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2025-26 Game Thread: Knicks @ Magic: NBA Cup Semifinals

Okay, NOW it’s the semifinals.

The Knicks take on the Magic, and it would be SUPER cool to get the NBA Cup Finals, if only to put the Magic in their place.

Let’s go, Knicks!

58 wins might be LOW!

220 replies on “2025-26 Game Thread: Knicks @ Magic: NBA Cup Semifinals”

This thing seems kinda fun. They got a red carpet for the players and everything. I just don’t know why they do it on a random Saturday in December. Do it in February when nothing’s going on. A final four weekend like this would much cooler than the all star game.

All I want for Christmas is for no Knicks to get injured by the Orlando Thugs (rhymes with Suggs)

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Fitting that the day after Knicks reach 9th in defensive rating they start this game not giving a fuck about playing defense against a shitty offense.

Knicks suddenly playing great on both sides. Good passing, hands in every passing lane.

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One thing I’d like changed with the rotation is making sure always one of OG or Bridges.

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Maybe the Knicks are strategically tanking this game knowing how much better off they’d be scheduling wise if they lose…

Pretty much everything Yabu does (or fails to do) makes me furious.

And just like that, a 10-2 run.

Watching Clarkson on the break, I was betting myself that he wouldn’t pass, even when he was triple-teamed. I owe myself money.

Does anyone remember when I said Yabu & Clarkson would be worse than Payne & Achiuwa?

Clarkson will eventually get hot and win us a game, but he’ll suck ass the rest of the time. We miss Shamet and Deuce.

Can’t watch. My colleague messed up our server online and now i have to solve the problem. So, i’m counting on you to bring the W home. 🧡💙

is svg swearing up a storm every three minutes or did amazon spend the billions it gets from making your first 40 search results a sponsored product elsewhere

What type of food you think would be served at the Yabu Deli?

All the foods

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“What type of food you think would be served at the Yabu Deli?”

Bacon, egg and cheese on a twinkie?

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Who’s more overrated – Banchero or Cade Cunningham?

Tough call, but I gotta go with the man with 45 points on 46 shots

I love that Brown is playing Kolek. Aside from the fact he’s playing well, this experience will get him ready for playoff basketball. You have to develop these young guys while you can.

Not sure but I think Brown is running more PnR for Kolek, which is good because he’s wasted in Brown’s normal offense.

I’m sure I’ll have grouchy days where I complain about Brown, but so far he has exceeded my hopes and expectations.

I’ve been clapping a lot these last few minutes.

Still, the aggression from the Magic is creating opportunities to stay in the game. Their break off makes is really special.

Weird 1st half, didn’t think the Knicks played very well yet I’m a bit annoyed they’re only up 7 at halftime cause feels like they should be up more. Knicks shot 60% overall that half but were awful from 3pt and FT line.

Just noticed that we only made 3 3’s and scored 71 points anyway. I wonder if that’s a record in a half for the last 10 years or so…

Make our free throws, stop the fast break off makes, we should be OK in the second half

Many missed free throws, clarkson stinking up the joint, towns dumb fouls ….but up 7 so far

Stopping the fast break from makes is harder than you think, because Suggs is basically Josh Hart’s twin brother.

Just noticed Knicks are road team this game, I wonder if NBA will do what it did a couple of years ago and change a current Knicks road game against a shitty team to a home game so they’ll play a balanced schedule.

Magic run started with OG butter fingers. For as good as he is, I have such little faith in him dribbling and passing in a crowd

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For as amazing an offensive rebounder Mitch is he’s equally as bad at grabbing defensive boards.

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Dunno if that was a foul on Bane. Looked like great defense to me, but we’ll take it lol. Honestly, minus the antics- Bane really is a good player. I hate him now, but if he were a Knick, he’d be one of my 3 favorite players on the team

When OG goes up for the dunk I visibly relax, knowing he’s not going to try and lay it up…

The fact that Mitch dwarves that whole Magic team seems surreal. That dude is a giant

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OG has the passing vision of Ray Charles

Hilarious. My sister just walked me through a play where OG gummed up the offense by going station to station, getting to the door he was supposed to die the past without paying attention to the defenders, where if he just shifted to another position he would have opened a lane for Mikal to the hoop. She thinks he’s just not an intuitive player on offense.

