THE New York Knicks advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals for the first time in three attempts with a 117-101 win over the struggling Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night (Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, PH time).
Jalen Brunson scored 35 points for New York and Josh Hart added 21, according to the Associated Press.
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks, who will face Orlando in the semifinal round Saturday (Sunday in PH) in Las Vegas.
The Orlando Magic secured their spot earlier Tuesday by defeating the Miami Heat 117-108.
Towns returned after missing Sunday’s home win over Orlando due to tightness in his left calf. Mikal Bridges scored 15 points and OG Anunoby added 13 against his former team.
New York, the only franchise to reach the quarterfinals in all three years of the NBA Cup, had dropped its previous two appearances by a combined 32 points. The Knicks improved to 11-4 all-time in the event.
Brunson’s 26 points in the first half marked his highest-scoring half of the season.
Brandon Ingram led Toronto with 31 points and Jamal Shead added a career-high 18, but the short-handed Raptors dropped their fourth straight — all at home. Scottie Barnes and Ja’Kobe Walter contributed 13 points apiece, and Jakob Poeltl had 10.
Toronto went unbeaten in group play during a dominant 13-1 stretch but has gone 1-6 since.
Ingram scored 17 in the first quarter, but the Raptors managed just 13 total points in a disastrous second period, shooting 5-for-21 and missing 13 of their first 15 attempts. New York led 69-52 at the break. / LBG