NBA Cup — Day 3

Hello, I’m Carlos Andres Segrera, and this is The NBA from the Mind of a High Schooler.

Last night was Day 3 of the NBA Cup. While we are still in group play, there were only six games last night compared to the 12 on Friday. I do believe the worst is behind me as far as writing this series goes. I knew the longer it went, the less I’d have to write, but those first two days were rough.

Jumping straight into the action, we’ll start with the game people have been anticipating for weeks: Will the Cavs remain undefeated when matching up against the defending champion Celtics? In short, the Celtics won 120-117, but the game had its fair share of ups and downs. Off the jump, the Celtics were dominant from range, finishing the night with 22 threes on a 54% clip. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland both started the night off slow, and it was actually Evan Mobley who kept them in the contest. While Garland never found his rhythm, Mitchell heated up in the second half. The Celtics were up by as much as 21, but that gap was closed to just two points in the third quarter when Boston’s three-point barrage cooled.For the Celtics, Tatum had 12 boards and seven assists to go alongside his efficient 33 points, but the player who piqued my attention the most was Al Horford. Horford had 20 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, zero turnovers, and was hyper-efficient. Age just doesn’t seem to restrict some players anymore. One of my biggest takeaways from the game is that when Boston’s threes weren’t falling, they didn’t have much else offensively. They lived and died by the three, and they were lucky to survive last night. Despite shooting 20% lower than the Celtics from three, the Cavs only lost by three points, which doesn’t leave me too worried about their future. Their next stretch of games isn’t too strenuous, and I believe they could go on another big win streak. There was also a fair share of controversy throughout this game, and to say the least, I’m looking forward to the 2-Minute Report.

At the beginning of the season, if you told me I had to watch the Nets and Hornets matchup, I wouldn’t have been too jazzed. But both teams are performing better than expected this year and put on quite the show last night. The game was decided by one point—and by one man, really. Trendon Watford, while only ending with 10 points, scored the last seven for the Nets. With Cam Thomas out, it was the Nets’ other Cam who stepped up. Cam Johnson recorded 34 points on 50% shooting from downtown. Overall, it was a team effort that led the Nets to a 116-115 victory.As for the Hornets, Brandon Miller led the way with 29 points while LaMelo Ball, still on a minutes restriction, went 5-9 from downtown. Unfortunately, one of his missed threes was a potential game-winner.

The Nuggets, who were without Nikola Jokic for the third game in a row due to personal reasons, took down the Grizzlies in dominant fashion, 122-110. Dario replaced Jokic in the starting five and didn’t have the best night, but the other four starters for the Nuggets (Watson, Braun, Porter Jr., and Murray) all scored 15+. They were hyper-efficient, with the Murray-Porter duo combining for 51.

Russell Westbrook, who lacked efficiency on offense, ended the night with only 12 points. In true Westbrook fashion, though, the veteran point guard and all-time triple-doubles leader tacked on 10 boards and 14 assists. For the Grizzlies, Santi Aldama led the way with 28 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, shooting 12-19 from the field and 4-7 from three. With key players like Ja Morant, GG Jackson, and Marcus Smart out, Memphis needed to rely on Triple J and Desmond Bane. While Jaren Jackson Jr. had a decent night, Bane shot 1-10 from the field. The Nuggets must feel good about securing a win without their three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic.

The Mavericks secured a dominant win over the injury-ridden Pelicans, 132-91. Luka Doncic, the only Mavericks starter to play more than 29 minutes, returned after missing their last game due to his seemingly always-bleeding knee. He dropped a game-high 26 points. While there was a brief moment in the third quarter when the Pelicans, led by the newly returned Trey Murphy III, seemed to have a glimmer of hope, it was an overall one-sided affair. It’s good to see Luka rest and return with domination, especially since he hasn’t had the best start to the season.

When I heard Wemby wasn’t going to suit up against the Thunder, I honestly gave the Thunder the win and forgot about the game. Chris Paul made me regret not tuning in, hitting four of his seven threes and dishing out 11 assists to lead the Spurs to a victory over the No. 1 seed in the West.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on an absolute heater, dropping 32 points on 11-20 shooting and 5-8 from three, but the Spurs’ team effort secured the win. While I want to give props to Jalen Williams (J-Dub), who contributed in big ways despite his shot not falling, the rest of the Thunder looked like they didn’t want to win. It’s amazing to see what great veteran leadership can bring to a team. CP3 did it for the Thunder and Shai in the bubble, and now he’s doing it for the Spurs.

LeBron, Anthony Davis, and… Dalton Knecht. Yes, Dalton Knecht, alongside the Lakers’ dynamic duo, led them to a 124-118 victory over the Jazz. Knecht dropped a career-high 37 points and tied the rookie record for threes in a game with nine. Davis and LeBron each had 26 points, with Davis grabbing 14 rebounds and LeBron dishing out 12 assists.On the other side, Lauri Markkanen, who has had a pretty laid-back season post-contract extension, put his foot on the gas with 25 points and eight rebounds on 56% shooting. Despite my preseason predictions, the Lakers find themselves as the third seed in the West and true title contenders in LeBron’s 22nd season.

That’s going to cap this Cup recap. You’ll hear from me next this upcoming Saturday.

Thank you.