No pressure, just perfection for the Cleveland Cavaliers who continue their early season rampage with 15 straight wins.
Day 2 of the NBA Cup saw five teams cruising to 2-0 starts, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers off to a winning start, and a career-game for De’Aaron Fox going for naught.
SURGING CAVS CLAIM FIRST NBA CUP WIN, UNBEATEN START NOW AT 14-0
- Cleveland Cavaliers (14-0) def. Chicago Bulls (5-8), 144-126: There’s no stopping Donovan Mitchell and the league-best Cavaliers dropped a franchise record 49 points in the first frame en route to a record-extending 14th straight win.
- Are you a believer now?: Mitchell lit up for a season-high 37 points while Darius Garland added 29 markers, helping the Cavaliers become the sixth team in league history to start a season 14-0.
It also tied the fourth-best start in NBA history alongside the 2002-23 Dallas Mavericks and the 1957-58 Boston Celtics, while making a new franchise record for most consecutive wins at any point of a season.
With tonight’s 144-126 victory over Chicago, the @cavs have now won a franchise-record 14 consecutive games.
— Cavs Notes (@CavsNotes) November 16, 2024
Longest win streaks in Cavs history:
14 - 10/23/24 to 11/15/24
13 - 11/11/17 to 12/6/17
13 - 1/16/10 to 2/11/10
13 - 3/7/09 to 3/31/09#LetEmKnow
- Kenny A. stands alone: No pressure, just perfection for Kenny Atkinson.
With the win, Atkinson became the only coach in league history so far to start a season 14-0 with a new team.
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson is the ONLY coach in NBA history to win the first 14 games to start a tenure with a franchise 🔥
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 16, 2024
- Mitchell on how the Cavs are treating the NBA Cup: “We want to go to Vegas. We want to win."
Donovan Mitchell Postgame After Win vs the Bulls:
— Dylan🔮🪼🎃 (@DylanWDesign_) November 16, 2024
“We want to go to Vegas. We want to win. That’s what’s on our mind for sure—- He [Kenny Atkinson] came in here [at halftime] and slammed a flip flop because he was upset about giving up 73 points. That’s what we want—- We’re so…
WARRIORS, KNICKS, THREE OTHERS GO 2-0 IN NBA CUP
- Golden State Warriors (10-2) def. Memphis Grizzlies (7-6), 128-123: The Warriors flaunted their depth, shooting, and unselfishness to rack up their second victory in the mid-season tournament and 10th win overall.
[ALSO READ: Balanced Warriors show depth anew, tame Grizzlies for 2-0 NBA Cup start]
- Strength in Numbers: No Warrior topped the 20-point mark, but four of them scored 13 points or more in a game where Steve Kerr stuck to his game plan and fielded 13 players.
It resulted with Golden State posting 69 bench points, hitting 19 threes, and collecting 33 assists for a third straight win.
- Following the trend?: This marked the sixth time under the Stephen Curry era that the Warriors won 10 of their first 12 games.
Five of them resulted in either Golden State winning a title or reaching the NBA Finals. What does this season have in store for the Bay Area squad?
This is the 6th time that the Warriors have at least 10 wins in their first 12 games, in the Steph era:
— CurryMuse (@Curry_Muse) November 16, 2024
2024-25 (10-2)
2021-22 (11-1)
2018-19 (10-2)
2016-17 (10-2)
2015-16 (12-0)
2014-15 (10-2)
- Draymond Green on his ejection: “I don’t need an explanation. I did my job. My job was done for the night. We won. Moving on.”
“I don’t need an explanation. I did my job. My job was done for the night. We won. Moving on.”
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) November 16, 2024
Draymond on if he got an explanation for his second technical
- New York Knicks (6-6) def. Brooklyn Nets (5-8), 124-122: Jalen Brunson scored the winning triple before Mikail Bridges came up with a game-sealing block in a wild ending in New York.
- Clutch Nova Knicks: Brunson capped off a 37-point outing with a clutch three with 6.2 seconds left to put the Knicks ahead, 124-122, in response to Dennis Schroder’s booming trey earlier.
In the last play of the game, Bridges swatted away a potential game-tying attempt by Schroder on the other end as the Knicks hang on after squandering a 21-point lead.
