The Indiana Pacers dealt a major blow to the New York Knicks’ hopes of defending their NBA Cup title after securing a hard-fought 106-104 victory despite their injury problems on Friday night.
The Knicks entered the competition hoping to build on their success in the 2025-26 edition, which preceded their run to a first NBA championship since 1973. However, their latest defeat left them with two losses from two group-stage matches and facing an uphill battle to reach the knockout rounds.
Although New York were not mathematically eliminated, no team with two group-stage defeats had progressed beyond the group phase in the competition’s previous three editions.
With Tyrese Haliburton still sidelined through a hamstring injury, Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 19 points. Aaron Nesmith added 18, Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 16, while Ivica Zubac and Andrew Nembhard finished with 12 points apiece.
Jalen Brunson delivered an impressive performance for New York, recording 33 points and 11 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns also contributed 23 points and 15 rebounds.
The Knicks had trailed by 14 points in the third quarter but fought back to level the contest at 87-87 early in the final period.
However, Indiana responded with a decisive 15-2 scoring run to regain control. New York made another late attempt to rescue the game, reducing the deficit to two points, but Towns missed a potential game-tying basket with just 0.9 seconds remaining.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle praised his players for their resilience, particularly against a team with New York’s championship experience.
“Very proud of our team. We were pretty big underdogs coming into this game,” Carlisle said.
Indiana also dominated the paint, outscoring the Knicks 50-30 in that department.
“Second half, it got difficult. New York is a championship team. They know how to make comebacks,” Carlisle added. “Our guys stuck together and kept fighting together.”
The Knicks remained bottom of East Group B and were left needing victories against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat in their final two group matches to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Antetokounmpo and Adebayo Lead Miami Past Cleveland
The Miami Heat strengthened their position in NBA Cup play with an impressive 133-121 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo produced outstanding performances, scoring 37 points each to lead Miami to its second consecutive group-stage victory.
Adebayo also collected 14 rebounds, while Davion Mitchell delivered 22 points and 17 assists as the Heat improved to 2-0 in Cup play and 6-6 overall.
Miami’s latest performance offered encouragement after a difficult opening to the campaign, having lost their first four games of the season.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 25 points, while James Harden added 20. However, the Cavaliers continued their inconsistent run, suffering their third defeat in four games.
Wagner Shines as Orlando Beat Milwaukee
Franz Wagner continued his impressive individual form as the Orlando Magic defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 107-99.
The German forward delivered 35 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists to guide Orlando to its first home victory of the season.
The Magic improved to 2-0 in NBA Cup action despite holding a disappointing 5-7 overall record.
Spurs Hand Warriors Heavy Defeat
The San Antonio Spurs extended their winning streak to 11 games after crushing the Golden State Warriors 123-85.
Stephon Castle led the scoring with 32 points, while Victor Wembanyama recorded 12 points and 12 rebounds in another dominant performance from San Antonio.
The Spurs established control immediately, opening the contest with an 18-0 run before building a lead of as many as 43 points.
Golden State were without injured superstar Stephen Curry, a significant absence that contributed to their struggles.
LJ Cryer was the Warriors’ leading scorer with 20 points, while none of their starters reached double figures.
Draymond Green finished with just four points and received a flagrant foul after shoving Wembanyama from behind and sending the Frenchman crashing out of bounds during the second quarter.
San Antonio, who lost to New York in last season’s NBA Cup final before facing the Knicks in the NBA Finals, improved to 2-0 in the competition.
Clippers Edge Thunder in Dramatic Finish
The Los Angeles Clippers secured a narrow 113-112 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder to record their first win in NBA Cup action.
Darius Garland proved decisive, producing a three-point play with less than a minute remaining to put Los Angeles ahead.
The guard drove towards the basket to tie the contest at 112-112 before drawing a foul and converting the resulting free throw.
Brook Lopez also played a crucial role, scoring 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City received 40 points from two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but the Thunder were unable to recover after Garland’s decisive contribution.
The Clippers improved to 1-1 in Cup play, although their overall record remained a disappointing 3-8.
Bulls, Grizzlies and Rockets Record Important Wins
Elsewhere, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks 125-117 after overtime in another entertaining NBA Cup encounter.
Norman Powell led Chicago with 33 points, while seven Bulls players finished in double figures.
Atlanta forced overtime through a triple-double from Jalen Johnson, who recorded 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. CJ McCollum also contributed 20 points, but the Hawks were outscored 15-7 in the extra period.
The Memphis Grizzlies also returned to winning ways with a commanding 142-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Memphis showcased its attacking depth, with 10 players reaching double figures, while Jerami Grant contributed 22 points off the bench.
The Pelicans dropped to 4-9 for the season, continuing their difficult start despite encouraging contributions from Saddiq Bey and Zion Williamson.
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets strengthened their early-season credentials with a 125-118 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Alperen Sengun produced one of the night’s outstanding individual performances, recording 43 points and 12 rebounds. Kevin Durant added 22 points to help Houston secure another important victory.
Utah suffered its 12th defeat in 13 games, despite 28 points from Darryn Peterson and 21 from Ace Bailey.
With the NBA Cup group stage continuing, the Knicks faced mounting pressure to win their remaining matches, while Indiana, Miami, Orlando and San Antonio strengthened their positions in the race for the knockout rounds.
