By James Edwards III, Darnell Mayberry and Jared Weiss

A 15-3 run to start the fourth quarter powered the New York Knicks to a 124-113 win over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup Final on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

The win marked the Knicks’ sixth straight and 10th in their past 11. Tuesday’s victory vaulted them into the championship discussion.

New York entered the NBA Cup quarterfinals just 3-6 away from Madison Square Garden. But behind Jalen Brunson and timely contributions from their bench, the Knicks turned the corner in the NBA Cup.

They secured a 16-point road win against the Toronto Raptors in the quarterfinals and rode Brunson’s season-high 40 points in the semifinals to defeat the Orlando Magic by 12 in their building. Tuesday, the Knicks assembled a gritty win by outlasting a Spurs team that controlled the game for much of the contest. New York closed with enough force — a dominant 35-19 fourth quarter — that now leaves no doubt the Knicks are for real.

Knicks’ depth delivers historic NBA Cup win

If you thought the Knicks were top-heavy, think again.

New York didn’t win the NBA Cup because Brunson was the best scorer on the planet, which he’s capable of being. The Knicks didn’t win because Karl-Anthony Towns shot the ball like we know he’s capable of. Mikal Bridges wasn’t spectacular. Josh Hart has had better games.

The Knicks won because of heroics from the bench. Tyler Kolek, a second-round draft pick last season, scored double digits off the bench. Jordan Clarkson hit huge 3 after huge 3. Mitchell Robinson dominated Victor Wembanyama on the offensive glass.

New York needed something from everyone to raise its first banner since 1973. Yes, the Knicks are going to hang a banner inside MSG, because everyone on the team agrees that when you work for something, you honor that.

The Knicks entered the conversation as a legitimate NBA title contender by beating the Spurs, the team that took down the almighty Oklahoma City Thunder for a spot in the final.

New York doesn’t need Giannis Antetokounmpo. It doesn’t need to make a big trade. It needs to see if what it has is as real as it appeared Tuesday night. — James Edwards III, Knicks beat writer

Spurs falter late as Knicks clamp down

The Spurs played well most of the night, as their three guards pushed the pressure on defense and pace on offense. This was looking like the ideal Spurs game in their newfound identity, even if Wembanyama was struggling. But when they got to crunch time, the Knicks defense tightened up, and the Spurs couldn’t create good offense.

This was a fresh look at the Spurs’ optimal closing lineup of their three point guards, Devin Vassell and the big guy, which did not look capable of creating 3s against a locked-in defense. Wembanyama did not have a path to creating good shots for himself and was out of position a lot on defense.

This was a good test for the Spurs’ contention aspirations, but they did not meet the moment. They aren’t far from being ready for high-level basketball, but they have more work to do. — Jared Weiss, Spurs beat writer