Starting 5: Pivotal NBA Cup night awaits

Maxey with the lefty runner to become the 6th player to hit 50 this season.

Before a few free throws to cap a historic first 15 games of his season.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Cup Night 4: Everything to know ahead of tonight’s nine-game Group Play slate

Prime Preview: Top-3 teams, elite offenses clash in the West, Playoff rematch in the East

Can Raptors Clinch? Toronto seeks 3-0 start when they host Wizards on League Pass

Winning Formula: OKC puts the ‘defense’ in ‘title defense,’ seeks 8th straight win

Thursday Night: Maxey’s career-night lifts Sixers; Magic, Spurs & Grizzlies get wins

BUT FIRST … ⏰

NBA Cup On Prime Video: Tonight’s nine-game slate of Group Play games begins with the Cavs hosting the Pacers in a Playoff rematch (7 ET, Tap To Watch) before the Nuggets visit the red-hot Rockets (9:30 ET, Tap To Watch), who are seeking a sixth straight win.

Exclusive Weekend Streaming Access: Today through Sunday (Nov. 21-23) are NBA ID Member Days, where fans in the U.S. with NBA IDs can stream League Pass on us. Not an NBA ID member yet? Tap here to join now.

1. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ENTERING NBA CUP NIGHT 4

How pivotal is tonight’s slate in Emirates NBA Cup Group Play?

We officially have our first clinching and elimination scenarios entering the night as Group Play enters the home stretch. | NBA Cup Hub

East A: Toronto clinches the group with a win and an Indiana loss, which would also eliminate Indiana. Cleveland looks to stay in contention, while Washington seeks first win.

• Pacers at Cavs (7 ET, Prime Video)
• Wizards at Raptors (7:30 ET, League Pass)

East B: Brooklyn is eliminated with a loss in Boston (7:30 ET, LP), while the Celtics try to stay close to the group’s two unbeaten teams – Detroit and Orlando.

East C: No clinching or elimination scenarios. Miami and Chicago meet (8 ET, LP) with each team trying to stay close to group-leading Milwaukee.

West A: Utah is eliminated with a loss. This is the only group entering Night 4 with three unbeaten teams, but either Minnesota or Phoenix will take its first loss as they go head-to-head.

• Timberwolves at Suns (9 ET, LP)
• Thunder at Jazz (10 ET, LP)

West B: Dallas or New Orleans will be eliminated with a loss in their head-to-head matchup in Dallas (8:30 ET, LP).

West C: No clinching or elimination scenarios as all five teams are 1-1 through two games, with Denver leading due to point differential.

• Nuggets at Rockets (9:30 ET, Prime Video)
• Blazers at Warriors (10 ET, LP)

Before we dive deeper into each of these games below, let’s look back at some of the best moments – and biggest takeaways – from Week 3.

• Steph & Wemby Show: Steph Curry (49 pts, 9 3pm) outdueled Victor Wembanyama (26 pts, 12 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk) for the second time in three days to lead Golden State to its first Cup win
• Points Matter: Eight of the 18 teams in action scored at least 120 points, with three teams – the Knicks, Rockets and Bucks – each scoring 140+. Remember: point differential is key to determining tiebreakers
• Statement Wins: Detroit defeated Philly for its 9th straight win – a streak that has now reached 11. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyle Kuzma led Milwaukee past Charlotte in OT to remain unbeaten all-time in Group Play. New York got its first Cup win behind a combined 75 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and Landry Shamet

2. PRIME PREVIEW: CLASH OF TOP-3 TEAMS IN WEST, PLAYOFF REMATCH IN EAST

Nuggets at Rockets (9:30 ET): Not only are Denver (11-3, 1-1 Cup, 124.6 ppg) and Houston (10-3, 1-1 Cup, 123.9 ppg) tied in the West Group C standings, they are separated by just a half-game in the overall standings and rank 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the NBA in scoring.

But they get there in slightly different ways.

Along with Nikola Jokić averaging a near 30-point triple-double, Jamal Murray (22.5 ppg) and Aaron Gordon (20.3) are averaging career-highs.

