Starting December 13-6, the New York Knicks were in need of some wins, and they got exactly that, granted a lighter schedule to start the month. The Knicks started by winning three straight at home over the Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic. After a 34-point victory against Utah, they took Orlando down to the wire, ultimately winning by six.

The hot start swung momentum in their direction, as they took on the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. Thanks to Jalen Brunson’s 35-point performance, New York escaped with a convincing triumph, sending them to Las Vegas for the tournament semifinals. That same moment carried over into Saturday’s game, where they surpassed the Magic by 12 points, thanks to all five starters finishing in the double digits. On the other side of the bracket, the San Antonio Spurs snapped the Oklahoma City Thunder's impressive 16-game win streak. San Antonio’s win set up a date with the Knicks for the NBA Cup championship. The matchup is scheduled for Tuesday, and I am confident in the Knicks' ability to emerge victorious and become the third team to ever win the tournament.

Today’s Hottest Take: The Knicks defense can stop Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama if all goes according to plan.

Sitting at 18-7, the Spurs are arguably the toughest team to play in the Western Conference. Their lineup is as deep as it gets with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox at the face of it. Take Wembanyama, for example. Even though he has missed 12 games due to injury, he has still averaged a double-double. What’s even more noteworthy is that he came off the bench for the first time in his young career against Oklahoma City, but still tallied 22 points and nine rebounds. When you also factor in that Fox and Castle combined for 44 points against the 24-2 Thunder, there’s a reason why the Spurs are as dominant as they’ve been.

However, let’s insert the Knicks into this conversation about dominance, considering they have shown they can compete with the likes of the Magic and Boston Celtics. What gives New York an advantage over others is that they have a great defense, led by OG Anunoby, who can also score the ball well on any given occasion. He did so against Orlando, totaling 24 points, six rebounds, three steals and a block. When facing offensive threats like Fox and Castle, it will be important for Mike Brown to assign Anunoby to defend them. And when it comes to Wembanyama, the 7-foot-5 big man, it will be up to Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson to protect the interior from an offensive attack. What makes Wembanyama so tough to guard is his ability to exploit holes in the defense, given his large wingspan and 3-point shooting talent.

For the first time since last season, Towns and Robinson will face off against the 21-year-old French superstar. I am confident in Robinson’s abilities because he’s had six games this year with two or more blocks. I’m more worried about how Towns will perform against Wembanyama because he has had trouble defensively so far this season. It will be up to the defensive strategy Brown draws up to stop the Spurs, who can easily get going early in any matchup.

Before You Go: Brunson Has Led the Knicks Offensively

Even though the defense is the main point of emphasis for this upcoming game against San Antonio, I’m not as worried about New York’s offense. In their last 10 games, the Knicks have scored more than 100 points, which I attribute to their offensive success. Brunson has been a key contributor, scoring over 25 points in his last five appearances. If Brunson can get going early and especially from long range, the Knicks will be in good hands. However, I would like to see the bench get more involved and assist Brunson with scoring. If Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson can have better performances than New York has, it has an even better shot at winning Tuesday’s NBA Cup Final against the Spurs.