Sport news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Pacers hold off Knicks in NBA Cup thriller, Spurs rout Warriors
The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 106-104, dealing a major setback to the defending NBA Cup champions’ hopes of reaching the knockout rounds. The San Antonio Spurs also extended their winning streak to 11 with a 123-85 win over the Golden State Warriors, while the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers won their games.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 19 points, while Jalen Brunson scored 33 and Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 15 rebounds for New York; the Knicks are 0-2 in Cup play, a record no team has previously overcome to reach the knockouts. Miami improved to 2-0 after Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo each scored 37 points in a 133-121 win over Cleveland. San Antonio’s Stephon Castle scored 32, and the Clippers edged Oklahoma City 113-112 after Darius Garland’s late three-point play, despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 40.
In short
- Indiana beat New York 106-104.
- The Knicks fell to 0-2 in NBA Cup play.
- San Antonio routed Golden State 123-85.
Explained simply
The NBA is the top professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. Its NBA Cup is a competition played during the regular season, with group matches feeding into knockout rounds and a final.
The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks are teams in the Eastern Conference; the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors are in the Western Conference. The Knicks won the previous Cup, while the Spurs are a long-established club that has won several NBA titles.
The Cup gives teams a separate route to a trophy alongside the regular-season standings. Group results matter because only the best-placed teams advance to the knockouts.