Powered by Nikola Jokić – the NBA’s assist leader (11.2) – the Nuggets’ passing game sets them apart. Denver ranks sixth in both assists (29.2) and points created by assists (76.1), while maintaining the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio (2.11).

Alperen Sengun (23.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 7.4 apg) is having a career year. The only other player averaging 23-10-7? Jokić.

The addition of Kevin Durant gives the Rockets an elite perimeter scorer, helping them rank second in isolation scoring (11.4). But Houston also feasts on the offensive glass (16.4, 1st), extending possessions and racking up second-chance points (19.5, 2nd).

Which offense will prevail tonight and improve to 2-1 in West Group C?

Pacers at Cavs (7 ET): It’s been 192 days since the Pacers pulled off their second 19+ point comeback in the East Semis to eliminate top-seeded Cleveland at home in Game 5.

“Don’t run from this,” said Donovan Mitchell the day after the Game 5 loss. “It’s gonna be a loud summer and a lot of voices about what the Cavs are and what they should do… Use it as fuel. It’s the only thing we can do.”

Tonight, it’s Indy’s NBA Cup hopes that are on the line as a loss coupled with a Toronto win would eliminate the Pacers from reaching the Knockouts.

• Mitchell has fueled the Cavs with his best scoring season (30.2 ppg) as Cleveland sits 4th in the East and 1-1 in Cup play. After the Cavs struggled to close Playoff games, Mitchell ranks 2nd in the NBA in 2nd-half scoring
• Can the return of Bennedict Mathurin – who missed 11 games with a toe injury – help Indy get back on track? The 4th-year guard is averaging 27.8 ppg in his four games as he takes on an expanded role with Tyrese Haliburton out for the year

3. LEAGUE PASS: RAPTORS LOOK TO CLINCH KNOCKOUTS BERTH

As the only unbeaten team in East Group A, and with four of five teams from that Group in action tonight, Toronto is the first team this year that can clinch a Knockout Rounds spot.

That distinction perfectly illustrates the Raptors’ strong yet understated recent play.

Wizards at Raptors (7:30 ET | East A): The Raptors have rolled into 2nd place in the East with their best 15-game start (10-5) since 2019-20. A win over the visiting Wizards would make it six in a row – their longest streak since 2022 – and put them in position to advance out of Group Play for the first time.

• Raptors’ Recipe: The Raptors lead the league with 21.7 fastbreak points per game, rank 3rd in field goal percentage (50%) and 4th in assists per game (30.1), amassing wins by sharing the ball and creating open shots
• Scoring Share: Toronto is one of three teams (Denver and Portland are the others) to have a trio averaging 19+ points each; Brandon Ingram (20.9), RJ Barrett (19.3) and Scottie Barnes (19.2)
• Calendar Change: After a 2-4 October, Toronto is tied for the NBA’s third-best November mark (8-1), trailing only Detroit and OKC

Toronto’s defense has become just as effective during this five-game win streak, lowering opponents’ scoring (6th-best), field goal percentage (4th-best), and 3-point percentage (3rd-best).

“This is one of the most fun times,” RJ Barrett shared. “When you have a team like this where people don’t know what to expect or don’t expect much, and you just go and surprise everybody.

“We put in the work, so we’re very confident.”

4. LEAGUE PASS: OKC’S TOP DEFENSE FACES TEST IN HIGH-POWERED UTAH

Elite defense has been powering the title defense in OKC.

Thunder at Jazz (10 ET | West A): The Thunder look to move to 2-0 in Cup play against the Jazz, who seek their first Group win. Top-five scorer Lauri Markkanen (30.6 PPG) faces a Thunder defense that’s taking away big offensive performances.

• 30 Is Rare: This season, OKC has allowed just one 30+ point performance through 4 quarters: Indy’s Bennedict Mathurin (32 pts before OT) on Oct. 23
• Signature D: The Thunder went 31 consecutive games last season without allowing a 30+ point performance, and now have a league-best 14-game streak this year
• Across The Board: OKC’s top-rated defense (102.7) leads the league in no less than eight categories, with five players filling the top 10 individual rankings
• Give And Take: The Thunder allow 6 points per 100 possessions less than the rest of the league, creating a 15.4 point differential that is tracking to top last year’s historic mark (12.9)

“That’s where we hang our hat,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of OKC’s defense Wednesday after holding Sacramento under 100 points.