Yes! How about Kolek stepping into his role lately? Every game he looks more and more legit. Coach is gonna have a problem when Shamet is back

Crazy part is this Knicks team wins most of their games by blowouts and don’t play any close games yet they give me multiple heart attacks every game.

The broadcast has been weird. Also, the seats are sort of back from the court and in blue lighting, giving it the ambiance of a COVID-era game.

Coach is gonna have a problem when Shamet is back

First, who knows if he comes back. Second separated shoulder in two years. But second, it won’t be a problem if Clarkson plays fewer minutes…

Kolek trying to lock the backup position down. I like the heads up, pass first, change of pace he brings in off the bench

Crazy part is this Knicks team wins most of their games by blowouts and don’t play any close games yet they give me multiple heart attacks every game.

I slammed my hands on the couch so hard before my Apple Watch recorded it as a severe fall and was getting ready to request emergency services. 🤣

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We shot 60% from the field. I think we can officially put this kryptonite story to bed.

Not only that, but Brunson could do whatever he wanted tonight. They can’t guard him.

OG might be the worst passer in Knicks history.

eddy curry once played 72 games and had 179 turnovers against 19 assists

Thunder are favored by 11 ½ despite Wemby being back.

Probably won’t be much less against us on Tuesday.

Solid performances from virtually everyone who played tonite, if you’re willing to be happy with Clarkson being neutral in 2nd half

Thunder are favored by 11 ½ despite Wemby being back.

I’d take OKC on that in a second

eddy curry once played 72 games and had 179 turnovers against 19 assists

Impressive!

Leon put together the most talented team in the Eastern Conference for teh 2025-26 season and it’s not even close. That’s not nothing. Now bring on OKC and let’s preview the June finals in one a game take all.

notice prime has an alternate broadcast with “enhanced” game visuals…

biggest basketball viewing wish is to get a consistent option to watch the game without any announcers, maybe except for some occasional sideline coach/player interviews/reporting…

just game/court noise for the most part…

NBA should use the Poker format and put cash money on a table mid court by the check in area in a glass box. It would add to the drama and effect viewrship. Especially globally.

The total prize money awarded to the entire New York Knicks organization (players and qualifying staff) would be approximately $8.26 million if they are champions and approximately $3.31 million if they are runners-up.

Delta is legit. They’re literary playing for $5M dollars.

Brown definitely deserves kudos for his coaching in these recent games. KAT still is not good on D but not as bad as he has been either. Having Mitch immediately kick out offensive rebounds is a nice wrinkle. Orlando’s C’s are not a great test, but the domination by KAT and Mitch was the difference in the game. Not to take away from anyone else, but you kind of expect Brunson, Bridges, OG and Hart to do their thing.

And Tyler Kolek really has been impressive in these last few games, especially his defense. He’s really beating guys to the spot, chesting bigger guys up, and lurking in the passing lanes. Whenever he comes in, I hope for him to just hold the fort and eat minutes so that Brunson can get some rest, but he’s done much more than that, especially today.

The team’s defense is looking better in general lately. Some of that has to do with our opposition, but it also seems like there’s some better communication happening out there. KAT is looking a lot less like a lost cause.

We also got 15 very useful minutes out of Tyler Kolek, and in general I’m starting to feel pretty good when that guy enters the game.

Watching John Cena’s final match before switching to the OKC Spurs game.

hey BBA, hope you’re well…where is that being broadcast?

watched some of “wargames” at petco a while back – cena’s walk out alone gives ya the chills…

who is he in there with?

The Kolek improvement is reminding me of how Deuce finally got over the hump. Both guys had clear NBA-level skills in certain areas but also disadvantages, and the short leash made them press on shooting. Like Deuce, Kolek knows he can get on the floor even without shooting, so long as he defends, passes, and does some sundries and intangibles. He’s showing a bit more confidence on drives and floaters, and hopefully that will help the 3-ball come around.

