Cleveland Cavaliers 144, Chicago Bulls 126
The historic start to the season continues for the Cavaliers as they pick up a win against the Bulls on the second night of the NBA Cup. The wins improve their record to 14-0 the best start in the history of the franchise history. They also become the first teams since the 2015-16 Warriors to achieve such a record to start the year. Although it was a tightly contested game they were able to pull away with a 21-7 run late in the fourth. Under first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, the Cavaliers thrive on energy, trust, and confidence, showing they can dominate in any situation—even when short-handed.
Cavaliers
The Cavaliers’ All-Star backcourt was in top form as Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 37 points, complemented by Darius Garland’s impressive 29. Mitchell scored the first 9 points in the 4th ending with 18 in the final period. His ability to be closer for this team elevates them into real championship contention. However, it wasn’t just him as the Cavaliers were on fire the whole night as they scored 49 in the first period. This ties their franchise record set during the NBA Finals against the Warriors.
While the first half was all about their offense in the second half, they were able to tighten the screws. They held Chicago to just 53 points in the last 24 minutes. The Cavaliers pulled away in the fourth quarter with a late surge. They would end up running up the score—a key factor in the rankings for the NBA Cup. Their ability to combine explosive offense with timely defense continues to fuel their historic start to the season.
Bulls
The Bulls were able to keep up with the Cavaliers despite the historic scoring start in the first half. Coby White led the charge, dropping 29 points and showing off his ability to create offense. Nikola Vucevic added 25 points and held things down in the paint, while Ayo Dosunmu brought the spark late with a dunk that cut the Cavs’ lead to just four points in the fourth quarter.
However, the Bulls who have played at a high pace all year looked out of sync down the stretch. This led to rushed shots and untimely turnovers during crucial moments. One big concern, though, was the defense, especially from Josh Giddey. The Cavs exploited mismatches on him all night, particularly late in the game, and it made a difference when Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert started to heat up. If the Bulls are going to make noise going forward, tightening up on that end will be key. They fall to 0-1 in the NBA Cup.
Los Angeles Lakers 120, San Antonio Spurs 115
The Lakers kicked off their title defense of the NBA Cup in a game down in San Antonio. In a matchup that is hyped up as the past versus present Victor Wembanyama and Lebron James didn’t disappoint. However, it was actually Anthony Davis who would have the standout performance of the night. Anthony Davis led the way with a dominant performance, scoring 40 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. That paired with James recording his fourth straight triple-double propelled them past the Spurs.
Lakers
The Lakers ruled out a starting lineup of Austin Reaves, Cam Reddish, Dalton Knecht, Lebron James, and Anthony Davis. This is one of the more versatile defensive lineups for the Lakers and it proved effective. Anthony Davis was on fire, hitting 14 of 26 shots, including a couple of three-pointers, showing off his versatility as a scorer. LeBron’s late-game heroics, including a game-winning layup in the final seconds, helped seal the win. The Lakers dominated the glass, particularly on second-chance points, and erased an early 11-0 deficit with a big first-quarter surge.
It’s important to note the difference in LeBron’s play style this year. He is more off-ball and doesn’t even dribble the ball up the court after opposing baskets. JJ Redick has opted to use his brain more than his body in the regular season. This is in contrast to how Darvin Ham used him in the previous season. Hopefully, this strategic change can keep him fresh throughout the whole year.
Spurs
Victor Wembanyama continued to impress in his second season, following up his 50-point explosion with another stellar outing—28 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Rookie Stephon Castle continues to show growth in his game as well. He added 22 points, showing excellent chemistry with his fellow 20-year-old. Chris Paul quietly made history, posting 11 points and 11 assists to become just the third player in NBA history with over 12,000 career assists. Devin Vassell also contributed 15 points, but the Spurs couldn’t close the gap in the final moments.
A week ago, an anonymous GM said that Victor is “absolutely awesome on defense, and not impactful at all on offense”. Since that comment, he has games of 28, 50, 34, and 24 immediately making that comment look foolish. The Lakers will head to New Orleans on Saturday night for the second game of a back-to-back. As for San Antonio, they’ll face the Dallas Mavericks in a Texas showdown, with the Mavs reeling after a few tough losses in a row.
Brooklyn Nets 122, New York Knicks 124
It was a battle in New York as the Nets and Knicks came down to the final seconds. The Knicks would take home the win 124-122 in a dramatic finish on Friday night. Jalen Brunson who has started the year slow drained a game-winning 3-pointer with 6.2 seconds left. This shot was able to ward off a 21-point comeback by Brooklyn. This comeback was led by Cam Thomas who had 43 points on the night. This includes him scoring 14 of the first 19 for the Nets ending the first half with 27 points. Despite his incredible performance, the Knicks held on for the win, improving to 2-0 in the NBA Cup.
Knicks
The Knicks thought they would cruise a win and found themselves in a close game in the final moments. They were ahead 98-77 with just 30 seconds left in the third quarter, but the Nets made a strong push in the final period. In Chicago on Wednesday Brunson missed a game-winning shot, but today came up big. He scored 37 with OG Anunoby adding 25 points, and Mikal Bridges, adding 22. Bridges would have the second biggest moment of the game blocking Dennis Schroder’s layup attempt in the final seconds that helped the win.
The Knicks missed an opportunity to create a more comfortable margin that could be important for tiebreakers in the NBA Cup. They might have been able to do this if they had the service of Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT sat out as he bruised his left knee leaving the Knick shorthanded in the front court. And of course, the bright orange NBA Cup court didn’t make it any easier for players or fans to focus on the game, with the Knicks set to return to their usual court colors on Sunday.
