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Friday packed nine Emirates NBA Cup group play games into one slate and produced a stack of record-book entries. Luka Dončić dropped 53 points to power the Los Angeles Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118, the Cleveland Cavaliers snapped the Philadelphia 76ers‘ five-game win streak with a 119-95 wire-to-wire win, and Victor Wembanyama pushed the San Antonio Spurs to a seventh straight victory, 124-109 over the Sacramento Kings.
Friday’s Results
- Hawks 139, Wizards 132
- Celtics 119, Hornets 80
- Cavaliers 119, 76ers 95
- Mavericks 112, Jazz 100
- Thunder 128, Grizzlies 97
- Timberwolves 115, Pelicans 109
- Raptors 121, Bucks 107
- Lakers 124, Trail Blazers 118
- Spurs 124, Kings 109
Dončić Turns Friday Into a History Lesson
The 53-point outburst marked Dončić’s fourth consecutive game with 40 or more points, making him just the fourth player in Lakers franchise history to string together four straight 40-point games and the first since Kobe Bryant from Jan. 10-14, 2012. The total ranks as the second-highest in an NBA Cup game, alongside De’Aaron Fox. With the win, the Lakers moved into first place in the Western Conference.
The record book took a beating.
- Dončić has recorded 35+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists in seven consecutive games, tying Oscar Robertson (Dec. 25, 1964 to Jan. 5, 1965) for the longest such streak in NBA history.
- He extended his own record streak of games with 35+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ three-pointers to seven consecutive games.
- He became just the second player in NBA history with 40+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists in four consecutive games, joining Elgin Baylor (Dec. 4-8, 1961).
- His fourth 50-point game for Los Angeles passed LeBron James (3) and tied George Mikan for fourth-most in franchise history.
- He has totaled 361 points through nine games, averaging 40.1 per game, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only player in history to average 40+ through his first nine games of a season.
History, every single night.
The third quarter decided the game. Dončić poured in 20 points on 6-for-12 shooting and outscored the Blazers by himself as Los Angeles won the frame 34-15 and forced Portland into 20 turnovers. It was the 34th 20-point quarter of his career, third-most in the play-by-play era (1997-98) behind only Stephen Curry (45) and Bryant (36).
Before the takeover, a 12-0 run tied the game at 68. Dončić used a snake dribble off the Walker Kessler screen to find space and nail his third triple of the night, then floated one in to put the Lakers in front. He was sitting on 31 points before the quarter fully turned.
The first half ended with the shot of the night. After a defensive stop, Dončić got around the screen and banked in a heave from beyond half court to cap an 18-9 Lakers run, a shot measured at 62 feet and the longest make of his career. His opening-night heave measured 48.96 feet by comparison. Even Bruce Springsteen watched in disbelief from the stands.
Portland Made the Lakers Earn It
The Blazers controlled the early going. Toumani Camara opened the nightcap with a poster slam, Deni Avdija scored six first-quarter points, and every Portland player who checked in scored in the frame as the Blazers built a 26-15 lead on six triples.
Damian Lillard kept the pressure on. He drilled a 30-foot triple near the logo in the second quarter, his eighth point of the night, while Portland shot 50% from deep with eight makes. Kevin Harlan put it plainly on the broadcast call:
Dame knows no range.
Robert Williams III threw down two loud dunks in the second quarter, one off a pick-and-roll with Avdija and another off a feed from Jrue Holiday. Dončić answered with his signature step-back three, just Los Angeles’ second triple of the night, and the Blazers took a 60-53 lead into the break.
No lead was safe. The game swung 32 points before Lillard drilled his fourth three of the night to cap a 10-0 fourth-quarter run and cut the deficit to six. Austin Reaves stopped the run with his first triple of the game, pushing the lead back to 12. Reaves finished with 17 points, attacking the paint for easy looks after a slow start, and he and Dončić stand as the NBA’s top scoring duo early this season.
Cavaliers Snap the Streak in LeBron’s Cleveland Return
LeBron James returned to Cleveland as a member of the 76ers and performed his iconic chalk toss before tipoff. Tyrese Maxey imitated the routine on the other end. Once the ball went up, the Cavaliers never trailed.
Cleveland opened on an 11-2 run behind transition offense and six early points from Donovan Mitchell, who added a no-look dime in a 33-22 first quarter.
Sophomore guard VJ Edgecombe fueled the Philadelphia rally with 15 second-quarter points on 6-for-8 shooting, the second-highest-scoring quarter of his career. A Jabari Walker dunk, an 11-2 run and a wild sequence with three total turnovers, finished by an Edgecombe slam, whittled a 16-point deficit to six. Evan Mobley’s 15 first-half points held Cleveland at 62-54 by the break.
The Sixers kept climbing in the third. Edgecombe’s dunk cut the lead to three, even with Joel Embiid and James combining to shoot 1-for-14 from the field, as the defense held the Cavaliers under 41% shooting for a stretch. Mitchell answered with a patented step-back three under pressure and carried 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds into the fourth.
