Friday night’s NBA Cup action was absolutely packed with excitement, and nowhere was that more evident than on the West Coast where things got absolutely bonkers as the night wore on. From stunning comebacks to blowouts that defied belief, the Western Conference games delivered the kind of late-night fireworks that remind us why we love basketball in the first place.
Let’s start with what might be the most jaw-dropping finish of the evening. The Phoenix Suns pulled off an absolute stunner against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game that seemed completely out of reach with just over a minute to play. The Wolves had built what looked like an insurmountable eight-point lead at 113-105 with 1:09 remaining, and honestly, most people would’ve been turning off their TVs by then. But the Suns had other ideas. Anthony Edwards, who absolutely torched the Suns all night with 41 points, suddenly couldn’t buy a bucket when it mattered most, missing two crucial free throws with just 12.7 seconds left. That opened the door for Phoenix, and backup guard Collin Gillespie didn’t waste the opportunity. With just 6.4 seconds remaining, Gillespie drove into the lane and hit a contested ten-foot jumper to give the Suns a 114-113 lead. Julius Randle’s three-pointer at the buzzer was off, and just like that, what seemed like a sure Timberwolves victory turned into an absolutely devastating loss. The whole collapse happened in the last 49.3 seconds.
While the Suns were completing their miraculous comeback, the Oklahoma City Thunder were putting on a different kind of show up in Salt Lake City, and it was almost equally entertaining for completely different reasons. The defending champions found themselves down 18 points early against the Utah Jazz, actually trailing 39-21 after just nine minutes. The Jazz came out absolutely firing, hitting 13 of their first 21 shots and connecting on three Kevin Love three-pointers in a ridiculously short span. But OKC is on another level right now, and they methodically clawed their way back into the game. By halftime, they’d trimmed the deficit and trailed just 68-67 going into the break, setting up what would become an absolutely demolition in the second half.
The third quarter was where the Thunder just took over completely. They finished the quarter on an absolutely insane 33-4 run that basically ended the game right there, with a stretch that included 22 straight points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was magnificent, scoring 31 points and dropping eight assists in just 30 minutes of work. The Thunder shot an incredible 61.4% from the field and made a season-best 23 three-pointers, shooting 62.2% from deep. They’d built a 36-point lead at one point, finishing with a 144-112 victory. Isaiah Joe added 16 points off the bench and Jaylin Williams had a season-high 15 points while making five three-pointers himself. The Thunder forced 28 turnovers and turned them into 44 points, absolutely suffocating the Jazz with their defense. The Thunder’s third-quarter was particularly important, with 9 buckets on 13 attempts from three-point range while forcing 9 turnovers in that period alone. They improved to 16-1 overall with thier eighth straight win, while the Jazz dropped to 0-3 in Cup play.
Out in San Francisco, the Portland Trail Blazers continued their solid tournament run by knocking off the Golden State Warriors in a tight battle that came down to the closing seconds. Deni Avdija absolutely controlled the game for Portland, finishing with 26 points and a career-high 14 assists along with six rebounds, though he shot just 6 for 14 from the floor. What mattered though was that he made 12 of 13 free throws, including the crucial ones down the stretch that sealed the deal. Donovan Clingan added a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Caleb Love scored 26 points off a career-high 9 for 20 shooting from three-point range. The Warriors’ Stephen Curry was absolutely incredible with 38 points and nine three-pointers, but it wasn’t enough. Portland led the entire fourth quarter and held on for a 127-123 victory. This was Portland’s first win on the road against Golden State since January 1, 2021, so this felt particularly significant for the Blazers organization. Portland improved to 2-1 in Cup play with the win.
Earlier in the evening, there were plenty of other compelling matchups. The Denver Nuggets survived a tight battle against the Houston Rockets with Nikola Jokic putting together an absolute monster performance. Jokic finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists while shooting 11 for 20 from the field. Jamal Murray added 26 points and 10 assists as Denver held on for a 112-109 victory. Reed Sheppard had a career-high 27 points for Houston in the losing effort. In the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors absolutely demolished the Washington Wizards 140-110, the Miami Heat blew out the Chicago Bulls 143-107, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Indiana Pacers 120-109. The Brooklyn Nets managed an impressive 113-105 victory over the Boston Celtics behind Nic Claxton’s first triple-double of his career with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Here’s the thing folks: The games in the East, while solid, didn’t have quite the drama that unfolded out west. The Suns’ final-minute heist and the Thunder’s absolutely dominant third-quarter performance bookended a wild night of basketball that reminded everyone why the NBA Cup has become such must-watch television.
With that… While some fans have issues with the NBA Cup last nights games reminded all of us that it is still regular season games and there is no way to know for sure if the drama out west particularly intriguing it is also likely it would have happened without the attention of the NBA Cup surrounding it.
If you cannot play with them, then root them!