This isn’t the banner the Knicks envisioned chasing this season–but after a 132-120 quarterfinal victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, the NBA Cup is within reach. And recent, limited history says competing for the In-Season Tournament banner gives you a head start in chasing the real thing later down the line.

In 2023, the first year of the Cup, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers to claim the league’s inaugural in-season trophy. The Pacers went on to make an Eastern Conference Finals appearance the following spring, and coming a Tyrese Haliburton Game 7 injury away from a Cinderella ending last season.

In the Cup’s second year, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder. That Thunder team responded by winning its first NBA championship later that same se

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