ATLANTA — De'Andre Hunter scored 23 points off Atlanta's bench and the Hawks beat Cleveland 117-101 on Friday in the NBA Cup, handing the Cavaliers a loss for the second time in three days.
The Cavaliers (17-3) still boast the NBA's best record but they once again couldn't match the Hawks' scoring depth. Trae Young had 21 points and 11 assists, and Jalen Johnson added 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as Atlanta finished with six scorers in double figures.
Darius Garland led Cleveland with 29 points and Evan Mobley added 24 points, including seven dunks.
Atlanta won 135-124 at Cleveland on Wednesday night as Young set a career high with 22 assists. Young leads the NBA in assists 12.5 per game.
KNICKS 99, HORNETS 98
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jalen Brunson had 31 points and made two clutch free throws with 8.6 seconds left, and New York held on to beat shorthanded Charlotte to improve to 3-0 in NBA Cup play on Friday.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who entered the game 23 points behind the Orlando Magic in point differential in Group A and in need of a blowout win. The Magic are 2-0 in group play and visit Brooklyn on Friday night.
Brandon Miller had 20 points and Josh Green added 15 points for the Hornets, who played without three starters, including the red-hot LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Mark Williams, as well as key reserves Nick Richards, Tre Mann and Grant Williams.
The Knicks committed eight turnovers in the first quarter and were held to 15 points.
GRIZZLIES 120, PELICANS 109
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Ja Morant had 27 points and seven assists as Memphis beat injury-riddled New Orleans for their first NBA Cup win in franchise history.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 23 points and eight rebounds for Memphis, while Santi Aldama added 20 points and went 8 of 9 from the field.
CJ McCollum led the Pelicans with 30 points, and Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy added 21 points apiece.
The win was Memphis’ fifth straight, while the Pelicans have lost seven straight and 13 of 14.
New Orleans was playing without key players such as Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans’ top-two scorers, along with Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarado.
MAGIC 123, NETS 100
NEW YORK — Franz Wagner scored 29 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 19 and Orlando eased to a victory over Brooklyn.
Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. each had 12 points for the Magic, who improved to 3-0 in Group A play and moved into a tie with New York. Orlando plays the Knicks, who are also 3-0 in the East’s Group A, in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday with the winner advancing as group champion.
The Magic have won their last five games and 11 of their last 12 following a five-game losing streak, all which came on the road.
Shake Milton scored 22 points off the bench, Keon Johnson had 15 also off the bench and Cam Johnson added 14 for the Nets, who had their three-game winning streak snapped and are now 1-3 in the in-season tournament.
TIMBERWOLVES 93, CLIPPERS 92
MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Edwards scored 21 points on 7-for-21 shooting to help Minnesota stop a four-game losing streak by holding off Los Angeles.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Julius Randle added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who overcame 22 turnovers and another blown double-digit lead.
James Harden had 20 points and 11 assists and Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who went ahead 90-87 with 4:10 left on Harden’s four-point play for their first lead since 27-26.
Kevin Porter Jr., who had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Clippers, rolled his left ankle on a drive to the basket with 1:29 left as he lost the ball out of bounds with his team trailing by three.
The Timberwolves finished 2-2 in West Group A. The Clippers are 1-2 with one group stage game left. Both teams are long shots to reach the quarterfinals of the in-season tournament.
PISTONS 130, PACERS 106
INDIANAPOLIS — Cade Cunningham had 24 points and 11 rebounds in his return from a three-game absence, Jaden Ivey added 23 points and Detroit beat Indiana.
Cunningham hit four of Detroit’s 18 3-pointers as the Pistons improved to 3-0 in NBA Cup play. Malik Beasley added 22 points for Detroit, which moved into a first-place tie with Milwaukee in East Group B.
Pascal Siakam scored 21 points for the Pacers, who fell to 0-3 in the NBA Cup and were eliminated from the knockout round. Tyrese Haliburton had 19 points and five assists.
The Pistons led by 10 points at halftime and pulled ahead by 22 early in the fourth quarter.
HEAT 121, RAPTORS 111
MIAMI — Jimmy Butler scored 26 points, Tyler Herro added 23 and Miami beat Toronto.
The Heat were 21 of 54 on 3-pointers in the game, the third-most attempts from beyond the arc in franchise history. Miami has taken 56 in a game twice.
Bam Adebayo had a triple-double for Miami — 14 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, the last of those boards coming after Butler airballed a jumper in the final seconds. Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 15 points for the Heat, who moved back over .500 at 9-8.
Scottie Barnes had a triple-double for Toronto with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. RJ Barrett scored 25 for Toronto and Jakob Poeltl — on 10-for-11 shooting — finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
CELTICS 138, BULLS 129
CHICAGO — Jayson Tatum scored 35 points and had 14 rebounds to lead Boston past Chicago.
Reserve Payton Pritchard added a season-best 29 points, including 11 straight during a fourth-quarter run that gave the Celtics the lead for good.
Nikola Vucevic scored a season-high 32 points and had 11 rebounds for Chicago, which could have secured a spot in the Cup quarterfinals with a victory. Atlanta, which defeated Cleveland earlier in the day, secured the Group C berth and will advance to the knockout round.
Zach LaVine added 29 points for the Bulls, including four 3-pointers to become the franchise’s career leader in made 3s.
Tied at 108, Pritchard made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to start an 11-4 run that gave Boston some breathing room. Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis each added 21 points.
The teams traded double-digit scoring runs late in the second quarter before going into halftime tied at 67.
THUNDER 101, LAKERS 93
LOS ANGELES — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, and Oklahoma City Thunder held on for a victory over Los Angeles.
It is the fifth time in the past six games Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 30 points. Jalen Williams added 19 points as the Thunder won their fourth straight.
Dalton Knecht scored 20 points, including five 3-pointers for the Lakers, who have dropped four of their last five. D’Angelo Russell had 17 points off the bench.
With the loss, Los Angeles can not advance to the quarterfinals after winning the inaugural NBA Cup tournament last year.
Phoenix, San Antonio and Oklahoma City are all 2-1 in West Group B while the Lakers are 2-2.
The Lakers drew within one point before Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 3-pointer with 1:35 remaining to put the Thunder up 95-91.
TRAIL BLAZERS 115, KINGS 106
PORTLAND, Ore. — Deandre Ayton had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead Portland to a victory over Sacramento.
Anfernee Simons added 21 points and nine assists and Deni Avdija had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Blazers. Dalano Banton scored 17 off the bench and also had a career-high five steals.
Malik Monk led the Kings with 29 points off the bench. De’Aaron Fox added 22 points and Domantas Sabonis had 21.
With the win, the Blazers are now 2-1 in the Western Conference’s Group A behind the Rockets, who lead the group at 3-0, and remain in contention to advance after the Lakers lost 101-93 to the Thunder on Friday. The Kings are 0-3 in the NBA Cup.
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