The Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 127-100 with the return of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, while the Houston Rockets qualified for the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-117.
Suns, 127 – Lakers, 100
Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, with 23 points each, were in top form in their return to the starting five of the Phoenix Suns (10-7) after missing 7 and 5 games, respectively. The Suns, after an excellent start to the campaign, were only able to win one of the games without Durant.
On Phoenix’s splendid night, Devin Booker had a double-double with 26 points and 10 assists and Jusuf Nurkic another with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Suns and Los Angeles Lakers (10-7) had a very even first half, but the Phoenix team took the lead in the third quarter with a 36-18 run that left the Californians knocked out. Anthony Davis had a double-double of 25 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers. LeBron James another 18 points and assists.
The Suns now lead Group B of the West of the NBA Cup with the same balance (2-1) as the Lakers – current champions – and the San Antonio Spurs with everything to be decided on the last day.
Timberwolves, 111 – Rockets, 117
The Houston Rockets (13-6) became the second team to qualify for the NBA Cup finals after the Golden State Warriors did so last week. Turkish Alperen Sengun had a triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Fred VanVleet a double-double with 27 points and 11 assists. Dillon Brooks contributed 22 points.
The Minnesota Timberwolves (8-9) overcame a -18 deficit in the third quarter to go +5 in the final minutes, but saw the Rockets tie and win the game in overtime. Anthony Edwards had a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds, Julius Randle scored 21 and Naz Reid 19.
The Timberwolves, with 1-2 in Group A of the NBA Cup West led by the Rockets, are practically eliminated from the competition.
Jazz, 115 – Spurs, 128
Victor Wembanyama’s 34 points and Stephon Castle’s 23 paved the way for the San Antonio Spurs (10-8) to win in a give-and-take game in Salt Lake City. Chris Paul and Julian Champagnie were key in the decisive last quarter with 9 points each.
It was the fourth straight victory for the Texan franchise, a streak they were unable to achieve throughout last season. The Utah Jazz (4-13), with the worst record in the West, are officially out of the NBA Cup with this defeat.
Heat, 103 – Bucks, 106
Damian Lillard scored 37 points and distributed 12 assists (double-double), putting the Milwaukee Bucks (9-9) on his back after Giannis Antetokounmpo was out due to a knee injury. At halftime, Lillard had 25 points with 6 of 9 in triples.
The Miami Heat (7-8), who were 22 down entering the third quarter overwhelmed by the Bucks’ triples, managed to tie in the final minutes but were unable to complete the comeback. Jimmy Butler scored 23 points and Tyler Herro, who had the victory in his hands but missed a decisive three-pointer with 3 seconds left, scored 18. The Bucks lead the NBA Cup East Group B alone with 3 wins and 0 losses , while Miami is a foot and a half out with its 1-2.
Wizards, 108 – Bulls, 127
A double-double by Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic (19 points and 12 rebounds) laid the foundation for the victory of the Chicago Bulls (8-11) in the federal capital. An 18-40 run in the second quarter was a blow from which the Washington Wizards (2-14) could not recover.
The Wizards thus added their twelfth loss in a row and are the worst team in the NBA. Kyle Kuzma had 23 points and rookie Alex Sarr 20. The Bulls lead NBA Cup East Group C tied 2-1 with the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks, while the Wizards, at 0-3, were eliminated .
#Lakers #complicate #future #NBA #Cup #beaten #Durants #Suns
