Knicks survive in NBA Cup; Spoelstra 800 wins and Thunder undefeated

New York, USA The New York Knicks secured a key victory on Wednesday, moving closer to the next round of the NBA Cup after defeating the Charlotte Hornets with a score of 129-101. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns shone in the match. In addition, coach Erik Spoelstra celebrated his 800th regular season victory, while the Oklahoma City Thunder continue their steady progress in the group stage.

Brunson and Towns lead the Knicks

The Knicks keep their Group C leadership aspirations alive thanks to the outstanding performance of Jalen Brunson, who scored 33 points, adding his eighth game of the season with at least 30 units.

We were looking for ways to attack. The ball was going in. We dominated the paint, finished plays, and understood what the defense was offering.

Jalen Brunson

Brunson was inspired by Allen Iverson’s presence in the arena. Josh Hart set the initial pace with 19 of his 22 points in the first half, while Brunson closed out the game with 18 in the second half. The Knicks, who were down by six points, adjusted their offense and led by as many as 31 points. Karl-Anthony Towns, in his second season with the Knicks, contributed a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds, dominating the painted area. New York will define its classification when facing Milwaukee in the last match of the group stage.

Miami Heat defeats Milwaukee and Spoelstra reaches 800 victories

The Miami Heat (3-1) finished the group stage with a close 106-103 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks (2-1), who were without their star Giannis Antetokounmpo, absent due to a muscle injury. Taking advantage of the absence of the current defending champion, Miami achieved its sixth consecutive victory, fueled by the performance of Bam Adebayo, who contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds.

The 15 players have been ready. We are playing together and having fun.

Bam Adebayo

This triumph marked a milestone for Erik Spoelstra, who reached his 800th victory as a regular season coach, a mark achieved since his arrival on the Miami bench in the 2008–2009 season. Ryan Rollins was Milwaukee’s top scorer with 26 points in 41 minutes. Miami will have to wait for the result of the match between the Knicks and Bucks to know their fate in the competition.

Thunder Keeps Its Perfect Pace

The Oklahoma City Thunder remained undefeated in the NBA Cup by defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-105, achieving their third victory (3-0) in the group stage. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the attack with 40 points. An Edwards three brought Minnesota within one point with a minute left, but a basket by Chet Holmgren secured the lead and the Thunder sealed the result from the free throw line. Oklahoma City holds the best NBA record this season: 18 wins and only one loss.