The second week of the Emirates NBA Cup kicked off on Tuesday and the set of games didn’t disappoint as there were several close and exciting finishes to the slate.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics dueled it out in a battle between two Eastern Conference powers, while the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets were embroiled in a nail-biter. The Celtics handed the Cavaliers their first loss of the 2024-25 season, while the Nets came back to beat the Hornets in the closing minutes.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers returned home to host their first NBA Cup game against the Utah Jazz and they took care of business after they won 124-118. It was a team effort as everyone on the Lakers contributed but it was Dalton Knecht who stole the show with his hot shooting from beyond the arc.
Knecht has found his groove offensively the past few weeks and he lit up Utah en route to a new career high of 37 points.
Anthony Davis was also a problem for Utah as they were shorthanded in the middle of the paint, opening the door for the big man to dominate the painted area. Davis has arguably been the best player in the NBA during the early part of the 2024-25 season, and he continued his impressive two-play against an overwhelmed Jazz team.
The Lakers not only kept their home record perfect, they also took sole possession of first place in Group B after the Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder have struggled since Chet Holmgren went down due to injury and they fell in crunch time to the Spurs who were without Victor Wembanyama.
Not only does Los Angeles now lead Group B, they also have the highest point differential. The Lakers could have run up the score, but a poor defensive close against the Jazz ruined their shot at widening the gap. Still, they can take some solace in knowing that they’ve got a solid chance of winning their group.
NBA Cup actions returns on Friday, though none of the teams in Group B will be playing. Instead, the group will be back at it next Tuesday with the Lakers taking on the Phoenix Suns in a highly-anticipated matchup.
Emirates NBA Cup West Group B standings
1. Los Angeles Lakers: 2-0, +11 point differential
2. Oklahoma City Thunder: 1-1, +10 point differential
3. San Antonio Spurs: 1-1, +1 point differential
4. Phoenix Suns: 1-1, -8 point differential
5. Utah Jazz: 0-2, -14 point differential
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