Starting 5: NBA Cup rolls on tonight

High fives and high hopes in Cleveland as the Cavs seek win No. 14 on the season and win No. 1 in the Emirates NBA Cup.

THE LINEUP 🏀
Nov. 15, 2024 | What’s inside today’s edition?
Emirates NBA Cup Essentials: Everything you need to know entering the second Cup Night
The Road To 13-0: Inside the Cavs’ historic streak before their Cup quest begins
Star Doubleheader: Wemby & LeBron meet amid red-hot runs, Steph aims to keep Dubs rolling
Friday Fire: Harden’s 3-point pursuit, a heavyweight West duel and win streaks on the line
Thursday Thriller: Utah edges Dallas for a statement win in last night’s standalone matchup
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Buckle up for Friday Cup Night…

The Emirates NBA Cup resumes tonight with a loaded 12-game slate. The action features a must-see doubleheader on ESPN, with LeBron James and the Lakers — last year’s Cup winners — facing Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs (7:30 ET), followed by Steph Curry and the Warriors hosting the Grizzlies (10 ET).
1. NIGHT 2 OF THE EMIRATES NBA CUP IN 2 MINUTES

Twenty-four teams take the floor Friday for the second night of the Emirates NBA Cup, with fourteen teams opening their Cup campaigns.
This is the second of seven Cup nights, which take place on Tuesdays (Nov. 12, 19, 26 and Dec. 3) and Fridays (Nov. 15, 22 and 29) as part of Group Play.
Remember: There are three groups of five teams in each
The winners of all six groups and two “wild cards” — the top
The Knockout Rounds begin with the Quarterfinals on Dec. 10 and
Before we check the Group standings heading into tonight, let’s refresh on the Group Play tiebreakers. And don’t forget — every NBA Cup game counts toward the regular-season standings except the Championship.
Group Play Tiebreakers:
1. Head-to-head record in Group Play
2. Point differential in Group Play
3. Total points scored in Group Play
4. Regular-season record from the 2023-24 season

After an electric Night 1 on Tuesday, Friday boasts a 12-game slate brimming with storylines, which we’ll further unpack throughout today’s edition.
Cavs Seek 14-0 Start: After becoming just the sixth team to
Lakers Begin Title Defense: At the same time, LeBron James,
Harden Eyes Allen’s Record: Entering the night four 3s shy of
Heavyweight Bout Out West: In a matchup between two of the
NBA Cup Hub: Find everything you need to know about the Emirates NBA Cup, including the latest news, current standings, upcoming schedule and FAQs here
2. INSIDE THE CAVS’ RECORD STREAK AS THEIR CUP QUEST BEGINS

“There’s an expectation for us to do big things and that’s where my mind is at,” Donovan Mitchell said at Cavaliers Media Day in September.
“We have a lot to accomplish as a group. I believe when we’re healthy, we’re a championship-contending team … The biggest thing for us is to put those pieces together on the floor.”
In 2022-23, the Cavs went 51-31 for their first 50-win season
In 2023-24, they fought through injuries to go 48-34 but fell
Instead of growing impatient and making roster changes this offseason, Cleveland decided to run it back, extending Mitchell, Allen, and Evan Mobley, while hiring coach Kenny Atkinson.

Now, the Cavs stand as just the sixth 13-0 team in NBA history and boast the league’s No. 1 offense — built on ball movement, continuity and consistent shot-making.
Shooting Spark: Through 13 games, the Cavs lead the NBA in
Clutch Gene: When it matters most, Cleveland elevates its game,
Cashing In: When the Cavs get open looks, they capitalize, with
Chemistry: Cleveland also leads the NBA in points off assists

Tonight, the Cavs will look to improve to 14-0 and 1-0 in Group Play as they host Zach LaVine and the Bulls (7:30 ET, LP), who took Cleveland down to the wire on Monday in a 119-113 battle.
If the Cavs get the win, they’ll match the 1957-58 Celtics and the 2002-03 Mavericks for the third-best start in NBA history.
2015-16 Golden State Warriors: Started 24-0
1993-94 Houston Rockets: Started 15-0
1948-49 Washington Capitols: Started 15-0
1957-58 Boston Celtics: Started 14-0
2002-03 Dallas Mavericks: Started 14-0
Think you know Cleveland? Test your Cavs knowledge with today’s NBA Play Trivia.
3. ESPN DOUBLEHEADER: WEMBY, AD, LEBRON & STEPH TAKE CENTER STAGE

Lakers at Spurs (7:30 ET, ESPN): The defending Cup champion Lakers are hot, heading into Group Play on a three-game win streak. But the Spurs are also racking up dubs, and Victor Wembanyama is scorching.
Wemby Masterpiece: In San Antonio’s win over the Wizards on
History: With the performance, Wemby became the first center in
He also became the first player to sink 20 triples and register

LeBron James has been stuffing the stat sheet, with three straight triple-doubles amid the Lakers’ three-game heater.
A Class Of His Own: At 39 years and 320 days old, James (35
James & The Joker: LeBron now has four triple-doubles on the
A New Milestone? In his 22 NBA seasons, James has recorded

Grizzlies at Warriors (10 ET, ESPN): To cap the doubleheader, Steph Curry and the Warriors will look to improve to 2-0 in Group Play following Tuesday’s electrifying win over the Mavs as they host Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Grizzlies.
Golden From 3: Led by Curry (4.0) and Buddy Hield (3.8), the
Beasts Inside: Meanwhile, Memphis leads the league in points in
Immediate Impact: Grizzlies first-round pick Zach Edey joins
4. LEAGUE PASS PLOTLINES: WEST DUEL, HARDEN’S HISTORIC QUEST & MORE

Suns at Thunder (8 ET, LP): With Kevin Durant out (left calf strain), Devin Booker will look to help Phoenix notch its second Group Play win as they take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, who will be without Chet Holmgren (pelvic fracture).
Thunderous Defense: OKC is allowing 103.8 ppg, trailing only
Stars Stepping Up: In OKC’s two games without Holmgren, SGA is

Clippers at Rockets (8 ET, LP): Four 3s shy of passing Ray Allen for No. 2 on the all-time 3-point list, James Harden will look to make history in his former home arena as the Rockets host the Clippers in both teams’ opening Group Play matchups.
Rematch: On Wednesday in Houston, the Rockets outlasted LA
He’s also made 1,079 of his 2,970 career 3s at the Toyota

Cup Night on League Pass brings six more matchups, beginning with last year’s finalists, the Pacers, opening Group Play against the rival Heat. Meanwhile, the Magic aim to extend their win streak to five, before Denver seeks its sixth dub in a row.
5. THURSDAY RECAP: JAZZ STAVE OFF MAVS FOR STATEMENT WIN

Jazz 115, Mavericks 113: In a back-and-forth battle featuring 10 ties and nine lead changes, Luka Dončić (37 pts, 7 reb, 9 ast) sparked a 25-7 Mavs run in the 4th quarter to erase a 16-point deficit.
But after Klay Thompson drilled a 3 to tie the game at 113 with 26.2 seconds remaining, Jordan Clarkson found John Collins for a go-ahead slam with 6.4 ticks left to lift Utah over Dallas for its first home win of the season. | Recap | Catch The Final 5:43

Jazz Harmony: Collins (28 pts,
Finding A Rhythm: After an 0-6 start, Utah has now won three of
“We knew it was going to be a battle in the 2nd half,” Collins
Luka & Klay Step Up: Despite the loss, Dončić notched his