Starting 5, Nov. 15: Emirates NBA Cup returns with a thrilling kickoff 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

conference. In Group Play, each team plays the other four teams in its group once

The winners of all six groups and two “wild cards” — the top

second-place team in each conference — then advance to the single-elimination Knockout Rounds

The Knockout Rounds begin with the Quarterfinals on Dec. 10 and

11 in team markets, followed by the Semifinals and Championship in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 14 and Dec. 17, respectively

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

begin an NBA season 13-0 on Wednesday, the Cavaliers will look to extend their historic streak as they open Group Play against the Bulls (7:30 ET, League Pass)

Lakers Begin Title Defense: At the same time, LeBron James,

Anthony Davis and the Lakers will begin their chase for back-to-back Cups against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on the national stage (7:30 ET, ESPN)

Harden Eyes Allen’s Record: Entering the night four 3s shy of

passing Ray Allen (2,973) for second on the all-time 3-point list, James Harden will look to make history in the arena where he played 8.5 seasons as the Clips face the Rockets in Houston (8 ET, League Pass)

Heavyweight Bout Out West: In a matchup between two of the

West’s top three teams, the top-seeded Thunder open their Cup campaign against the Suns, who beat Utah on Tuesday to move to 1-0 in Group Play (8 ET, League Pass)

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

since LeBron James was part of the team in 2017-18

In 2023-24, they fought through injuries to go 48-34 but fell

to Boston in the East Semifinals without Jarrett Allen (ribs) for the series and Mitchell (calf) for the last two games

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

points (121.8 ppg), field goal percentage (51.8%) and 3-point percentage (41.2%)

Clutch Gene: When it matters most, Cleveland elevates its game,

shooting 61.4% from the field and 53.3% from 3 in clutch time for a perfect 6-0 clutch record

Cashing In: When the Cavs get open looks, they capitalize, with

league-leading percentages in both catch-and-shoot 3s (41.3%) and wide-open shots (48.1%)

Chemistry: Cleveland also leads the NBA in points off assists

(955) and pick-and-roll baskets (169)

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

Wednesday, Wemby set a career-high in points (50) and 3s (8) while becoming the fourth-youngest player to score 50+ points in a game at 20 years and 314 days old

History: With the performance, Wemby became the first center in

NBA history with at least six made 3s in three straight outings

He also became the first player to sink 20 triples and register

13 blocks over a three-game span since blocks were first recorded in 1973-74Wemby vs. AD: In his two games against the Lakers last season with Anthony Davis active, Wemby averaged 28.5 points and 5.5 blocks. But AD outscored him in both outings (32.5 ppg), leading to two Lakers wins

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

pts, 12 reb, 14 ast) broke his own record as the oldest player to notch three straight triple-doubles while leading the Lakers to a win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday

James & The Joker: LeBron now has four triple-doubles on the

season, trailing only Nikola Jokić (6)

A New Milestone? In his 22 NBA seasons, James has recorded

three straight triple-doubles four times. But he’s never notched four in a row

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

Warriors are knocking down 16.1 3s per game — the second-most in the NBA — at a 41.3% clip

Beasts Inside: Meanwhile, Memphis leads the league in points in

the paint (60.3 ppg) and has won five of its last seven games, despite being without Ja Morant for its last three

Immediate Impact: Grizzlies first-round pick Zach Edey joins

Arvydas Sabonis as the only rookies in NBA history to average 10+ ppg on 60+ FG% and 55+ 3P% through their first 12 career games

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

the Magic (103.7) for the fewest in the NBA, while forcing a league-high 20.2 turnovers per game — three more than the next closest team

Stars Stepping Up: In OKC’s two games without Holmgren, SGA is

averaging 37.0 points and 7.0 assists, while Booker (24.0) and Bradley Beal (26.0) have combined for 50.0 ppg in Phoenix’s last three games without Durant

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

111-103 behind Jalen Green’s 21 points for their third straight win, improving to 8-4 overall and 5-2 at homeHistory On The Horizon? Harden (19 pts) went 3-of-8 from deep in the loss. He’s made at least 1 trey in each of his 12 games this year, 3+ treys six times and 4+ once

He’s also made 1,079 of his 2,970 career 3s at the Toyota

Center — his home for over eight seasons — more than in any other NBA arena

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.

Heat at Pacers (7 ET)

76ers at Magic (7 ET)

Pistons at Raptors (7 ET)

Nets at Knicks (7:30 ET)

Nuggets at Pelicans (8 ET)

Timberwolves at Kings (10 ET)

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,

9 reb) and Clarkson (20 pts, 4 ast) combined for 48 points and six Jazz players scored 13+ points, including Lauri Markkanen (13 pts, 5 reb, 2 3s) and rookie Kyle Filipowski (14 pts, 7 reb)

Finding A Rhythm: After an 0-6 start, Utah has now won three of

its last five games for a 3-8 record

“We knew it was going to be a battle in the 2nd half,” Collins

said after the win. “I said that if it was a dogfight, let’s just make it a dogfight, fellas, and drag a win out. And that’s what we did.”

Luka & Klay Step Up: Despite the loss, Dončić notched his

second straight 30+ point game and his sixth of the season, while Thompson added 17 points on five 3s with Kyrie Irving out due to a shoulder injury