Knicks Eye NBA Cup Title

The New York Knicks have advanced to the NBA Cup quarterfinals.

Dec 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) controls the ball against Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks completed an undefeated NBA Cup run after beating the Orlando Magic 121-106 inside Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

The win allowed the Knicks to clinch East Group A and the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference in the knockout round.

Now that the Knicks have made it to the quarterfinals, they are just three wins away from the title, and head coach Tom Thibodeau plans to use this as a way to get the most out of his players.

“I think each team is different and you try to use it whatever way you can. I think the big thing about our league is that all games count the same, so don’t get lost and distracted with the hoopla that this is a big game — you should win that game. It doesn’t work that way," Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting. “You have to get ready every night. And you have to be prepared for your next opponent. For the fans, it’s great. For the media, it’s great. It’s been good for the league. But don’t get lost in what goes into winning.”

On top of winning the tournament, each player gets a bonus of over $500,000, which Jalen Brunson is using as inspiration to help the players on the team that don't make as much as him.

“It would mean a lot [to win]," Brunson said. "It would mean a lot for us to get [to Las Vegas for the final] and do all that. You have guys on the team who may be on one-year contracts or two-way deals or whatever. And you get to go out there and try to win for them, and it means a lot.”

The Knicks will play in their NBA Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday when they host the Atlanta Hawks.

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