DeFore]

Hello and welcome to the NBA daily. I'm Dave DeFore. This is Esperahenne Zena Cato. We are live right after the Knicks captured the 2025 NBA cup championship. It just means more guys.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Absolutely.

[Dave DeFore]

And actually look, I want to start with the finish of the the celebration by the Knicks. It did seem like it meant a lot to them. Mike Brown giving a shout out to the fact that full of Knicks fans in this crowd who acted like this game mattered a lot. The players celebrated like it mattered quite a bit and they played like this game meant something. I thought Mike Brown's point after the game, anytime you could be the last team standing, no matter what, you can't act like it. Doesn't mean it.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Yeah, exactly. Look, this is a team that hasn't won a thing since 1973. Their fans needed something.

[Dave DeFore]

This is why the cup is Good.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

This is exactly why the cup is actually important, because it gives teams that even though the Knicks have contending hopes and championship aspirations, you get something else that you can win. That's why that was awesome. I love that. Katt was really into it as well. He was animated. It's good when guys care about it.

[Sports Analyst]

It was a genuine rush out onto the court when they won. I mean, I would have loved them. They did the, like the La Liga thing, but they didn't swing. They didn't swing the trophy. They should have done that. It would have worked.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

More practice required.

[Sports Analyst]

Yeah. Dennis Schroeder can help them. Ye. You know, with that. But in general, I just love the fact that they were genuinely excited.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. Jalen Brunson wins NBA Cup Tournament mvp. Rightfully so in this game, guys. I mean, we're going to talk about the difference makers in the games for the Knicks, but starting with Jalen Brunson puts up 25 points. This is the smallest lead guard in the NBA who is an all NBA guy. He's an MVP candidate. And when you're out there against Victor Wembanyama, you just think this guy is going to be intimidated. But the way that he plays, getting into the lane, it didn't matter when Wimby was on him. He was still creating space and trying to get shots up. And he wasn't super effective, but he did carry him down the stretch of this game. I mean, Jaylen Brunson is the reason that they won the game.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Yes.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

He slept, walked to what, 29, 25 points. 25 points tonight. And I think a lot of that. Look, if you look at the tournament as a whole, Brunson dropped, what, 40 against the Raptors? He ended up against the. The Magic. He also dropped 40. Like his offensive efficiency, the way he's able to get to a shot is second to almost none at his size. And then you add the fact that I think he's become a better playmaker. He's moving eight assists in this game. Yeah. He's willing to move off the ball more. He's pushing it in transition. You see, he's leaning into the pace and space style that Mike Brown wants to play. And I think it's just made the Knicks more deadly.

[Sports Analyst]

Yeah. One of the things that he does so well, and it worked against a team that you wouldn't expect it to with Luke Hornet and Victor Wembanyama. We'll get into how he defended the paint tonight, but particularly Jalen Brunson, how he maneuvers off of screens. Under the free throw line within the arc, those are really tight spaces to try and maneuver through and probe, dribble through. And he finds a way to zig and zag because of just how patient he is and how in control of his dribble he is. But that was really how he was just able to find offense for himself, was just getting to the little pockets.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

That's why he's such a good playoff player. That's exactly why he's such a good playoff player. Because when it's tight spaces, when they're not calling as many fouls, he can still get to his spots. And it doesn't matter because he can, he can score from those areas very easily.

[Dave DeFore]

OG Anunoby, probably the star of the game really for the knicks, puts up 28 points, 510 from three. His defense in this game, you know, we've talked a lot about how much they rely on OG and Anobi backline help. And he was guarding Victor Wimanyama, which we weren't sure was a good idea because who's going to come be the helper, but did a decent job when he did have to guard him. But OG's ability to just hit shots.

[Sports Analyst]

Every single time, they need, let's be more specific, corner three. I mean, it is crazy how much he is just one. He just finds himself in position. And you would think in the league, you know, OG is coming down the lane or coming down the court, filling that corner three lane, right? Find him, track him. But they found, they found him in transition, open so many times and he was able to knock them down.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

That's part of the Knicks pace, right? This added pace of like, hey, let's push the ball. It's finding the cornerman, it's finding Mikhail Bridges, it's finding OG in those corners and they make them pay. The other part is like OG's bully ball was really good in this game. The spurs are a physical team. We've talked about it all weekend with Stefan Castle and all those guys being physical against them. That's the matchup that you want to win. And OG did that tonight.