Agreed, Z-Man.

Kolek also just looks way better in a structured environment with good players. His skills just don’t shine through in garbage time minutes and with G-leaguers sharing the floor with him. He is starting to resemble his scouting report.

Let’s hope the Knicks are hot from 3 on Tuesday. The shots will be there, they can’t guard make it a game or they make their shots.

Another thing that stood out to me this game is that we only took 20 threes (7-20) and still scored 132 points against a supposedly good defense. That is another feather in Brown’s cap in the sense of winning in different ways against different teams on different nights.

Looking forward to Tuesday night but man just noticed on Friday Knicks will host Philly on the 2nd night of a back to back and 3rd game in 4 nights while Philly will be playing their 1st game in 5 days.

I’m loving the Cup and am thrilled Knicks will play in the Final but that’s fucking brutal.

Wemby is +20 in 7 minutes.

He brought the Spurs back twice in the first half. Imagine if they had not missed so many wide open threes. OKC may not be invincible, after all.

BBA I wrote a post on the last thread detailing how brutal the schedule will be for the next month or so, and how winning this game makes it even more brutal.

The best scenario might be for San Antonio to beat OKC and then rest Wemby, but what the hell, might as well get some reps against OKC to have some game film.

Yeah Z-man the Knicks schedule until the All-Star break is pretty brutal but as long as they avoid injuries they’ll be fine. Knicks have begun to put some separation between themselves and the rest of the non Pistons teams in the East too so they could afford some hiccups.

I don’t think OKC is as great as their record would suggest. They are catching the NBA at the right time, with the old guard aging and no super teams to contend with.

We came into the season with a few question marks and a few young players we were hoping could grow into a required role.

Can Kolek become a solid backup PG?

Can Hukporti become a solid backup C in case Mitch is out?

Heck, can Diawara become playable at PF if we have any injuries?

It’s starting to look like Kolek is growing into the role of backup PG. He still needs work on his 3 point shot, but he looks way more comfortable, especially given this was a high pressure game. He also looks better and smarter defensively. It would be a huge plus to have someone we could count on to run the offense when Brunson is resting or out for a few games.

OKC may not be invincible, after all.

as good as they have looked this season and last – I’d take the field over the thunder…

nuggets, rockets, spurs and the knicks should all have a chance to beat them in a 7 game series…

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OKC have played the easiest schedule in the NBA so far by a pretty wide margin too. Of course not having to play themselves is a big part of it.

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I dread watching Hart and especially OG committing their stupid turnovers against either of these 2 teams on Tuesday.

Regardless of how I feel about this stupid cup, Adam Silver must be very happy about the quality of these two games. I wonder how the ratings will measure up.

Was hoping to get a crack at the unbeatable juggernaut but I’ll settle for revenge for 1999.

OKC will most likely repeat but they’ve lost in the knockout rds in back to back Cup tourneys and had to go 7 games twice in the playoffs last season.

They’re great but not invincible. Granted I’m probably just trying to give myself false hope assuming we face them in the Finals this season…

There was exactly 1 field goal in the last 150 seconds of that game… against 20 free throw attempts. Elam Ending for fuck’s sake

Coming into tonight Spurs were only 9th in SRS. Granted they didn’t have Fox early in the season then obviously Wemby got hurt but I’m sure all the national media will be picking the Spurs to beat the Knicks on Tuesday night despite statistically on paper the Knicks are the better team.

I was kind of looking forward to seeing how we match up against the might Thunder in a game all the players cared about, but the Spurs aren’t chopped liver either.

There was exactly 1 field goal in the last 150 seconds of that game… against 20 free throw attempts. Elam Ending for fuck’s sake

Amen brother.

150 seconds of game time… What was it in real time, 20 minutes? Tuned into a dramatic, tense, high level game… Watched it end on a series of failed inbound plays, unintentionally made free throws, and touch fouls at half court.

The Spurs are practically feudal – let’s all have champagnie until the kornet blows and we can hunt fox with vassals around the castle

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