“One thing that will never change is our energy and our effort. We can control that.”

Utah hopes to change that defensive prowess tonight, averaging 137.5 points in its last four games (2-2), including the two highest point totals this season (150, 152).

• In His 30s: Markkanen (38.3 pts) has scored 30+ points in all four of those games. He’s been held under 30 points in only six of 14 games, and not since Nov. 10
• Elite Outbursts: He joins Steph Curry as the only players with two of the top-10 highest scoring games this season (Oct. 27: 51 pts, Nov. 16: 47 pts)
• Move To Score: Lauri gets his buckets by leading the league in points off ball screens (6.3 ppg) and ranking 4th in points off cuts (5.4 ppg)

Friday’s Cup Night also pairs the Bulls, coming off another Nikola Vučević game-winner, with the Heat (8 ET | East C), while the Suns host the Wolves (9 ET | West A) with both teams streaking at 8-2 in their last 10 games.

5. MAXEY’S CAREER-HIGH 54 LIFTS SIXERS PAST BUCKS IN OT

Tyrese Maxey entered Thursday’s game in Milwaukee ranked third in the NBA in scoring (31.9 ppg) behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32 ppg) and Luka Dončić (34.6 ppg).

After erupting for a career-best 54 points to lead the Sixers past the Bucks in overtime, Maxey leaped SGA, while joining Luka (and Sixers legend Allen Iverson) as one of 11 players in NBA history to score 500+ points in their first 15 games of a season.

76ers 123, Bucks 114 (OT): Between the 54 points he scored and the 24 he created with his nine assists, Maxey was responsible for 63.4% of Philadelphia’s offense as the Sixers defeated the Bucks in overtime to snap an eight-game losing streak to Milwaukee. | Recap

• More Than Offense: Maxey (54 pts, 9 ast, 6 3pm, 5 reb, 3 stl, 3 blk) became the 7th player to record 50+ points, 3+ steals and 3+ blocks in a game since 1973-74 – joining Michael Jordan (3x), Fred VanVleet, Anthony Davis, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki and Luka
• Not So Fast: Before Maxey became the 6th player to put up a 50-ball this season, it was Paul George who got off to a quick start – scoring Philly’s first 11 points before finishing with 21 and four 3s in 24 minutes
• Another Career Night: Maxey wasn’t the only player to reach new heights on Thursday. Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins continued his breakout year, tying his career-high with 32 points and dishing a career-high 14 dimes in the loss

Magic 129, Clippers 101: Jalen Suggs (23 pts, 7 ast, 5 3pm, 1 must-see hustle play) and Franz Wagner (20 pts) led Orlando to its fifth win in the last six games, while LA fell to 1-9 in its last 10 games despite James Harden’s fifth 30+ point game of the season. | Recap

• Leading With Defense: Orlando held LA to its second-lowest scoring game of the season, as the Magic defense ranks fourth in opponent scoring (108.0 ppg) during this six-game run

Grizzlies 137, Kings 96: Vince Williams Jr. dished out a career-high 15 assists – including six to Santi Aldama (game-high 29 pts) – as Memphis set a franchise record with 42 helpers to snap a five-game skid and hand Sacramento its eighth straight loss. | Recap

• Centers Of Attention: Memphis’ Zach Edey (16 pts, 7-7 FG) and Jock Landale (21 pts, 8-9 FG) combined for 37 points on 93.8% shooting as the Kings were without starting center Domantas Sabonis, who is out 3-4 weeks (knee)

Spurs 135, Hawks 126: After Atlanta rallied from 19 down, the Spurs used a 14-2 run to close the door in the 4th. De’Aaron Fox (26 pts, 9 ast), Keldon Johnson (25 pts) and Julian Champagnie (20 pts, 5 3pm) combined for 71 in San Antonio’s third straight win. | Recap

• NAW’s Career Night: Nickeil Alexander-Walker fueled the Hawks’ rally as he put up career-highs with 38 points and eight 3-pointers in the loss

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