LOS ANGELES: The New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks superior to the knockout section of the NBA Cup with emphatic victories on Tuesday (Dec 3), the Knicks hammering Orlando 121-106 in a blowout that also allowed the Magic to seize a quarter-final berth.
At Madison Sq. Backyard, the Knicks dominated within the battle to complete unbeaten and win the East Group A, overpowering a Magic workforce that got here in with the third-rated defence within the league.
Karl-Anthony Cities scored 23 factors and grabbed 15 rebounds, Jalen Brunson added 21 factors, Mikal Bridges scored 19 and OG Anunoby and Miles McBride scored 18 apiece for the Knicks whereas Josh Hart contributed a triple-double of 11 factors, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
Franz Wagner scored 30 to guide Orlando, who have been assured of advancing as long as they did not lose by 37 factors or extra.
The Magic, who gave up 32 factors on 16 turnovers, noticed their deficit hit that quantity within the third quarter however clawed again to seize the East wild card berth on factors differential over the NBA champion Boston Celtics, who additionally completed group play 3-1.
The Magic jumped to a fast eight-point lead however the Knicks, needing a victory to advance, put collectively an 11-0 scoring run to seize a 17-14 benefit on the way in which to a 36-27 lead after one quarter and by no means trailed once more.
In Detroit, the Bucks drained 23 three-pointers on the way in which to a 128-107 victory over the Pistons in a battle of East East Group B leaders that noticed the hosts eradicated.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 factors with seven rebounds and eight assists and Damian Lillard scored 27 factors for the Bucks, who’ve received seven straight video games – together with a victory over Detroit wherein Antetokounmpo dropped a season-high 59 factors.
Antetokounmpo made 10 of 11 pictures from the ground and sat out the whole fourth quarter.
Lillard drilled 5 three-pointers and performed solely the primary couple of minutes of the fourth.
Milwaukee had seized management early, connecting on 69.2 % of their pictures within the first half – together with 15 of 21 from three-point vary.
“I believed our ball motion was unbelievable,” Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers stated. “We simply stored discovering open guys, performed unselfish basketball.”
The quarter-finals of the in-season event might be held subsequent Tuesday and Wednesday with the semi-finals to be performed on December 14 in Las Vegas – the place the ultimate might be held on Dec 17.
Group stage video games rely as regular-season video games and the Cleveland Cavaliers, eradicated from the Cup, simply improved their league-leading document to 19-3 with a 118-87 victory over the Washington Wizards – who dropped their fifteenth straight.
Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell scored 19 factors every for the Cavs, who had seven gamers rating in double figures.
