Disaster in New York due to the curse of the NBA Cup?
The The New York Knicks are living a statistic that no team wantsright after they celebrated NBA Cup victory over the San Antonio Spurs. However, the shine faded quickly as the Knicks’ momentum stalled. Jalen Brunson remains a calm face through it all, and Mike BrownIn his first season as the Knicks’ head coach, he’s been at the center of navigating this difficult stretch.
The idea seems to be inescapable throughout the NBA: NBA Cup winning teams tend to feel withdrawn immediately after lifting the trophy. The Knicks have won just five of their last eleven games, including the stretch since the Cup win over San Antonio. The party is over, but the schedule isn’t.
The the sharpest blow was against the Detroit Pistonswhere the 121–90 loss was tough. It was one of those nights that silences the bench and makes the next practice louder. The The Knicks also chose not to raise the NBA Cup bannerwanting the focus to be on June, not December. Even so, the conversation chases them. Emotional climax. Physical toll. The rhythm slides in a regular grind. The fans see it. The locker room feels it.
The template, the shot and the next test for the Knicks
The curse of the NBA Cup takes a simple form. Win, then waver. The Lakers went 3-7 after winning the Cup. The Bucks went 5–5 after beating Oklahoma City. Now the Knicks are 5-5 in their ten games since hoisting the trophy. It’s not a collapse. It’s not a rush. Just flat basketball after a high climb. Winter hangover numbers repeat.
Through it all, Jalen Brunson plays with sharpness and composure, while Mike Brown continues to set rotations and pace. The problems are clear: late-game execution, transition defense, and short lapses that become big opponent runs. However, there is still a runway. Health can have ongoing roles. Madison Square Garden can turn the energy around quickly. So the question under the bright lights remains: Is the curse of the NBA Cup real, or will the Knicks end it and turn this part into something harder and better?
2026-01-06 16:53:00