[Dave DeFore]

I'm glad you brought up the pace because the story of this game is that the bench unit for the Knicks turned up the intensity and the speed of the spurs and just took over. Tyler Kohlak, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, these guys came in off the bench and it changed the game. They dominated the spurs bench that included Victor Womenyama. Victor Wimanyama finishes this game minus 18. And again, we will talk specifically about Victor's Game itself. But the way that that the Knicks bench actually just. They gang rebounded. Gang offensive rebounded. But I want to start with Mitchell Robinson. He had 10 offensive rebounds. Insane dominates this game from the middle of the third quarter to the middle of the fourth to the point where that won the Knicks this game.

[Sports Analyst]

Yeah, there was nothing they could do when he was inside in terms of one the putbacks on top of the offensive rebounds. But it was so funny. It's like in the second half is when he really got a lot of those rebounds. But even in the first half when he was playing, it was tip outs. It was just keeping the ball alive for them, which they needed. Especially because the spurs were recklessly like rebounding with reckless abandon. In the first half versus the second half. That's where in the first half, Spurs 24 on the glass versus 25 for the Knicks. In the second half, 18 for the Spurs, 34 for New York. That's all complete difference.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Yeah, yeah. I mean that's just. It's exactly what they need him for and that's why he's so important. Him staying healthy this year is going to be such a big ceiling changer for them because if he can be that like 15 minutes a night, 20 minutes a night, go out there and grab 10 offensive rebounds for you, that changes their.

[Dave DeFore]

One of the secrets for the Knicks this season has been how often they win the possession battle because they've. They're a really good offensive rebounding team. They're a low turnover team for the most part. And then on the other hand, conversely for the spurs tonight, they blew this game by not being able to finish possessions by getting a defensive rebound. I mean, there was. There's one possession where there's like seven missed shots and all of them were Mitchell, Mitchell Robinson. But he stays active on the glass.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Tyler.

[Dave DeFore]

You know, you've got Tyler Koek out there just kind of making things happen. Josh Hart making plays around the rim. And there was just a time where I'm talking to you guys saying they might need to bring in Luke Cornett to play next to Victor Wembanyama because of how they're getting crushed on the glass.

[Sports Analyst]

And one thing I'll give a lot of credit to Mitchell Robinson is that he plays the pick and roll and he plays his position incredibly well. It's hard sometimes to get a post to understand exactly when you're supposed to roll off of the screen. And also how you position yourself. You saw many times when Mitchell Robinson would go up to set the screen at the Top of the key or on the wing, and he just trickled to the low. The low. Weak side.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sports Analyst]

And it made Victor Wembanyama have to spread out. Right where he tracked Mitchell Robinson to the weak side, but had to step up as a. Jalen Brunson was coming to the basket or whatever it was. And then Mitchell Robinson, as soon as the ball went up, boxed out and was able to get himself in position.

[Dave DeFore]

Wemby having to go up to contest. Right.

[Sports Analyst]

It was his visual.

[Dave DeFore]

And listen, let's talk about Victor women. Because this was, this was his worst game of the season. For me, I felt like his first half especially, I didn't like his shot selection the entire game. I thought he got a little jumper happy, and it was great when they went in, but this wasn't the game for that. I didn't feel like he let the game come to him as much as he did the other night against the Thunder, where he came in and you could see he was trying to find spots to fit in in this. It felt forced, especially early on. You know, he's turning around and just creating a lot of contact and trying to be extra physical. I feel like it took him out of his game.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Yeah. There was a stretch in the third quarter where the shots were falling.

[Sports Analyst]

12 in the third quarter.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

And that shot making really helped boost him a little bit. But to your point. Yeah, he was forcing it. And honestly, I don't think he got in any good positions to make a threat on the offensive side other than when he was the lob guy.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

You know, setting him up to connect with his point guards. I think that's something the spurs need to do a little bit better, is to get him easy looks.

[Dave DeFore]

Because they run more stuff like that for Luke Cornett than they do for Victor. But it's because I think where Victor wants to touch.

[Sports Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

He wants to face up and get to that jumper.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

I, I, I'll say that like, I think the one thing the spurs need to do moving forward with this, as.

[Dave DeFore]

The lights come on, much better showdown.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Yeah. Look, I think the one thing the spurs needs to do better is prioritize easy looks for him. If that's the pick and roll, so be it. But there's just easier ways to find shots for Victor Lemon Yama than what he saw tonight.

