The New York Knicks won their first championship in 53 years in the NBA Cup Finals on Tuesday night, letting the world know they weren’t going anywhere after making it to the Eastern Conference Finals last year. But it was the loser of that game that caught the NBA’s attention the most.
Although the San Antonio Spurs failed to win the title, their run to the NBA Cup Championship heralded a team that was a real threat to the league’s best teams. Including the Knicks, who might have had a tougher time beating the Spurs if Victor Wembanyama wasn’t limited in playing time in his second game back from injury.
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Even with that restriction, Wembanya helped the Spurs defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals, giving the Spurs the best 25-game start in NBA history with their second loss of the season. Hey everyone, the Spurs might be back.
Losing the championship doesn’t mean the Spurs have made much progress at 18-7. If anything, the Spurs will enjoy the experience better. In fact, the last two losing teams in the NBA Cup went further in the playoffs than the winning teams, both being eliminated in the first round. The Indiana Pacers advanced to the conference finals after losing to the Lakers. After losing to the Bucks in the Finals, the Thunder defeated the Pacers to win the Finals.
Led by Wembanyama, Spurs have all the talent they need to continue similar runs. De’Aaron Fox is an All-Star point guard, reigning Rookie of the Year Stephen Castle has All-Star potential, and shooting guard Devin Vassell is also a barrel. For No. 2 rookie Dylan Harper, who led the team in scoring Tuesday, the sky is the limit. Guys like Harrison Barnes bring a nice veteran touch to the team. They also own assets that move wildly in the trade market.
All the Spurs needed was more reps as a unit in pressure situations, and that’s exactly what the tournament provided them for the first time. They weren’t perfect in those moments, but they didn’t look shaken either. For a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in seven years, they’re doing better than anyone expected. They look like a team that can be in good shape for the long haul – a team that could challenge the Thunder for Western Conference supremacy in the near future.
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Knicks no banner
The Knicks reportedly won’t be flying banners to celebrate their NBA Cup victory.
The New York Knicks should be proud of their NBA Cup championship. It’s hard to win in the NBA. But if they are proud, the way they intend to celebrate is not a good reflection.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the team chose not to hang banners from the rafters of Madison Square Garden to commemorate the championship. Instead, they will celebrate with fans on Friday before continuing the rest of the season, breaking up the Lakers and Bucks each holding banners at home after wins.
It’s easy to see why a team wouldn’t want to invest too much in a mid-season championship when there’s a bigger goal to achieve. At the same time, it’s okay to celebrate something you won when other teams had chances but couldn’t win.
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Shoot
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This article was originally published in “For Victory: Spurs announce return to NBA to win championship”