Cleveland then closed the door. The lead grew to 23 in the fourth with Mobley and Mitchell combining for 44, and the final margin settled at 119-95. Seven Cavaliers scored in double figures, Mitchell added eight assists, and Mario Hezonja posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Two Cavaliers fans even hit back-to-back half-court shots during a timeout. The win snapped Philadelphia’s five-game streak and moved Cleveland to 1-0 in Cup play.
Wembanyama and Castle Keep the Spurs Rolling
Wembanyama keeps stacking milestones. Through his first nine games, he has totaled 250+ points, 100+ rebounds and 35+ blocks, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1975) and Shaquille O’Neal (1993) as the only players to reach those totals in their first nine games of a season since blocks were fully recorded in 1973-74.
San Antonio beat Sacramento 124-109 for its seventh straight win. Stephon Castle supplied two of the night’s best highlights: a 180-degree spin and midair dime to Devin Vassell for a triple, then a one-hand alley-oop jam off a feed from the 7-foot-3 Wembanyama.
Traditionally the point guard tosses the lob to the big man. That script flips when the center handles like a guard and the point guard has hops like Castle.
Tatum and the Celtics Bomb Charlotte
Jayson Tatum filled the sheet with 34 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, hitting five triples in a 119-80 demolition of Charlotte. The Celtics nailed 24 threes, including 17 in the first half, the most by any team in any half since Boston hit 17 on April 10, 2026.
Tatum dropped 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting in the first quarter alone, his highest-scoring quarter since March 2025, and reached five threes in a half for the first time since Dec. 21, 2024, sitting on 24 points, four rebounds and five assists by halftime. Derrick White added four triples and a season-high 18-point half. Featured on this week’s MVP Ladder, Tatum looks like his old self as Boston keeps winning in Group Play.
Thunder, Mavericks and Raptors Deliver
Ajay Mitchell dropped a career-high 35 points as Oklahoma City hammered Memphis 128-97. He hung 21 on 9-for-11 shooting in the first half, the highest-scoring half of his career. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 points and Jared McCain scored 21 as the Thunder guards shot efficiently all night.
Dallas handled Utah 112-100 in West Group A behind 26 points from P.J. Washington, who even got a wild circus shot to drop (it did not count, but the luck carried over). Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving continue to click as a duo. Flagg threw down a windmill slam and scored 15 in the third on 4-of-7 shooting, his highest-scoring quarter of the season, finishing with 19 points. Irving delivered a finish only he can make.
An excellent cut by Cooper Flagg. Kyrie doing what only Kyrie can do.
Flagg’s full skill set showed in one second-quarter sequence: a steal and save, a dime to Irving in one motion, then a putback for two. He already had six assists by then. NBA.com’s Shaun Powell examined what makes Flagg so unique earlier this week; his playmaking development mirrors Irving’s, a product of the point-guard reps he logged as a rookie under then-head coach Jason Kidd. Rookie Morez Johnson Jr. recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and Daniel Gafford added a rejection on one end and a dunk through contact on the other.
Toronto beat Milwaukee 121-107 behind a pair of career nights. Alijah Martin scored a career-high 27 points and Jamal Shead dished a career-high 16 assists. Martin already owns a championship from his Florida Gators run in 2025. Despite the loss, Brayden Burries became the first Bucks rookie with 20+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists in a game since Andrew Bogut.
Hawks Hold Off Trae Young’s Atlanta Return
Trae Young returned to the city where he spent his first seven NBA seasons and scored his first visiting points on his patented floater, keying a 20-8 Wizards run. Atlanta answered for a 139-132 win behind Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who finished with 28 points.
With his third triple of the night, Alexander-Walker became the first player in Hawks franchise history to total 40+ three-pointers over his first 10 games of a season. Last year’s Most Improved Player dropped 16 in the first half alone.
LaMelo’s Late Triple Sinks the Pelicans
Minnesota outlasted New Orleans 115-109 in West Group B. LaMelo Ball’s fourth-quarter three gave the Timberwolves a 104-99 lead they never gave back; he finished with 22 points and three triples, with four Wolves in double figures.
Ball’s handle remains his signature. His hesitation move faked out multiple defenders, a skill sharpened back in his Chino Hills days when his ankle breakers racked up millions of views. Zion Williamson supplied the assist of the night, tossing a half-court lob to Trey Murphy III, who finished with eight points while Williamson dished four assists.
Friday’s Cup Schedule
- Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks, 7 ET, League Pass
- Boston Celtics vs. Charlotte Hornets, 7 ET, League Pass
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:30 ET, Prime Video
- Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks, 8 ET, League Pass
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 8 ET, League Pass
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 8 ET, League Pass
- Toronto Raptors vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 8 ET, League Pass
- Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10 ET, Prime Video
- San Antonio Spurs at Sacramento Kings, 10 ET, League Pass
Read also: Best NBA Tipsters & Prediction Sites: Most Accurate in November 2026
The Prime doubleheader bookended the night. The East-leading 76ers visited the Cavaliers with James returning to face Mitchell and James Harden, and the West-leading Blazers, 6-1 entering the night, took on Dončić and the Lakers. Follow TipsGG for wall-to-wall Emirates NBA Cup coverage as group play continues.