Spurs vs Knicks Free Pick, NBA Free Picks, NBA Predictions 12/16/25
- J.A. Cavalier
- Dec 16, 2025
- 3 min read
SAN ANTONIO @ NEW YORK (NYK -2.5, 234)
NBA ODDS, NBA PREDICTIONS, NBA PREVIEWS
SPURS @ KNICKS 12/16/25
In order to go to the NBA Cup final, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the fiery Oklahoma City Thunder and reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If the Spurs want to win the trophy, they now have to contend with Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks.
After defeating the Thunder 111-109 on Saturday in the West final, the Spurs have won 10 of their last 13 games, while New York has won five in a row and nine of ten going into Tuesday night's final in Las Vegas.
With four consecutive performances of 30 points or more, including a season-high 40 in Saturday's 132-120 victory over the Orlando Magic in the East final, Brunson has been on fire. Against Orlando, Brunson made 16 of 27 shots using his entire shot arsenal.
"I always played against (people) older than my age when I was younger," stated Brunson. "I needed to be dishonest. I needed to be cunning. Actually, it's (been) since the fifth or sixth grade. That was where it all began.
Mike Brown, first-year coach of the Knicks, is quite upset about the names being floated as potential NBA MVPs. He never hears Brunson mentioned as an MVP candidate.
After the Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals the previous season but were defeated in six games by the Indiana Pacers, Brown took over as coach for Tom Thibodeau.
C Karl-Anthony Towns views Tuesday's game as a continuation of New York's postseason success from the previous campaign.
"To win the Cup would be big for us for the energy it brings to our team, just to have the opportunity to win it," Towns stated. "I believe that it gives the team a lot of energy and mojo. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment. Whether it's winning the NBA Finals, the Cup, or any other game. It becomes addictive once you experience the thrill of victory.
When San Antonio's premier player Victor Wembanyama returned to the court against the Thunder, he scored 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, dominating the game. Wembanyama only played 21 minutes after missing 12 games due to a calf injury; San Antonio finished 9-3 without him. The Spurs outscored Oklahoma City by 21 points during the big man's 21 minutes on the court.
The game versus the Knicks on Tuesday is very important to Wembanyama.
"It's a high-stakes game that both teams are going to be very invested in winning," Wembanyama stated. "It indicates that we are getting ready for the next round of bigger playoff games. We want to win every game because we are competitors, and since this one adds something new, we want to win it even more."
Now, the Spurs are playing at their best. Wembanyama, star point guard De'Aaron Fox, reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, and No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper all participated in the same game against the Thunder for the first time this season.
For the last three seasons, the Spurs and Knicks have split the season series.
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FREE PICK
GAME TOTAL OVER 234
This total opened at 227.5 and you see where it’s at now. Even the opening line is a big number in this series. These two haven’t seen a total this high since prior to 2021. The two offenses can fill it up. New York is No. 4 in scoring; The Spurs are seventh. Both are top-10 in Offensive Rating. The Knicks just scored 132 points in the semifinal. Then, there’s Wemby. He put up 21 points in his return to the Spurs in the semifinal. He only played 21 minutes and will likely see his minutes restricted again tonight. When he is off the floor, the Spurs Defensive Rating drops from elite (107.7) to bottom-7 (119.9). Five of the last six games between these two teams have gone Over the total.
