NBA Cup — Day 4

 Hello, I’m Carlos Andres Segrera, and this is the NBA from the mind of a high schooler.

After two nights of no hoops for me due to a school trip, last night was a nice welcome-back slate of games.

Embiid and PG, who were supposed to be the top two guys for the 76ers going into this season, were out once again last night in the 76ers' matchup against the Nets. As it has been for the past few weeks, Jared McCain, alongside Tyrese Maxey, had to haul the load in the absence of Embiid and George. The game ended 113 to 98 in favor of the Sixers, with McCain dropping 30 on over 50% from the field and from three. Maxey helped solidify the victory with 26 of his own. Maxey also tacked on 5 assists and 4 steals. Kelly Oubre, Yabusele, Caleb Martin, and Drummond all surpassed the 10-point threshold, securing the W in the City of Brotherly Love. On the losing side, it was Cam Johnson who put up 37, knocking down 9 of his 13 three-point attempts. The Sixers earned their third win of the year, and the Nets dropped out of the Play-In. Both teams ended the game 1-2 in Cup play.

A game that seemed uninteresting going in between the 15th-seed Wizards and defending champ Celtics came down to the last few minutes of the fourth quarter. It was an inefficient night for both teams, shooting a combined 18-74 from three and 75-175 from the field. It wasn’t a pretty watch by any means. Jalen Brown led both teams with 31 on what you can’t imagine to be great efficiency. It was tight down the stretch, but the Celtics pulled away late in the fourth, wrapping the game at 108 to 96. The Wizards have yet to secure an NBA Cup win, and the Celtics are number 2 in East Group C.

The Warriors came out victorious in a close matchup against the injury-ridden Pelicans, who outfitted their 12th different starting lineup of the season, which included guys like Elfrid Payton and Javonte Green. Andrew Wiggins, who this season has seemed to remember he was an All-Star starter in 2022, dropped 30. Steph Curry added an efficient 19 with 7 boards and 7 assists. Trey Murphy had 24 points, with Brandon Ingram leading on the playmaking front with 7 assists. A “win by committee” approach was needed for the boys from Crescent City to come out on top, but after a couple of nice plays down the stretch, Trey Murphy missed a three with 5 seconds remaining that locked in the dub for the Warriors. With this game, the Warriors secured a knockout round spot.

A rivalry that can trace its roots back to last year's in-season tournament came back last night, and one man, in particular, was out for blood. The Bucks defeated the Pacers 129 to 117, and Giannis led the way with a 37-point triple-double. Dame also had a smooth 24 to go alongside the evening-high 13 assists. Off the bench, it was all Gary Trent, who only shot threes—10 of them—and knocked down 6. The Pacers’ top five guys all surpassed 12 points, but beyond that, no one could find the bottom of the basket. The Bucks advance to 2-0, and the Pacers drop to 0-2.

The Bulls took on the Hawks in the Windy City and came out on top in a high-scoring, high-efficiency night for the Bulls. The final numbers on the board were 136 to 122, with the Bulls on top. It was a team win for the Bulls, having five guys with 18 or more points, but it was always Zach LaVine at the helm, who had 26 on 11-for-18 shooting. For the Hawks, Trae Young and Jalen Johnson combined for 50, with Jalen having 13 boards and Trae tying the evening-high 13 assists. Dyson Daniels, who has been red-hot this season, couldn’t get it going offensively last night, but he led the charge defensively with 4 steals and forced Coby White to shoot 6-16 from the field and 3-12 from three. This put the Bulls just half a game behind the Bucks, with hopes of escaping the Play-In, while the Hawks remain the top team of East Group C.

In a dominant 116 to 88 win for the Rockets over the Trail Blazers, Dillon Brooks, of all people, led the way with 28 and 6, while only missing 5 of his 15 shots. Tari Eason added 22 of his own off the bench for the Rockets. Things were ugly for the Blazers, who shot 33% from the field and 25% from downtown. Worst of all, their highest scorer only had 13. The Rockets are currently atop West Group A with two group play games remaining.

When the Nuggets, who have Jokic back, took on the Mavs without their MVP-caliber guard Luka Doncic, it seemed one injury would dictate the game. Naji Marshall had something different to say about that, dropping a career-high 26 on 11-for-15 shooting and leading the Mavs to a 123 to 120 victory. The Mavs were up big in the third, but the Nuggets brought it back. When the game was tied at 113 with 1:52 remaining, Derick Lively had two blocks in a row, helping the Mavs go on an 11-2 run to end the game and put the W in the Mavs’ win column. Jokic came back strong after awaiting the birth of his second child, dropping his sixth triple-double of the season. The Mavs have won their last two Cup games and will match up against the 0-2 Grizzlies in their final Cup game.

In a matchup between my two favorite teams in the West, the Kings and the Clippers, it was the Clips who came out on top, 104 to 88. In this low-scoring affair for the Kings, it was De’Aaron Fox who led both teams with 29. The bench was the problem for the Kings, only dropping 9 points between the five players who checked in off the chairs. Efficiency wasn’t really found for either team, but it was extra possessions that were the key to victory for the Clippers, with Zubac clocking 15 rebounds. Harden also had 22 and 9 to help push the Clippers to the second seed in the struggling West Group A. The Kings, who are the worst of the group, remain winless.

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

Thank you.