Knicks Prepare to Snap Ugly NBA Cup Trend

Fans of the New York Knicks were warned about how the squad's historically performed under the bright lights of the NBA Cup before tournament action even kicked off this fall.

One of the league's most consistently prolific seeding game performers has come up short immediately upon qualifying for the exclusive knockout round, a portion of the new in-season enactment that only eight teams advance to every season. They're a tough out in the qualifying outings, winning nine of the 12 they've played in consistently making the next round's cut, but these Knicks have suffered one-and-done fates in the Cup's first two seasons of functionality.

Bucking Recent Trends

The Knicks can only hope that their current version of the team, having just recently integrated OG Anunoby back into the lineup, is good enough to earn a more convincing victory over a team that's previously given them issues in the Toronto Raptors.

They're not far behind the 16-7 Knicks in the Eastern Conference's standings at 15-10, benefitting greatly from a versatile offense that's hit less-prepared opponents with unexpected scoring outings and well-distributed box score statistics on a night-to-night basis.

Even though New York handled Toronto to cap off November with a 116-94, the Raptors hung in the game until one late debilitating run completely ended their chances of prevailing in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks held their division rival off without Anunoby, and have reason to hope that their two-way wing can help them continue pounding his former team into the ground.

New York Knicks Forward OG Anunoby — Nov 2, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) dunks the ball during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

A timely win would be appreciated, and that goes beyond the midweek matchup that'll similarly count in both teams' regular season records. The Knicks are attempting to make the leap to separate themselves from every other feisty unit out east, and any advantage they can muster can help them control the playoffs from the safety of their legendary home arena as a realistic No. 1 seed option.

They're no stranger to high-stakes games, having appeared in seven playoff series across their last three postseason runs, but they can still get all of the competitive hoops experience they can get. After all, this is the same point in their Cup journeys where the Knicks have been stymied in back-to-back seasons, having fallen in an uncompetitive loss to the Milwaukee Bucks before getting out-dueled by their old rival Atlanta Hawks in last year's tournament.

Karl-Anthony Towns' injury status casts a shadow over the Knicks' game-time odds, as he'll enter this one with a questionable status thanks to a bum left calf, and Miles McBride will join Landry Shamet on the absentee list with nagging injuries of their own. Even without those key supplementary pieces, though, Jalen Brunson is well-equipped to deliver yet another clutch moment in making some history for his team.

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