By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Winning the European derby on the first night of the new NBA Cup – the In-Season Tournament -, Nikola Jokic almost delivered a triple-double of 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists, shooting 14/16 from the field and pushing the Denver Nuggets to the 125-114 home victory against Dallas.
On the Mavericks‘ end, instead, Luka Doncic suffered the defeat but ended with a similar stat line, dropping 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in the losing effort, despite shooting 11/24 from the field and losing 9 turnovers.
Elsewhere, opening the innovative NBA Cup, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in Milwaukee’s 110-105 win against the New York Knicks, while Deni Avdija had 14 points in the loss against the Miami Heat. Danilo Gallinari provided 6 points off the bench as well.
Nikola Vucevic’s double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds wasn’t enough to keep Chicago alive against the Brooklyn Nets. Dario Saric, instead, contributed to Golden State‘s 141-139 away win over Oklahoma with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists off the bench.
NBA Cup Results of the Night:
Indiana Pacers – Cleveland Cavaliers 121-116
Milwaukee Bucks – New York Knicks 110-105
Miami Heat – Washington Wizards 121-114
Chicago Bulls – Brooklyn Nets 107-109
Oklahoma City Thunder – Golden State Warriors 139-141
Denver Nuggets – Dallas Mavericks 125-114
Portland Trail Blazers – Memphis Grizzlies 115-113
NBA Cup Standings:
Eastern Conference
Group A
Indiana Pacers 1-0
Atlanta Hawks 0-0
Detroit Pistons 0-0
Philadelphia 76ers 0-0
Cleveland Cavaliers 0-1
Group B
Miami Heat 1-0
Milwaukee Bucks 1-0
Charlotte Hornets 0-0
New York Knicks 0-1
Washington Wizards 0-1
Group C
Brooklyn Nets 1-0
Boston Celtics 0-0
Orlando Magic 0-0
Toronto Raptors 0-0
Chicago Bulls 0-1
Western Conference
Group A
Portland Trail Blazers 1-0
Los Angeles Lakers 0-0
Phoenix Suns 0-0
Utah Jazz 0-0
Memphis Grizzlies 0-1
Group B
Denver Nuggets 1-0
New Orleans Pelicans 0-0
Houston Rockets 0-0
Los Angeles Clippers 0-0
Dallas Mavericks 0-1
Group C
Golden State Warriors 1-0
Minnesota Timberwolves 0-0
Sacramento Kings 0-0
San Antonio Spurs 0-0
Oklahoma City Thunder 0-1
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images