It’s been a long time since the “Cup” came to Manhattan, but the New York Knicks are looking to do something about that.
The Knicks will once again play for in-season glory, as they’re set to partake in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 NBA Cup on Tuesday night against the Toronto Raptors. New York is the only team to reached the knockout round of Cup play in each of its three editions, earning this trip with a 3-1 mark in East Group C play.
The Knicks have won three in a row heading into Tuesday’s festivities, sweeping a triple at home with a 106-100 triumph over the Orlando Magic on Sunday afternoon. While it was a costly triumph for the Knicks, who were forced to work without depth star Miles McBride in the final period after he left in ankle injury, the Knicks enjoyed a 30-point showing from Jalen Brunson while OG Anunoby put in 22 more. Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart united for 25 rebounds on a day where Karl-Anthony Towns sat out due to calf tightness.
Toronto has cooled off since posting a nine-game winning streak just before Thanksgiving, dropping five of their last six, including a 116-94 defeat Madison Square Garden on Nov. 30. The most recent entry to that dire ledger was a 121-113 defeat at home against Boston, one that saw Brandon Ingram score 30 points while Scottie Barnes had an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double.
The Knicks took an early lead on Toronto in the first Manhattan-based meeting and never really looked back, more than making up for the loss of previous Raptors champion OG Anunoby with six New Yorkers reaching double-figures in scoring. New York sank 16 three-pointers, half coming from the combined aerial efforts of Hart and McBride. Former Knick Immanuel Quickley, who was sacrificed in the Anunoby deal from December 2023, led the visiting Raptors with 17 points.
The winner of Tuesday’s game will move onto Las Vegas for the semifinal round of the Cup set to be staged over the weekend. The aforementioned Magic face the Miami Heat in the other quarterfinal which will also be hosted on Tuesday night.
McBride and Towns may not be the only missing in action on Tuesday: New York will be denied another reunion with RJ Barrett, who is out for at least another week after getting a PRP injection in his knee.
What: New York Knicks (16-7, 3-1) at Toronto Raptors (15-10 4-0), NBA Cup Quarterfinal
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
When: Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. PM ET, MSG/Prime Video
Who’s Favored: NYK -4.5
Keep An Eye On: OG Anunoby
It’d obviously be a stretch to say that McBride is an MVP candidate, but he’s certainly fulling the the middle initial for this season’s Knicks, who are winless in three Deuce-less showings. That will put a little extra pressure on Anunoby, who is fresh off nearly month-long absence, one that cost him a chance to see his old neighbors from the north last month.
As the Knicks seek to impress in a single-elimination championship settings—no matter how superficial they may appear—Anunoby has a major opportunity to impress … against his former employers, no less. Far too many major Knicks games over the last two calendar years have been staged without the oft-injured Anunoby. He’ll be heavily relied upon to help the Knicks make an early statement in the championship party.
Raptor to Watch: Sandro Mamukelashvili
The Knicks survived Sunday without their skyscraper, as Hart, Robinson, and Ariel Hukporti patrolled the paint with prowess despite Towns’ absence. Their reward is to face one of the most unexpected adversaries in recent metropolitan memory.
The 6’9 Mamukelashvili, used to performing in premier metropolitan settings thanks to his time as a Seton Hall Pirate, helped the San Antonio Spurs steal a game from the Knicks last March with a 34-point showing that took less than 20 minutes and 15 tries from the field to tally. Now stationed as a Toronto depth star, he could take advantage of a post that’s missing Towns and also make up for Barrett’s lost shooting.
They Said It
“I think, as a competitor, whenever you have the ability to win something, you want to do that. If you’re a competitor, you should want to compete every time you step on the court … Obviously, first we’ve got to make sure to we focus on Toronto and can’t look pass that. But it’s something that we definitely want to win and we’re going to go all out for it.”—Josh Hart on the NBA Cup (h/t SNY)
“What I’d personally say is, ‘throw everything out the window. We’re going through a little stretch where things haven’t gone our way. We’ve been on a losing streak, where we’ve lost a couple games, but you know, just remember what happened to us in New York. Remember that feeling, and come ready to play. Clear our minds and just play free. Understand what our goal is out of this. Just play hard. The biggest thing is to just clear our minds. None of us like losing. None of us like being in this situation, so we’ve just got to go in with a clear mind.”—Ingram on competing for the NBA Cup amidst the Raptors’ losing streak (h/t Logan Struck, Toronto Raptors on SI)
Prediction
The world still doesn’t seem to have found a point or prestige to the NBA Cup but both the Knicks and Raptors might have a little something extra on their respective ends: New York could use it as a dress rehearsal for the real knockout round in spring while Ontario could use it as a sign that its lengthy rebuild is working.
One team clearly has an advantage in working in a game like that, and it’s clear that it’s the Knicks, who have adjusted to their own earlier injuries at lot better than Toronto has. The Raptors will be able to inch a little closer with a little extra rest on their side but expect the Knicks to finally land an elusive trip to Sin City.
