We’re at the point where it seems like it will never get old watching the Golden State Warriors star come to life down the stretch. On Friday, their victims were the San Antonio Spurs. The damage: 49 points on 16 of 26 shots. In the process, he tied Michael Jordan for the most 40-point games after turning 30, with his 44th.
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Only one other Warrior, Jimmy Butler, scored more than 10 points.
The Spurs had the Warriors on the ropes late with a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, but that turned out to be the setup. San Antonio had one last chance to win, but a miss by De’Aaron Fox sealed the game.
All West Group C teams are now 1-1 in group play, which is exactly the kind of chaos you want in group play.
The longest game of the night took place in Dallas, where the Los Angeles Clippers beat the still-short Dallas Mavericks in double overtime thanks to a 41-point triple-double from James Harden. Los Angeles led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter, but a late-game collapse pushed the game into overtime.
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The game appeared to be about to end in basic overtime when Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford was called for a scoring play on Harden, but the NBA’s ball tracking review found that the ball was still ascending.
It was just a spectacular block.
That prevented Dallas’ defeat, but it did not save it. A lineup led in scoring by 28 points each from Naji Marshall and D’Angelo Russell off the bench fell behind early in double overtime and didn’t recover that time.
The other overtime game was an epic between the Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Hornets, in which eight different Bucks scored in double figures to offset a pair of 32-point nights from Miles Bridges and rookie Kon Kneuppel, the latter of whom hit the game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime.
However, like the Clippers’ victory, the Bucks escaped the potential gut punch and won big in overtime. They are now 10-0 in the NBA group stage over the three years of the seasonal tournament. Assistant coach Darvin Ham, former head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, also remains undefeated overall, in one of the funniest narratives of the event.
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In the field of games decided by regulation, the Detroit Pistons won their ninth consecutive game by beating the Philadelphia 76ers 114-105, despite missing several key players. Cade Cunningham (hip), Tobias Harris (ankle), Ausar Thompson (ankle) and Jalen Duren (ankle) were all on the bench, but players like Javonte Green (21 points, team-high nine rebounds) and Daniss Jenkins (19 points, eight assists) stepped up.
Mate of the night
Dunk of the Night (Victor Wembanyama editing)
NBA Cup 2 Night Scoreboard
NBA Cup standings
This Group A
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Toronto Raptors (2-0, +23)
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Cleveland Knights (1-1, +23)
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Indiana Pacers (0-1, -20)
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Washington Wizards (0-1, -34)
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This Group B
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Detroit Pistons (2-0, +27)
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Boston Celtics (1-1, -12)
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Philadelphia 76ers (0-2, -10)
This Group C
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Milwaukee Bucks (2-0, +16)
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New York Knicks (1-1, -2)
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Charlotte Hornets (0-2, -18)
West Group A
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Minnesota Timberwolves (2-0, +54)
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Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0, +31)
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Sacramento Kings (0-2, -45)
West Group B
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Los Angeles Lakers (2-0 +19)
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Los Angeles Clippers (2-0, +2)
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Memphis Grizzlies (1-1, +9)
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New Orleans Pelicans (0-2, -14)
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Dallas Mavericks (0-2, -16)
West Group C
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Denver Nuggets (1-1, +23)
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Houston Rockets (1-1, +13)
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Portland Trail Blazers (1-1, +13)
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San Antonio Spurs (1-1, +10)
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Golden State Warriors (1-1, -24)