NBA Cup Bringing Different Energy for Knicks

The New York Knicks are towards the top of Group A in the Emirates NBA Cup after a 111-99 win against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night.

The win puts the Knicks in a tie for first place along with the Orlando Magic, but the team from central Florida has the tiebreaker after winning their game against the Charlotte Hornets by a wider margin than New York.

Knicks wing Josh Hart, who had a triple-double in the win against the Sixers, shared his thoughts on what he likes and doesn’t like about the NBA Cup.

“It’s fun,” Hart said h/t Posting and Toasting. “It gives these games a little bit of a different energy. For the crowd, players have a little bit of a different energy. There’s some extra money on the line. So it’s fun. It’s something that’s a really good idea. The only thing I hate about it is the point-differential element. I think in our last game against Charlotte (last season, a 24-point win) you had some of your main guys in there when you’re up 25 with four minutes left. So that’s the only thing I hate about it. But it’s fun. It brings a good energy to the start of the season.”

The Knicks are in a winnable group for the NBA Cup and doing well in the tournament could allow the team to gain some momentum after a slow start.

Last year, the Knicks reached the quarterfinals of the tournament, only to lose to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks eventually lost to the surprise Indiana Pacers, who parlayed their tournament success into a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, so there is potential to build from the early-season intensity.

The Knicks are back in action for the NBA Cup on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets.

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