The New York Knicks became the third team to lift the NBA Cup this past week, joining the Los Angeles Lakers (2023) and the Milwaukee Bucks (2024). But the wildest moment of the game came during the team’s celebration of winning over $500,000 per player. We’ll get to that in a bit.
From All-Stars making history, to coaches “crashing out,” here are some of the most memorable moments from the last week in the NBA.
Hart caught in 4K after Knicks win NBA Cup
Rejoice, Knicks fans, New York is a city of champions. Kinda.
The New York Knicks haven’t won a championship since 1973. But on Tuesday, they won the third iteration of the NBA Cup after defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 123-114. Still, the Knicks are not hanging a banner inside Madison Square Garden, league sources told The Athletic on Wednesday. An interesting choice for a team that hangs division-winning banners, but I digress.
Aside from the conversation about how highly the NBA Cup should be regarded, there was a viral moment between Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson during the on-court celebration that was caught on camera, prompting the shooting guard to address the video on Twitter after he returned to the locker room.
Damn in 4k…..😂😂😂😂
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) December 17, 2025
IT WAS AI
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) December 17, 2025
If you clicked that link and have questions, let me provide some context. Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson both attended Villanova at the same time and were members of two national championship-winning teams, first in 2016 and again in 2018. They co-host a podcast together called “Roomates Show” and are seemingly close friends — though both would probably disagree if you asked.
That said, the internet doesn’t care about context, as evidenced by the moment’s virality.
Jokić becomes career leader in assists for centers
Nikola Jokić hardly needs more accolades to be cemented among the all-time great big men in NBA history. He is a three-time MVP at 30 years old, and looks like he will be in contention for more before he retires.
On Thursday, Jokić crossed another milestone by passing the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most assists by a center in NBA history.
It’s hard to imagine another center catching Jokić’s still-growing record anytime soon, especially with him still in his prime and racking up double-digit total on a nightly basis.
I mean, look at these dimes!!!
THE BEST DIMES FROM THE BEST PASSING CENTER OF ALL TIME https://t.co/xtsybgoet8 pic.twitter.com/nmoJCtvXUG
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 19, 2025
Finch ejected in less than 6 minutes
Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was ejected from his team’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday after erupting at officials over a no-call on forward Julius Randle less than halfway through the first quarter.
Chris Finch was ejected six minutes into OKC-Minnesota and had to be held back by four staff members 👀 pic.twitter.com/B4BjXK48Mw
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) December 20, 2025
This early ejection was an extension of Finch’s long history of frustration with the way he believes the Thunder are officiated. After a win against Oklahoma City last season, Finch made his feelings known.
“It’s so frustrating to play this team because they foul a ton. They really do,” he said. “They foul. They foul all the time. And then you can’t really touch Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander). It’s a very frustrating thing, and it takes a lot of mental toughness to play through it.”
Finch’s protests may have affected a game the Timberwolves went on to win, 112-107. Minnesota shot 47 free throws, which was 17 more than the Thunder, who were whistled for 30 personal fouls.
After the Timberwolves’ win, Anthony Edwards was asked if “Finchy’s” ejection got Minnesota fired up.
“I’m f—–g with that, I’m f—–g with that, that’s my dog, so I’m not happy he got threw out the game … If I would have saw him going back at the ref the second time, I probably would have pulled him back,” Edwards replied.
Honorable Mention
Don’t look now, but Andre Drummond is a shooter.
Drummond went 3-4 from deep in MSG 😳
Hand down, man down 🎯 pic.twitter.com/hzBCvqcKYR
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 20, 2025
Drummond’s three-point shooting this season has been a revelation. Before the year, Drummond was a 12.9 percent shooter from 3, connecting on only 18 of his 140 attempts. This season, the Sixers center is 14 of 34, good for 41.2 (!) percent from 3.
What to look for this week
Christmas Day is approaching, which means the NBA will showcase some of its best matchups on Thursday’s slate:
Noon (ET) – Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks
2:30 pm (ET) – San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunder
5 pm (ET) – Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors (I know what you’re thinking… but it could be fun!)
8 pm (ET) – Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers
10:30 pm (ET) – Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets
