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NBA Cup results tracker: Knicks bypass Bucks as group play subsides

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NBA Cup group play is coming to an end. Friday’s 11-game slate begins with the 12-team tournament battling for six spots in the Knockout Round, starting with the Magic clinching a berth in the Knockout Round.

As the East’s NBA Cup group play winds down, let’s go game by game to check out each result from Friday’s slate as the West groups begin their matchups:

New York Knicks 118, Milwaukee Bucks 107

The Knicks suffered several double-digit losses and had a deficit of their own, but with the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo they were able to pick up a gritty win against the Bucks.

Jalen Brunson did whatever he wanted against Milwaukee in the first three quarters, scoring 31 points in the period. This forced the Bucks to attack him in the fourth quarter, but his teammates made enough shots to hold off Milwaukee’s late push.

New York will stay in Toronto for the quarterfinals before potentially traveling to Las Vegas for the semi-finals and finals. This is important because if the Knicks get to Las Vegas they will travel more than any other team in the NBA this season. New York spent a week in Abu Dhabi for the preseason. If it reaches Las Vegas the two cross-country flights required are separate from west coast road trips that are still on schedule.

Something to monitor in the second half of the season. , James Edwards III, Knicks beat writer

Orlando Magic 112, Detroit Pistons 109

Controversial contests between the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons have become the norm, and Friday’s NBA Cup matchup was no different as the Magic swept the Pistons to take over East Group B. In addition to the win, Orlando handed Detroit its first consecutive loss of the season.
Desmond Benn began jawing with several pistons before tipoff, and continued throughout the evening. His antics fueled his play as he dropped a team-high 37 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal.

Cade Cunningham paced Detroit with his second triple-double of the year, finishing with 39 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. The Pistons finished with more turnovers (24) than assists (22), allowed four offensive rebounds in the final minute and missed seven free throws in a game decided by three points.
Detroit is now effectively out of the Cup and will travel to Miami to play the Heat on Saturday for the second consecutive night to avoid a third consecutive loss. , Hunter Patterson, Pistons beat writer

Atlanta Hawks 130, Cleveland Cavaliers 123

Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson talked about pre-game concerns before the game, not talking much about the scoring margin. In retrospect this seems wise. The Cavs had scenarios where winning by 16 or more would help them advance to the NBA Cup, but they didn’t win at all in Atlanta. Cleveland lost to the Hawks 130–123 due to rushing turnovers (17) and uncharacteristically poor transition defense (36 Atlanta fastbreak points).

Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson punished the Cavs with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his second triple-double of the season while making a push for an All-Star bid, while guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 28.

Cleveland got 42 points from star guard Donovan Mitchell but very little from the supporting cast. Forward De’Andre Hunter scored 15 in his first game in Atlanta after being dealt by the Hawks to Cleveland at the February trade deadline, including a big dunk on Mo Gueye that ended in a shoving match between the two.

The Cavs were also hurt by a late jump ball with 1:24 remaining in the game and the game tied at 123, when Atlanta’s 6-8 Onyeka Okongwu unexpectedly outjumped Cleveland’s 7-foot Jarrett Allen to secure possession for Atlanta. Zachary Richeser hit a 3 on the Hawks’ next possession, and after Alexander-Walker followed with a triple of his own on the next Atlanta trip, the outcome was almost certain. , John Hollinger, senior NBA writer

San Antonio Spurs 139, Denver Nuggets 136

The Spurs continued to play well without Victor Wembanyama and booked their place in the NBA Cup quarterfinals with a 139–136 win over the Denver Nuggets. Julian Champagnie was the surprise star for the team, scoring a season-high 25 points and 10 rebounds while playing more aggressively than he had all season. Devin Vassell shut out the lights in crunchtime, while De’Aaron Fox recorded his third double-digit assist game of the season.

Most impressively, the Spurs were able to keep Nikola Jokic away for most of the night, as the three-time MVP took just 10 shots and never took over the game. The Spurs have learned from this stretch without their franchise cornerstone that their defensive identity remains intact without him, and their offense can open up now that Fox and Dylan Harper are healthy. , Jared Weiss, Spurs beat writer

Oklahoma City Thunder 123, Phoenix Suns 119

The Thunder won against the poor Suns and clinched West Group A of the NBA Cup. OKC almost took the game in the final seconds after Collin Gillespie stripped the ball from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and both teams struggled for possession of the ball. Alex Caruso came up with the ball and passed it to SGA, who won the game with a free throw to secure the final score of the matchup.

The Suns were led by Gillespie, who contributed 24 points, three rebounds and four assists. Jalen Williams made his season debut after missing the first 19 games due to wrist surgery. Williams struggled to score and shot 3 of 12 from the field for 11 points. The Thunder will likely be the top seed in the West as they posted a league-high plus-75 point differential heading into NBA Cup group play. Their opponent will likely be the Suns team, which appears to be the wild card team in the West. , Andrew Schlecht, NBA Podcast Host

Memphis Grizzlies 112, LA Clippers 107

The LA Clippers blew a 16-point lead in the second half to the Memphis Grizzlies and lost their 12th game of the month. The Clippers’ NBA Cup chances were slim after losing to the Lakers on Tuesday night, but the Clippers have bigger problems than the Cup right now. They are losing games to Kawhi Leonard’s 39 points and are firmly in the bottom five in the Western Conference. Their .263 winning percentage leads them to the worst single-season record of 2008–09 (19–63).

Chris Paul did not address the media tonight despite accepting his retirement via a Clippers tribute video. This marks the fourth consecutive game that Paul did not address the media following his Saturday morning social media post in Charlotte. , Law Murray, Clippers beat writer





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