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By Madison Williams
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The New York Knicks' 2025-26 championship season somewhat kickstarted with them winning last season's NBA Cup. It gave them some momentum and the spotlight they needed to eventually win the league's title in June.
This year, the Knicks aren't looking too good in NBA Cup play.
On Friday night, the Knicks faced the Indiana Pacers in the group stage and were fully expected to win as the Pacers are dealing with star Tyrese Haliburton out for a left hamstring strain. However, the Pacers put up a good fight and eventually won 106-104. New York's Karl-Anthony Towns attempted a jumper in the final seconds of the game, but missed.
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With the loss, the Knicks are 0-2 in group play, meaning they sit in dead last in the East Group B standings. No team has gone on to win the NBA Cup after starting 0-2, via Yahoo! Sports, since the league started just in 2023. So, it's not impossible for the Knicks to redeem themselves in the NBA Cup this year, but it's not likely.
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Arguably the happiest person in Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday night was Haliburton as he watched his teammates play from the bench. He was as hyped, if not more, than the rest of his teammates as they kept a good lead in the fourth quarter.
Haliburton made sure to hug Knicks star Jalen Brunson after the contest. The two stars have a competitive history as the Pacers notably eliminated the Knicks from the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2025. They put their differences aside on Friday, though, to show respect to one another.
Even though the NBA Cup might not seem like a big deal in the league, the bigger deal is the fact that the Pacers beat the reigning NBA champions without their star player. That's a difficult feat to achieve. Indiana proved to fans that they can still win without Haliburton even with a 5-8 record to start the season. Maybe this was the win they needed to boost their confidence and turn things around this season.
The Pacers need that confidence boost as Haliburton's been out since Oct. 26 with his hamstring strain. He was originally only predicted to miss 10 days, but those 10 days have come and gone without Haliburton back on the court. The Pacers delayed his return for precautionary reasons so they don't rush him back. Haliburton did miss all of last season as he recovered from a torn Achilles.
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