[Sports Analyst]

He looked, in many occurrences, off balance.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Yeah.

[Sports Analyst]

He just wasn't quite centered. So that was number one that I.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Made the injury a little bit.

[Sports Analyst]

Yeah. And that, and that's what I was exactly what I was gonna Say I was like, I do want to give him credit. It's only his second game back. You saw him still getting his breath back and getting his. His feet under him. But I did think that the third quarter was a little bit of fool's gold.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Right.

[Sports Analyst]

You saw the shots go up, you saw the crowd get into it. It was like it was energy. And then all of a sudden you saw him in the fourth quarter, keep getting that above the break three or right above the free throw line in the middle of the floor. And it was just like, that's not what you want. You want that dunk that you had barely looking at the basket, literally turned around behind you.

[Dave DeFore]

And then on the other end, defensively, he is always going to give you this certain level because just the way the physical dimensions of the guy. But six rebounds in the game.

[Sports Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

And that is the difference in the score period. Mitchell Robinson absolutely outclassed him on the glass. And I think that the Knicks effort on the offensive glass was far superior to the spurs, which is a team that does compete hard.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

This team actually this game I thought was extremely competitive for both sides. And I want to get into the spurs guards because I do think that this was a bright spot for them in a game that they lost. Yeah, dear. And Fox, Stefan Castle and Dylan Harper, the vision of those three together, I think we got to see a great example of that tonight. Including Dylan Harper, a rookie down the stretch of this game, guarding the best guard in the Eastern Conference, picking his pocket and just honestly dominating him physically to a certain degree. I mean, this is the future for the Spurs. And look, I'm still pretty high on, on what the spurs are, are doing right now, even though they lost this game. But if history is our guide with the NBA cup, losing in the NBA cup, it's a good sign. That's true. That is.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

It's a good sign. Look, I think if you look at the guard play, we've talked about it actually all season, how important ball handling is. They have that. That is a prerequisite to winning basketball games in the postseason. They absolutely have the guard play available to do that. Also, their guards are big. They are Steph Castle six, five. Dylan Harper is a solid six, six, six, seven. And then you look at de' Aaron Fox, who's six three, six four, but also fast. They have that level of size that works for them defensively. They push in transition like crazy and they find so many good looks in transition because of it. The question you have for them moving forward is, hey, can you blend that style, that identity they figured out without Wemby with the way Wemby wants to play.

[Sports Analyst]

Right? Yeah. No, I thought the guards tonight it was a difference of halves in terms of shot making and their energy seemed to go in the second half when they weren't dropping the threes that they were dropping in the first half. Right. We did still see the defensive like that high school championship type of defense from Dylan Harper on Jalen Brunson. Towards the end of the game there was still effort there, don't get me wrong. But it felt as if once the shots weren't falling, especially in transition like they were in the first half, then they were met with the task of let's find a way to score in the half court. And in the second half that half court offense just dropped. It was not efficient. And it all has to do with the fact that they try to put what Victor Wama started the fourth quarter right as opposed to coming off the bench like he was against okc. And it just felt like that they have the one particular play that they like Victor comes up, they come off the flare and a ball screen is happening and it just. Nothing was happening with it because Victor wasn't rolling right. He kept popping and the guards didn't know what to do this time with that. And it just was a difference of halves for them.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Hey, Andrew Schlecht here. This Tuesday at 8:30 Eastern it's the Emirates NBA Cup Championship game on Prime. This year's quest for the cup has delivered incredible moments and jaw dropping highlights and they've been building toward this, the final two teams. I am so pumped for the NBA cup here at the NBA Daily. We will be there live in person ready to take in the cup, ready to respect the cup. And what's been really fun is that the players have been very motivated this year to win this thing and they have. Multiple teams have expressed this and you can see it through the competition and I cannot wait to see it live in Las Vegas. The Emirates NBA Cup Championship game live from Las Vegas, Tuesday night at 8:30 Eastern on Prime. And if you're not a Prime member, that's not a problem. Sign up for a 30 day free trial to get started today. The Emirates NBA Cup Championship game this Tuesday at 8:30 Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.