Nets
Just as the Knicks were missing KAT the Nets played without starting center Nic Claxton. With him being out with a back strain they relied heavily on smaller lineups. Cam Thomas who has been on fire the whole year continued that today scoring 27 points in the first half. It is important to note that many of these shots are heavily contested he is just a tough shot taker and maker. He has flourished this year alongside Dennis Schroder who has provided steady leadership, guiding the younger players.
Coming into this season many people assumed this would be one of the worst teams in the league. Many assumed they would be looking to trade away players to build draft capital. However, behind the guidance of Jordi Fernandez, they have become a team you can’t take lightly. The two teams will meet again on Sunday, and while the Nets will look to adjust without Claxton, the Knicks will aim to avoid another second-half collapse.
Atlanta Hawks 129, Washington Wizard 117
This was a game that wasn’t predicted to be a top game of the tonight, but it delivered. Dyson Daniels continues his streak of two-way brilliance in a 129-117 victory over the Washington Wizards. The Hawks, now 2-0 in the NBA Cup, held off a strong effort from Washington’s Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Poole, and rookie Alex Sarr. This marks their seventh straight loss as they are still looking to build for the future.
Hawks
Last year the standout player in the tournament was Tyrese Haliburton and this year might be Dyson Daniels. Daniels made 10 of 14 shots for 25 points with 6 steals to lead the team. This comes off 28 points in a win over Boston earlier in the week. Jalen Johnson also continued his streak of good game putting up 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. Trae Young returned after a short absence to add 18 and 9. Also in this game, he reached the 4,000th career assist mark passing Doc Rivers for the most assists in franchise history.
The Hawks grabbed control of this game with a 30-11 run in the second. De’Andre Hunter made a strong return from injury, scoring 22 points in just 21 minutes after missing 10 games, while rookie Zaccharie Risacher added 11 points in his starting role. This team has quietly become one of the more fun teams to watch as it isn’t as Trae-centric this season.
Wizards
The Wizards look like a team that is going back to the lottery for a chance at Cooper Flag. This isn’t surprising as no preseason polls had them being good, but people expected progress. Kuzma led the charge with 24 points, while Poole added 22 and rookie Alex Sarr had a career-high 20 points. Alex Sarr has started coming into his own after a very underwhelming summer league outing. The Wizards had an early lead but were outplayed in the second quarter and never regained momentum.
The Wizards are 2-9 with their only wins coming against Atlanta in the first week of the season. They will play the Pistons on Sunday a team that has been on a role lately. However, it’s not all bad as this season Jordan Poole has returned to his Warriors form. Last season was tough for him being out of position and dealing with the Draymond Green situation. This season he seems freer and solidified himself as a cornerstone of the Washington Rebuild.
Minnesota Timberwolves 130, Sacramento Kings 126 (OT)
This was the game of the night as it was tightly contested leading to an overtime thriller. De’Aaron Fox had a historic performance scoring a franchise-record 60 points, including a scorching 26 in the fourth quarter and overtime. This wasn’t enough however as the Timberwolves improved to 9-3 putting them at the top of the conference. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards shined scoring 36 points, including five straight in overtime. The Timberwolves score 8 straight in overtime, allowing them to pull away for the win.
Timberwolves
By trading KAT in the off-season, it has allowed them to diversify their scoring attack this year. Seven players in double figures made it almost impossible for the Kings to put a lid on the Wolves offense. Their defense is a different story as last year they were one of the best now they are just average. The reason this hasn’t affected them too much is due to their growing maturity under head coach Chris Finch. After giving up a 20-point lead, they were able to regain composure with Naz Reid having 16 points off the bench. Similar to the Cavalier having Donovan Mitchell closing the game Edwards’ killer instincts were enough to overcome Sacramento in OT.
Kings
Fox’s night was nothing short of historic. His 60 points broke the franchise record and marked the highest-scoring performance by a King since 1960. However, Sacramento sorely missed the contributions of DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, who were both out with injuries.
Domantas Sabonis added 23 points and 12 rebounds, providing a solid presence in the paint, but the Kings couldn’t sustain their energy after an electrifying 14-0 run to start the fourth quarter. Defensive lapses in overtime, combined with missed opportunities like Fox’s floater in the final minute, sealed their fate.
Fastbreak
- Magic 98, 76ers 86 – Franz Wagner 31 points and Jalen Suggs 19 points secure win over 76ers in an NBA Cup game. Orlando improves to 2-0 in NBA Cup play, while Philadelphia drops to 0-2.
- Heat 124, Pacers 111 – Bam Adebayo scores 30 points and 11 rebounds to help the Heat beat the Pacers 124-11. Imporve NBA Cup record at 1-1. Indiana drops its Cup opener and loses 3 in a row
- Thunder 99, Suns 83 – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops 28 points. Josh Okogie scored 15 points for Phoenix who were without without Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Grayson Allen. OKC is 1-0 in NBA Cup play while Phoenix falls to 1-1.
- Pelicans 101, Nuggets 94 – Brandon Ingram pours in 29 points to lift the Pelicans to a 101-94 victory Friday night over the Nuggets, who played without three-time Kia MVP Nikola Jokic. This was an NBA Cup opener for both teams.
- Rockets 125, Clippers 104 – Jabari Smith Jr. scores a season-high 28 points. Rockets never trail in a 125-104 in blowout of the Clippers. It was Houston’s season-high fourth-straight victory.
- Warriors 123, Grizzlies 118 – Buddy Hield scores 18 points while Stephen Curry struggles 13 apiece in the Warriors’ 123-118 win over the Grizzlies. Golden State moves to 2-0 in NBA Cup play while Memphis falls to 0-1.
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