Let’s not forget NBA Cup ‘

New York has wrested the homecourt advantage from San Antonio after scoring a Game 1 road win to open the NBA Finals on a not-so-surprising note. While both teams split their regular season series at a win apiece, let’s not forget they also played in the NBA Cup Final at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas last December.

The NBA Cup was introduced during the 2023-24 campaign with a “championship” format to serve as a bonus attraction in the course of a long season. Under NBA rules, the final outcome isn’t reflected in team records and player stats won’t enter the record books either. The NBA Cup champions so far are the LA Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and New York.

In the latest NBA Cup, the Knicks beat the Spurs, 124-113. Victor Wembanyama came off the bench to fire 18 points and Luke Kornet was the unfamiliar starter, finishing with 14. Julian Champagnie also didn’t start and scored three points. The Knicks played their usual starters with OG Anunoby hitting 28 and Jalen Brunson, 25. Jordan Clarkson tallied 15 in a reserve role. Another Fil-Am Dylan Harper shot 21 for the Spurs.

After 27 years, San Antonio and New York are back facing off in the NBA Finals. With the NBA’s second-best regular season record and fresh from dethroning OKC, the Spurs are picked to stop the rampaging Knicks. But with New York claiming Game 1, the homecourt edge now belongs to the Knicks. San Antonio had never lost a Game 1 in six previous Finals appearances so New York’s feat was historic. And it didn’t come easy.

New York battled back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter and relied on gritty defense to win, 105-95. The Spurs hadn’t scored less than 102 the entire playoffs. For the Knicks, it was par for the course. In 13 playoff wins so far, they’ve limited opponents to an average of 99 points flat. Eight of the 13 victories came with the Knicks holding opponents to less than 100.

Karl Anthony-Towns and Mitch Robinson did a monstrous tag-team job defending Wemby who shot six-of-21. A late Wemby turnover sealed the Spurs’ doom and was a testament to the Knicks’ commitment to defense. De’Aaron Fox averaged 18.6 points in the regular season but was down to seven in Game 1. Devin Vassell averaged 13.9 points in the regular season but coughed up only nine in the opener.

Brunson was the closer, notching 13 of his 30 in the fourth quarter but Josh Hart’s activity all over the floor was a big difference. Hart accounted for game-highs of 15 rebounds and six assists. New York’s defense held San Antonio to 36 percent from the field and forced 13 turnovers from which the Knicks scored 19.

Game 2 is set tomorrow morning (Manila time) before the series shifts to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4. The Spurs are in a must-win situation to even the Finals as they can’t afford to go to New York for two road games on a 0-2 count. New York is on a 12-game win streak and expects to play the same kind of bruising, physical defense to once more silence the Spurs fans.