Coming off a dramatic Emirates NBA Cup semifinal versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Spurs took on the New York Knicks in the Emirates NBA Cup Championship game. What ensued was an intense back-and-forth track meet. While the game was close, the Spurs managed to be in control, especially in the third quarter. They even led by double-digits. However, that 11-point lead quickly evaporated to a five-point lead at the end of the third, and unfortunately, it was only the beginning of a collapse. The Knicks quickly erased
the deficit and built a lead of their own within the early minutes of the fourth.
A huge momentum swing happened with the Spurs down by seven with 7:40 remaining in the game. Luke Kornet was whistled for a late offensive foul call while Julian Champagnie drained a three. Mitch Johnson challenged the call, while extremely heated, and won the challenge. However, Mitch Johnson received a technical foul, and the referees wiped the Champagnie three off the board while the Spurs inbounded from the sideline. There was also a key moment where OG Anunoby was saving the ball from going out of bounds while his foot was out of bounds. The referees did not call it. Nonetheless, with under four minutes remaining, the Spurs were forcing shots, throwing bad passes, and looked like a team that ran out of gas. The Knicks ultimately won 124-113.
Dylan Harper led the team off the bench with 21 points (5-7 3PT) and seven rebounds. The Knicks left the rookie open multiple times, and he took advantage of the opportunities. He’s getting great experience playing alongside De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, while also leading the charge as the first point guard off the bench. If he plays 65+ games, he is a lock for the All-Rookie First Team.
In case you forgot, he’s a lefty. Dylan drives on Josh Hart and finishes strong with the lefty off the glass!
SPLASH. Dylan drains one of his five threes, and it becomes an and-one opportunity!
Victor Wembanyama dropped 18 points, six boards, two blocks, an assist, and a steal off the bench. Vic came off the bench for his second straight game back from injury and played 25 minutes. He went on a hot streak in the third by draining a couple of threes, mid-ranges, and alley-oop finishes, but he went ice cold in the fourth. Instead of driving to the basket as he did in the first half, he started settling for quick shots early in the shot clock. Nonetheless, with this only being his second game back, he’s still shaking off some rust.
CASH. Wemby comes off the pin-down screen and nails the easy mid-range!
JUST THROW IT UP THERE PART ONE: Wemby finishes the alley-oop jam with a reverse!
JUST THROW IT UP THERE PART TWO: Castle recovers the loose ball and throws it up for only Wemby to finish!
De’Aaron Fox dropped 16 points, nine assists, two rebounds, and a steal. He showed off crafty moves in the lane and from the midrange, with a side of deep threes. However, he also turned the ball over five times. Towards the middle of the fourth, he struggled to get back on track. Regardless, he most definitely would have won the Cup MVP if the silver and black came out on top.
Watch your step! D-Fox uses the screen from Luke Kornet and nails the midrange jumper!
Limitless Range! D-Fox shows off the rare deep three from the wing!
Stephon Castle dropped 15 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, and a block. A near triple-double on an off shooting night for Steph as he shot five of 15 from the field. Steph was dropping dimes left and right, especially in the first quarter, where he dropped seven. The growing number of assists every game is proof of how Steph’s game is constantly evolving from just a slasher. Expect him to continue to work on his late-game turnovers.
Defense to Offense! Wemby strips Hart and throws a beautiful pass to Steph on the fastbreak for the easy slam!
Fastbreak finishing three! Steph spots up in the corner and knocks down the three near crunchtime in the fourth.
Luke Kornet dropped 14 points (7-9 FG), six rebounds, and one dime. Luke continues to start and excel as a pick and roller. Of his seven buckets, most of them came off of lob passes. It will be curious to see whether Mitch will continue to start as Wemby ramps back to normal playing time.
Lob City Finisher Part One: Steph finds Luke on the alley-oop connection, and Luke slams it down with two hands for safety!
Lob City Finisher Part Two: This time, D-Fox finds a cutting Luke on the fastbreak for the alley-oop slam!
Lob City Finisher Part Three: Steph finds Luke again for the lob connection early in the third!
Devin Vassell dropped 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists. He struggled from the field, shooting four of 14. Regardless, he also played solid defense against multiple Knicks. He will continue to be the x-factor for the silver and black. While streaky, Dev can turn it on, especially on both ends. His ability to not only get to his spots but also find his shot will be the difference maker during the season.
POSTER ALERT! Dev cuts into the lane and glides to the rim with two hands over Anunoby!
Harrison Barnes dropped 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. Even though he was in double figures, HB has now gone 0 for 12 in his last two games from three. It is a cold streak to keep an eye on, especially considering he was shooting 40% from three coming into Las Vegas. Look for him to hopefully turn it around as the middle of the season approaches.
Unc’ still got it! HB grabs the offensive board and finishes over Anunoby for the and-one!
What a run. Even though the result was a loss, the Spurs put the NBA on notice. After making it out of the group of death, they defeated the Lakers without Wemby, took down the reigning champs on a 16-game winning streak, and fought near the end against one of the best teams in the East. This will only fuel the desire to make the playoffs this season and make a run. Also, in case anyone was wondering, this game will not count towards the team’s record, and the stats in the game also do not count. In the end, the Spurs were playing with house money, and there is nothing to be ashamed of.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs return home to take on the Washington Wizards on Thursday at 7:00 P.M. (CST) on FDSN-SW.