- Cam came to play: Despite the loss, Cam Thomas had a season-high 40 points,
Cam Thomas scored a season-high 43 points for the Nets, his ninth career 40-point game and second at Madison Square Garden.
Cam Thomas put on a show.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 16, 2024
- 43 points
- 16/22 FG
- 7 threes made (ties career-high)
- Back-to-back 40-point games at MSG
- Orlando Magic (8-6) def. Philadelphia 76ers (2-10), 98-86: Back-to-back NBA Cup wins and a seventh straight home dub for the Magic after foiling the Sixers.
- Detroit Pistons (6-8) def. Toronto Raptors (2-11), 99-95: Winless in the mid-season tournament last year, the Pistons now won two in a row after sending the Raptors to a sixth straight loss.
- Getting the Motor back: Malik Beasley led six Piston in double figures while Cade Cunningham had a 15-point, 10-assist double-double in another close win.
Detroit now won their first two NBA Cup games by a combined six games.
LAKERS SURVIVE SPURS; TIMBERWOLVES SPOIL DE’AARON FOX’S CAREER-NIGHT
- LA Lakers (8-4) def. San Antonio Spurs (6-7), 120-115: The first LeBron James vs Victor Wembanyama match-up of the season did not disappoint, but it was Anthony Davis who stole the show.
[ALSO READ: Lakers open NBA Cup title defense with thrilling road win against Victor Wembanyama, Spurs]
- All that glitters is... gold : Davis scored 26 of his season-high 40 points including some big shots late and is now 3-0 in his career against Wembanyama.
James tallied his fourth straight triple-double, the first time in his career that he achieved such a feat, and the game-sealing drive with 25 seconds left.
- Point God supremacy: Despite the loss, Chris Paul made history as he became the only third player in NBA history to hit 12,000 assists, joining John Stockton (15,806) and Jason Kidd (12,091).
He finished with 11 dimes, hiking his tally to 12,008 and needed 84 assists to pass Kidd for second all-time.
12K ASSISTS FOR CP3!
— NBA (@NBA) November 16, 2024
Chris Paul joins John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only players in NBA history to reach 12,000 assists 👏
- Minnesota Timberwolves (7-6) def. Sacramento Kings (7-6), 130-126: Anthony Edwards erupted for 36 points, helping the Timberwolves overcome De'Aaron Fox’s 60-point explosion.
- Assassin Ant: Edwards tallied his fifth 30-point outing this season while Julius Randle added 26 in pacing Minnesota’s first win in the NBA Cup.
- Edwards on Fox’s 60-point outing: "I've been a fan of his for a long time.”
"I've been a fan of his a long time... that's what you love about the game, the best two players going at each other."
— NBA (@NBA) November 16, 2024
Ant with some major praise for De'Aaron Fox after his 60-point explosion!
Edwards dropped 36 in the Wolves' OT win 😤
- Sizzling Swipa: Fox set a franchise record and a new career-high despite the loss, including scoring 26 points on the fourth frame and overtime combined.
He now owns the highest-scoring mark this season, eclipsing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 59-point outing just two days ago.
- Oklahoma City Thunder (11-2) def. Phoenix Suns (9-4), 99-83: The Thunder rolled to their 11th win of the season and first victory in the mid-season tournament after turning back the Suns.
- Together forever: 11th post-game bark and solo no.1 in the West mean they are just fine.
?We’re playing together.?
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 16, 2024
And the guys are here together with @luthebeast and @NickAGallo postgame 🎤
- Miami Heat (5-6) def. Indiana Pacers (5-7), 124-111: Bam Adebayo went off with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Heat past the Pacers.
- Houston Rockets (9-4) def. LA Clippers (6-7), 125-104: The Rockets continue to roll, winning their fourth straight and now joint-third in the West after taking down the Clippers.
- Deadlock with Reggie: Despite the loss, James Harden is now tied with Reggie Miller (2,973) in second place of the all-time three-point leaders.
Harden finished with 21 points and three threes.
Ray Allen career threes: 2,973
— NBA (@NBA) November 16, 2024
James Harden career threes: 2,973 https://t.co/QSNhRd4uZV
- New Orleans Pelicans (4-9) def. Denver Nuggets (7-4), 101-94: Brandon Ingram shrugged off an ankle injury to push the Pelicans past the Nuggets to snap a six-game skid.
