If you beat a team that beat a team, does that make you the team to beat?
The Knicks were going to find out. And then they ruined everything.
After all, the San Antonio Spurs had the number of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. They've defeated the 2025 NBA champions not once, not twice, but three times this season, including a 20-point win on Dec. 23 and a stunning 15-point performance on Christmas Day.
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And for long stretches of New York's New Year's Eve game in San Antonio on Wednesday, the Knicks were poised to topple a new West rival for the second time in the first half of the season, the first time coming in convincing fashion in the NBA Cup Final in Las Vegas.
But these Champagnes sure love to tie it to the Knicks. And nearly a year to the day to the day that his twin brother retired with the Knicks last December, Spurs forward Julian Champagnie surpassed his younger brother to lead the Spurs to a 134-132 victory over the Knicks on Wednesday.
Champagnie set a new Spurs franchise record with 11 threes against the Knicks on Wednesday. He finished with 36 points on 11-of-17 shooting from deep and calmed the Spurs as they returned late in the game with Victor Vembanyama on the bench due to injury. His brother Justin Champagnie scored 31 points on 5-of-6 shooting from deep in the Knicks' game against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 28, 2024.
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Vembanyama dominated, scoring 31 points on 10-of-12 shooting and 13 rebounds in just 24 minutes, but landed awkwardly on the rebound and came off the floor in the fourth quarter. Spurs announced he had suffered a knee injury, but Wemby returned to the sidelines to support his teammates. His absence, however, didn't matter much to the Spurs, who beat the Knicks 41-30 in the final frame.
Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox finished with 26 points and seven assists, scoring 13 of his points in the fourth quarter, and Keldon Johnson added 19 points on 5-of-12 shooting.
The Knicks, without Josh Hart (ankle), Mitchell Robinson (load management) and Landry Shamet (shoulder), started rookie Mohamed Diawara in Hart's place and scored 55 points off the bench, including 20 points in 24 minutes from Jordan Clarkson and 21 points in 26 minutes from Miles McBree in Game 2, returning from a three-week absence due to ankle injuries.
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But they led by 19 points before taking the lead late. The Knicks lost their first game they led early in the fourth quarter this season. They were 19-0 heading into the stoppage in San Antonio.
Jalen Brunson finished with 29 points on 10-of-24 shooting from the field and Karl-Anthony Towns added 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists but was fouled out late in the fourth quarter. Mikal Bridges scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting and missed a 3 from wide that would have tied the game at 124 with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. But he immediately committed a pass and then deflected the ball inbounds to McBride, who made his second shot from the line to bring the Knicks within one.
The Knicks then return home to host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
They have another month before they have to play against another Champagne when they face the Washington Wizards on February 3rd.
