Chris "Mad Dog" Russo has an issue with Knicks fans like Stephen A. Smith and Timothée Chalamet celebrating the NBA Cup. "Somewhere, Walt Frazier and Willis Reed and Red Holzman are saying, 'really? We're going to celebrate this stupid thing? This inauthentic creation to jazz up… pic.twitter.com/ZgvK2YtNOT

For his own part, Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, claimed that he was unaware of the offseason ESPN report when asked by The Post after the Bucks beat the Knicks 121-111 in Milwaukee on Oct. 28. After being told of the report, Antetokounmpo did not deny it; rather, he deflected.

ESPN outlined how the Knicks could build a package around Karl-Anthony Towns to land Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The moment unfolded during the Knicks’ on-court celebration after winning the Emirates Cup on Tuesday, when Hart, standing behind Brunson, playfully poked him as cameras rolled. Brunson jumped in surprise at the touch, turning his body fully to face Hart, who went about celebrating as if nothing ever happened.

The Knicks enter the holiday week with little time to catch their breath, facing a stretch of familiar faces and balding foes. I count four plane rides, to-and-from arenas; one early game and one at noon . . . on Christmas, no less; and one contest that feels like a scheduled loss. This year, our heroes are asking Santa for extra sleep.

The NBA Cup competition concludes with the championship game between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks.

A meeting between Josh Hart and Mike Brown amid struggles for both the veteran guard and the team as a whole sparked a recent run that has New York in the NBA Cup final.

Expert recap and game analysis of the New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers NBA game from 19 December 2025 on ESPN (AU).