The Spurs and Knicks are squaring off in the NBA Cup championship game. Could this be a preview of the NBA Finals?

The New York Knicks are hitting all the right notes — under new head coach Mike Brown, they’re singing a brand new hit. Twenty-five games into the 2025 NBA season, the Knicks stand tall with an 18-7 record.

The New York Knicks will attempt to find a way past the imposing 7ft 4in (2.23m) frame of San Antonio Spurs prodigy Victor Wembanyama on Tuesday as they bid to end their 52-year trophy drought in the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas.

The Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals and Finals are back for its third season, bringing adrenaline fueled action to Las Vegas.

No, the NBA Cup is not the same as the playoffs. But it provides the Knicks with an opportunity to gain more experience in playoff-like atmospheres.

Timothée Chalamet has already had a full career in acting that has led to Oscar nominations and countless other awards, but some of the best memories of his life have nothing to do with the big screen.

By how the NBA defines pace, which is a bit of a flawed stat, the Knicks aren’t playing that much faster. They’re still bottom-five in that category. Their secondary assists and passes per game aren’t much improved, if at all.

The New York Knicks face the Orlando Magic and the San Antonio Spurs battle the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup Semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 13.

“OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, Pacôme Dadiet, 2026 first-round pick (top-8 protected, via WAS), 2028 first-round pick swap, 2030 first-round pick swap and 2032 first-round pick swap to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo,” Buckley wrote.

The Magic and Knicks square off first in a game that could provide fans a preview of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks and Magic are among the best teams in the East this season, with New York coming into the game on a four-game winning streak.