The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, and in the semifinals they will play against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were better than the Phoenix Suns.
San Antonio were better than away with 132-119 Lakersand he led them to victory Stephen Castle with 30 points and 10 rebounds.
De’Aaron Fox added 20 points, Keldon Johnson scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie each had 16 points for San Antonio, which won its ninth game in 12 games, all without Victory Wembanyama, who remains sidelined with a calf injury.
He was the best with the Lakers Luka Dončić with 35 interceptions and had eight assists, while Marcus Smart added 26 points after returning from a back injury. LeBron James finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds, and Austin Reaves added 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Los Angeles.
Spurs took the lead series 20-4 between the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second and took a 47-30 lead, 9:14 minutes before halftime. San Antonio led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter and went into the break with a 70-58 lead. San Antonio had a 20-point advantage (80-60) ten minutes before the end of the third quarter, and in that period increased the lead to 85-63 before entering the fourth quarter with a 104-87 lead after a 3-pointer by Fox. Los Angeles went on a rampage late in the game, cutting the deficit to 122-114 on a 3-pointer by Reaves with just under four minutes remaining, capping an 18-4 run. Castle sealed the win with a 3-pointer with 1:41 remaining for a 130-116 lead.
Oklahoma City Thunder registered their 16th consecutive victory, defeating at home with a high score of 138-98 Phoenix Suns for whom this is the heaviest defeat in franchise history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points for Oklahoma City, which will face San Antonio in the semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas.
The Suns led by 12 points with four minutes left in the first half, and then it Luguentz Dort hit a 3-pointer to start a 20-6 halftime run. Oklahoma City went into halftime with a 74-48 lead. Oklahoma City’s lead continued to grow in a third quarter in which Phoenix did not make a field goal for more than the first three and a half minutes. The Thunder scored 16 of their 36 points in the third quarter off nine Suns turnovers and finished the night with 34 points off 21 turnovers.
These 89 points were the lowest number of points Phoenix this season. Oklahoma City shot 59.1 percent from the fieldwhich is their second best shooting performance of the season.
Chet Holmgren hit all four of his three-point attempts and finished with 24 points. Jalen Williams added 15 points. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 11 of 15 from the field and added eight assists. At Phoenix, Dillon Brooks was the best, scoring 16 points. Jordan Goodwin added 15 points and Jamaree Bouye added 14.
NBA game results:
Oklahoma City Thunder – Phoenix Suns 138-89
Los Angeles Lakers – San Antonio Spurs 119-132
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
WL PCT GB
1. New York Knicks 17 7 .708 —
2. Boston Celtics 15 9 .625 2
3. Toronto Raptors 15 11 .577 3
4. Philadelphia 76ers 13 10 .565 3 1/2
5. Brooklyn Nets 6 17 .261 10 1/2
CENTRAL DIVISION
WL PCT GB
1. Detroit Pistons 19 5 .792 —
2. Cleveland Cavaliers 14 11 .560 5 1/2
3. Milwaukee Bucks 10 15 .400 9 1/2
4. Chicago Bulls 9 14 .391 9 1/2
5. Indiana Pacers 6 18 .250 13
SOUTHEAST DIVISION
WL PCT GB
1. Orlando Magic 15 10.600 —
2. Atlanta Hawks 14 11 .560 1
2. Miami Heat 14 11 .560 1
4. Charlotte Hornets 7 17 .292 7 1/2
5. Washington Wizards 3 19 .136 10 1/2
WESTERN CONFERENCE
PACIFIC DIVISION
WL PCT GB
1. Los Angeles Lakers 17 7 .708 —
2. Phoenix Suns 14 11 .560 3 1/2
3. Golden State Warriors 13 12 .520 4 1/2
4. Sacramento Kings 6 18 .250 11
4. Los Angeles Clippers 6 18 .250 11
SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION
WL PCT GB
1. Houston Rockets 15 6 .714 0 1/2
2. San Antonio Spurs 17 7 .708 —
3. Memphis Grizzlies 11 13 .458 6
4. Dallas Mavericks 9 16 .360 8 1/2
5. New Orleans Pelicans 3 22 .120 14 1/2
NORTHWESTERN DIVISION
WL PCT GB
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 24 1.960 —
2. Denver Nuggets 17 6 .739 6
3. Minnesota Timberwolves 15 9 .625 8 1/2
4. Portland Trail Blazers 9 15 .375 14 1/2
5. Utah Jazz 8 15 .348 15
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