The third night of 2025 NBA Cup play saw some high-flying games in both the East and West as group play nears its midway point. But nothing was more epic than what Stephen Curry did.
We’re at the point where it looks like it will never get old watching the Golden State Warriors star come alive down the stretch. On Friday, his victims were the San Antonio Spurs. The damage: 49 points on 16-of-26 shooting. In the process, he tied Michael Jordan for the most 40-point games after turning 30, with his 44th.
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Only one other Warrior, Jimmy Butler, scored more than 10 points.
The Spurs had the Warriors on the ropes late with a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, but that just turned out to be the setup. San Antonio had one last chance to win it, but a De’Aaron Fox miss sealed the game.
Every team in Group C of the West is now 1-1 in group play, which is exactly the kind of chaos you want in group play.
The longest game of the night was in Dallas, where the Los Angeles Clippers outlasted a still-shorthanded Dallas Mavericks team in double overtime, thanks to a 41-point triple-double from James Harden. L.A. led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter, but a late-game collapse pushed it into extra time.
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The game appeared to be on the verge of ending in the first overtime when Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford was called for a goaltend on Harden, but the NBA’s ball-tracking review found the ball was still ascending.
It was simply a spectacular block.
That staved off defeat for Dallas, but didn’t save it. A lineup led in scoring by 28 points each from Naji Marshall and D’Angelo Russell off the bench fell behind early in double overtime and didn’t come back.
The other overtime game was an epic between the Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Hornets, in which eight different Bucks scored in double figures to counter a pair of 32-point nights from Miles Bridges and rookie Kon Kneuppel, the latter of whom hit the game-tying 3-pointer to force OT.
However, like the Clippers’ win, the Bucks shook off the would-be gut punch and won big in OT. They are now 10-0 in NBA group play over the three years of the in-season tournament. Assistant coach Darvin Ham, formerly the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, is also still undefeated overall, in one of the funniest narratives of the event.
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Back in the realm of games decided in regulation, the Detroit Pistons won their ninth straight with a 114-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, despite being without several key players.
Cade Cunningham (hip), Tobias Harris (ankle), Ausar Thompson (ankle) and Jalen Duren (ankle) were all on the sideline, but players like Javonte Green (team-high 21 points, nine rebounds) and Daniss Jenkins (19 points, eight assists) stepped up.
There was also the high-scoring game between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks. The Knicks won 140-132 behind 39 points from likely hero Karl-Anthony Towns and 36 points from unlikely hero Landry Shamet off the bench.
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Norman Powell continued a career year with 38 points for Miami, but couldn’t stop New York from pulling away late.
Dunk of the Night
Dunk of the Night (Victor Wembanyama edition)
NBA Cup Night 3 scoreboard
NBA Cup Standings
East Group A
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Toronto Raptors (2-0, +23)
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Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1, +23)
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Indiana Pacers (0-1, -20)
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Washington Wizards (0-1, -34)
East Group B
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Detroit Pistons (2-0, +27)
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Boston Celtics (1-1, -12)
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Philadelphia 76ers (0-2, -10)
East Group C
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Milwaukee Bucks (2-0, +16)
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New York Knicks (1-1, -2)
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Charlotte Hornets (0-2, -18)
West Group A
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Minnesota Timberwolves (2-0, +54)
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Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0, +31)
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Sacramento Kings (0-2, -45)
West Group B
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Los Angeles Lakers (2-0 +19)
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Los Angeles Clippers (2-0, +2)
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Memphis Grizzlies (1-1, +9)
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New Orleans Pelicans (0-2, -14)
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Dallas Mavericks (0-2, -16)
West Group C
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Denver Nuggets (1-1, +23)
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Houston Rockets (1-1, +13)
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San Antonio Spurs (1-1, +10)
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Portland Trail Blazers (1-1, -22)
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Golden State Warriors (1-1, -24)