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[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Can we talk about the Knicks little guard situation? Yeah, the Colette Clarkson.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I thought that was Bride is out and they and Landry Shamit's out and they found out that they've got a couple of other guys on the bench that can do stuff. Look, we know Jordan, Jordan Clarkson well. He's going to have good games like this and he's going to have some bad ones. But Tyler Kolek is a guy who feels like he's forcing himself into the rotation. Playing huge crunch time minutes for this team is something that I didn't expect. But the way he played number one, he was great, like connecting. Yes, he threw this one.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

He's a Mike Brown.

[Dave DeFore]

Yes, he had a great drive and kick to the corner where he throws.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Like a, you know, a hammer.

[Dave DeFore]

And yes. I mean, he was just creating looks where there weren't any. And essentially, you know, it's a little bit of a similar turn to what San Antonio has with all these guards. The way that Brunson and Clarkson and Kobach were playing, completely turned around.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Look, we, we were talking.

[Dave DeFore]

They need somebody.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

I'm like, they need a spark. Need a spark. And it ended up being Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kohlik. And look, the shot making was big from them. But also, as we've talked about the pace, those guys play fast, there is.

[Sports Analyst]

A little bit of drill action, like practice drills, being able to pass the ball at the fl.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

It was like the Olympic drill.

[Sports Analyst]

Yeah, Olympic drill. Exactly, exactly. Oh, good recall.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

There you go.

[Sports Analyst]

I forgot about that.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Offensive versatility for the Knicks is the thing that I think everybody should take away from the NBA Cup. This is a different team than last year. They play differently. They're more unselfish, they're playing with faster pace. They're actually looking to get shots up and they're deeper. We just talked about how they're missing Landry Shamon and Deuce McBride, two guys who are pretty important to their rotation. But now you have Tyler Kolek, now you have Jordan Clarkson stepping into those roles. This is like an 11 man deep roster, which is important in today's episode.

[Sports Analyst]

Right, exactly. If you want to make it to the final destination, you need those extra bodies.

[Dave DeFore]

I still have concerns about their defense. As you should, but. But when you can rebound like this, you can mitigate that because if you're going to take 12, 15 extra shots than your opponents every night, you'll win a lot of games. And I will say this, the Knicks did not shoot the ball particularly well. They generated really great looks from three, but they left a lot on the table tonight too. That's another thing that's probably going to get lost in the scores. That this, this, this game really could have been a blowout if the Knicks had been canning shots especially early on. First half of this game felt like they had a lot of in n out shots. But offensively I believe them. I believe in them. I think that they are the best offensive team.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

And you said offense wins championship.

[Dave DeFore]

Offense, offense, yes. Defense wins championship.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Offense does win.

[Dave DeFore]

It's a guard tournament, guys.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Anyway.

[Dave DeFore]

Okay, let's wrap up on this. NBA Cup. 2025 NBA Cup. You know, we're here again. You know, what's your, what's your takeaway from the experience?

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

My takeaway from the experience is that I'm looking forward and as we are have to make shift to work this around because we're getting tear down all over the place.

[Dave DeFore]

Well, they got a hockey game here tomorrow.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

Yes. My main takeaway is that I'm excited to see teams care about this more and more as the history develops. Yeah, the NBA cup. You see the Knicks care about it. I think it'll be more interesting when the semifinals get hosted in the actual home arenas. I'm very curious to see if they end up going to Vegas for the finals or if they switch that up as well. But the cup is awesome. Yeah, the cup is great.

[Sports Analyst]

And you've got. Exactly. We've got. You know, Darren Fox said in his post game presser that he likes the Cup. He likes the Cup. There's guys that are excited about the extra money they can get for their young guys. Like I'm a fan of the Cup. I think it's dope that they have. They've created another games of consequence. Right. Opportunities to know if your tournament tough earlier in the season then you know.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

In the final and like we now have the history to show us that teams that do go far in the cup end up actually doing things in the postseason when it matters even more.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I mean, look, Mike Brown I thought said it best when you're the last team standing in a tournament. I don't care what the tournament is. Holiday tournament, Thanksgiving tournament. I've you, I've been in those tournaments. It sucks to lose. It's great to win. Shout out to The Knicks. Congratulations 2025 NBA Cup Champion Tournament. Tough Knicks. That's right.

[Sports Analyst]

There you go.

[Esperahenne Zena Cato]

That's right.

[Dave DeFore]

Timberland Boot, you know. Anyway, for Zena Cana and Esperahenny, I'm Dave defore. This has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for listening.

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