Spurs vs. Knicks score, live updates: Victor Wembanyama to play on minutes restriction in NBA Cup final

Stephon Castle found Devin Vassell flying through the lane, and he immediately rose up and threw down a two-handed slam with OG Anunoby underneath him.

Castle completed a fast-break layup after a Victor Wembanyama steal on the next possession, too, to push the Spurs’ lead to seven now midway through the second quarter. This team is quick, and the Knicks appear to be struggling to keep up.

The Spurs drained a trio of 3-pointers in the first two minutes of the second quarter, along with a Luke Kornet tip-in, to immediately take control of the game.

They’re up 46-40 now with about seven minutes left in the first half. They’ve missed their last six shots, too, before Mike Brown opted to call a timeout.

The Spurs closed the first quarter on a quick 7-2 burst to take the lead again. OG Anunoby leads all scorers with 10 points.

So far, we’ve got a game working in Las Vegas.

This pass from KAT was ridiculous. The Spurs had him doubled perfectly on the wing.

Victor Wembanyama has checked into the game for the first time tonight. The Spurs, after a bit of a slow start that saw them down 7-2, have rallied and now lead 14-12.

The Knicks have won the tip, and the championship game in Las Vegas is off and running.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver again hinted at expansion ahead of the NBA Cup championship game tonight, and name dropped both Las Vegas and Seattle as potential options.

He said the league will decide in 2026 on whether to move forward with the domestic expansion process, but he doesn’t want to “tease” cities, either.

It’s almost that time! The Spurs and Knicks tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET, airing live on Amazon Prime Video.

Despite the fact that Wembanyama’s impact was contained within the confines of a minutes restriction — a combination of calf-strain management and the reality of the new 65-game rule for NBA awards — his teammates were ready to fill in the gaps when he couldn’t. Sixty-seven points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists from the trio of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell was more than enough to shoulder the load.

And when it came time for Wembanyama to send the Thunder off into the night, he did so with aplomb; a 15-point fourth quarter against the reigning champs to push the Spurs to a 111-109 victory and into the NBA Cup final. Twenty-two points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a steal in 21 minutes. A 16-game winning streak snapped. A hero returned. A statement made.

“​​It’s just incredible,” Wembanyama said. “I keep asking these guys for the last 12 games, just get better, do some beautiful things. And I just wanted to be a part of it. I’m glad that we can still do it when I’m here, I’m happy with that, of course. But I’m just glad to be a part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful. Pure and ethical basketball.”

For one glorious evening, the now-24-2 Thunder looked less like the most devastating team in the sport and more like a group that forgot just how impactful Wembanyama truly is. So as important as it is for the Spurs to advance to the NBA Cup final, it’s just as critical to understand what San Antonio can actually do with a fully healthy group. Saturday night was the first time all season the Spurs had all of their rotational contributors available, which, given what they were able to accomplish on a national stage, should terrify the rest of the NBA.

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The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs each enter the 2025 NBA Cup final with an 18-7 record, but it’s the Knicks that the sportsbooks are giving the slight edge to ahead of tipoff.

The Knicks enter the neutral-site championship game as 2.5-point favorites over the Spurs, with moneyline odds (AKA odds to win) set at -140. That means a $10 bet on NY would yield $7.14 in profit for a total payout of $17.14.

The Spurs, on the other hand, have their moneyline odds set at +115. At those odds, $10 bet on the Spurs would yield $11.50 in profit for a total payout of $21.50 if San Antonio wins.

The Knicks currently rank top-five in the league with 121.0 points and 45.9 rebounds per game while ranking ninth in assists (26.8 per game).

The New York Knicks have reached the knockout round of the NBA Cup all three times the tournament has been held. They are about to play in their first championship game, primarily thanks to Jalen Brunson.

Behind 40 points and eight assists from their All-Star guard, the Knicks survived a high-scoring thriller against the Orlando Magic in the East semifinal.

The Magic entered the game ranked fifth in the NBA in defensive efficiency, and the Knicks gashed them on that side of the court as much as any team has all season, despite shooting only 7-of-20 from 3-point range. The absence of defensive standout Franz Wagner loomed large.

It also didn’t help that Jalen Suggs, another defensive standout, left the game in clear discomfort in the fourth quarter. The Magic later announced he was questionable to return with a sore left hip, but he never made it back to the court.

San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama was sidelined for nearly a month with a left calf strain, playing his first game since November 14 on Saturday.

In his first game back from the injury, Wembanyama scored 22 points, shooting 54.5%, with 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal.

He was limited to just 22 minutes, coming in off the bench in that contest but still managed to dominate, helping lead the Spurs to a 111-109 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder — handing them just their second loss of the season while clinching a spot in the 2025 NBA Cup finals.