The Boston Celtics ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 15-0 undefeated record this Tuesday with a tight 120-117 victory, while the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz (124-118) in their goal of revalidating the NBA Cup.
Celtics 120-117 Cavaliers
Chau undefeated! Boston loses to Cavaliers
The last champion showed his badge and ended the Cavs’ streak of 15 wins without losses. Tatum was the winner with 33 points and 12 rebounds while Mitchell added 35 on the visit.
Cleveland Cavaliers (15-1), the best team this season, visited the current champion, Boston Celtics (12-3).
Boston put Cleveland on the ropes in the second quarter, with a demoralizing 9 of 11 in triples (81.8%).
At halftime, the Cavs were down 17, an unprecedented situation for them this season.
They tried to react and came close to the feat, but the Celtics at the TD Garden were too much of a rival.
Jayson Tatum had a double-double with 33 points and 12 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points.
Celtics and Cavaliers are 1-1 in Group C of the NBA Cup East, led by the Atlanta Hawks (2-0).
Lakers 124-118 Jazz
Great victory for the Lakers against the Jazz for the NBA Cup!
Dalton Knecht was the standout in the 124-118 victory with 37 points. In addition, LeBron James contributed 26 points and 12 assists, while Anthony Davis excelled with 26 points and 14 rebounds.
Dalton Knecht, their main selection in the last Draft, works great for the Los Angeles Lakers (10-4). The rookie was the sensation of the game with a personal record of 37 points, with 9 of 12 in triples.
The Lakers were up 25 at the start of the fourth quarter, but were almost surprised by the Utah Jazz (3-11), who went 27-43 in those last 12 minutes.
LeBron James had a double-double with 26 points and 12 assists; Anthony Davis another with 26 points and 14 rebounds.
The Lakers alone lead Group B of the NBA Cup West with 2 wins and 0 losses, while the Jazz have one foot out with their 0-2 record.
Spurs 110-104 Thunder
Hard-fought victory for the Spurs against the Thunder in the NBA Cup
Without Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson was the star of the game with 22 points and 5 rebounds, while Chris Paul stood out with 14 points and 11 assists. In the 110-104 loss, Shai had a great game of 32 points and 7 assists.
The San Antonio Spurs (7-8) played without the injured Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell and still dominated the powerful Oklahoma City Thunder (11-4).
San Antonio went up 21 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, but the Thunder stalked to within 6.
Veteran Chris Paul, who had a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists, then scored an incredible triple on the possession that dashed Oklahoma City’s hopes.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points for the Thunder.
Spurs and Thunder are 1-1 in Group B of the NBA Cup West, which the Lakers lead (2-0).
Nets 116-115 Hornets
The Nets suffered, but had a great victory against Charlotte in the NBA Cup!
Led by 34 points from Cameron Johnson (6 of 12 on triples), Brooklyn celebrated 116-115 and, at the same time, celebrated its first victory in the competition after the loss to the Knicks. Miller, with 29 points, led the Hornets.
Brooklyn Nets (6-9) were coming off a difficult schedule in which they faced the Celtics twice, went to Cleveland and visited Madison Square Garden twice for a record of 5 losses in the last 6 games.
Against the Charlotte Hornets, Jordi Fernández’s team relied on Cameron Johnson (34 points and 8 rebounds), although they suffered until the last second to take the win.
For the Hornets (5-9), Brandon Miller scored 29 points.
The Nets are 1-1 in Group A of the East of the NBA Cup, while the Hornets are practically saying goodbye to the tournament at 0-2. Orlando Magic and New York Knicks lead the group with 2-0.
Mavericks 132-91 Pelicans
Dallas was superior and beat New Orleans in the NBA Cup
With Doncic (26) and Thompson (19) as the top scorers, the Mavericks came away with a comfortable 132-91 victory at home to add their third consecutive victory. Murphy contributed 19 points on the visit.
After missing the last game due to injury, Luka Doncic scored 26 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and distributed 5 assists for the Dallas Mavericks (8-7).
Klay Thompson scored 19 points on 6 of 9 three-pointers and Kyrie Irving contributed 18 points.
The New Orleans Pelicans (4-11) left Dallas beaten, with a result that was too bulky that made it difficult for the semi-finalists of the previous edition to qualify for the final phase of the NBA Cup.
Mavericks and Pelicans are 1-1 in Group C of the NBA Cup West, led by the Golden State Warriors (2-0).
Grizzlies 110-122 Nuggets
The Nuggets won 122-110 in Memphis
The Denver franchise won as a visitor despite Jokic’s absence. Murray excelled with 27 points and Westbrook contributed a triple double (12 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds). Game that counts for the NBA Cup.
Spaniard Santi Aldama equaled his record for points in an NBA game with 28, but they were not enough for the Memphis Grizzlies (8-7), who were missing Ja Morant and Zach Edey.
Aldama had a double-double with 11 rebounds, in addition to 28 points.
Denver Nuggets (8-5), who played their third game without Nikola Jokic, absent for personal reasons, almost had a scare when they saw how the 25 points they had in the third quarter were reduced to 5 shortly after the end of the game.
Jamal Murray scored 27 points for the Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. had a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook, a substitute, had a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists.
The Nuggets are 1-1 in West Group C, led 2-0 by the Warriors. The 0-2 Grizzlies are a foot and a half out of the tournament.
