Wemby’s Return Sends Spurs to an Unexpected NBA Cup Final

The return of a basketball phenom helped dethrone the reigning NBA superpower and reshape the final of Tuesday’s NBA Cup.

The Spurs reached the tournament final, thanks to a standout performance from star center Victor Wembanyama, beating the defending league champion Thunder, 111–109. The loss was just the second of the season for Oklahoma City, but Wembanyama returned from missing 12 games with a left calf strain, spanning nearly a month, by scoring 22 points and grabbing nine rebounds in just 21 minutes of play off the bench.

“This is not a typical regular-season game,” Wembanyama said. “We knew that if we lose, we’re out. You know, some people are built for these moments. Some aren’t. But we definitely are, and it shows.”

New York Up Next

San Antonio will face the Knicks in the NBA Cup final Tuesday night, with New York writing its own storybook narrative, in part through a semifinal win over the Magic. Each player of the tournament-winning team will earn $530,933, and despite a resurgence of some operational issues with the special floors, the NBA Cup continues to establish itself as a fixture of the NBA calendar.

The Knicks, meanwhile, were led in their victory over Orlando by a 40-point performance from guard Jalen Brunson, who is putting a push for Most Valuable Player Award consideration—despite competing against a collection of more heralded players. Brunson has scored at least 30 points in four straight games.

“He makes the game easier for everybody,” said Knicks coach Mike Brown after the team’s 132–120 win over Orlando in the NBA Cup semifinals. “That’s what MVPs are supposed to do, and he definitely did that. … It’s beautiful to be able to see him do what he’s more than capable of doing on a national stage like this, in an environment like this.”

Amazon will show the game, with the contest forming a key part of the streaming giant’s NBA rights as it begins an 11-year contract with the league. 

Still Chasing a Record

Before the game with the Spurs, Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said the team is actively seeking to break the NBA record for regular-season wins, set by the 2015–16 Warriors with 73. Oklahoma City would need to go at least 50–6 for the rest of the season to set a new standard, but that’s a slightly worse winning percentage than their current 24–2 mark.

“Absolutely,” Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked if the wins record mattered. “Winning matters. And no matter what form it looks like to me. So absolutely.”

Notably, that Warriors team that broke the league record previously held by the 1995–96 Bulls ultimately lost to the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals in a seven-game thriller.