{"id":306224,"date":"2025-11-22T01:34:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T01:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/306224\/"},"modified":"2025-11-22T01:34:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T01:34:15","slug":"clinching-scenarios-9-game-night-slate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/306224\/","title":{"rendered":"clinching scenarios, 9 game-night slate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1898053\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1898053\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/nba-cup-logo-110625.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"4505\" height=\"2546\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1898053\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">LAS VEGAS, NV \u2013 DECEMBER 17: The NBA Cup logo before the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City Thunder during the Emirates NBA Cup Championship game on December 17, 2024 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and\/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo\/NBAE via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>NBA Cup Hub \ud83d\udcbb\ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n<p>Missed a night of Group Play? No problem. Find everything you need to know about the latest developments in the 2025 NBA Cup <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/nba-cup\/2025\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here,<\/a> including statistics, results, and standings as teams enter their second and third games of the opening stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>November 21, 8:28 PM<\/p>\n<p>Mean in Green \ud83d\ude24<\/p>\n<p>Look out for Neemias Queta! The Celtics big man rolled to the rim and finished with authority. Brooklyn isn\u2019t going anywhere, though, as the teams exchange leads with halftime approaching.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&#8220;NEEMIAS QUETA, DEFYING GRAVITY.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>POSTER SLAM FROM THE CELTICS BIG MAN \ud83d\udca5<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udd9a BKN-BOS \u2022 East Group B<br \/>\ud83c\udfc6 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/emirates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@emirates<\/a> NBA Cup <br \/>\ud83d\udcfa NBA League Pass: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OhxB85q7y3\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/t.co\/OhxB85q7y3<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/E1NFEaWzAe\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/E1NFEaWzAe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NBA (@NBA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA\/status\/1992041979979735245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>November 21, 8:18 PM<\/p>\n<p>HT in Cleveland<\/p>\n<p>The Cavaliers are gaining separation from the Pacers, but Indiana is still in striking range at the half. Darius Garland has a game-high 18 points after a hot-shooting half from beyond the arc. The trio of Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin have combined for 44 of the Pacers\u2019 55 points at the break.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">AT THE HALF. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/LetEmKnow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">#LetEmKnow<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcca HIGHLIGHTS &amp; STATS: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/P4ouug6Rgv\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/t.co\/P4ouug6Rgv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cavs\/status\/1992040185027309606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>November 21, 8:10 PM<\/p>\n<p>6MOY Contender \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n<p>The new free-flowing offense in Miami has reinvigorated the Heat. Only two teams score more than the Heat\u2019s nightly average of 123.6 points. One clear beneficiary has been Jaime Jaquez Jr., who appears to be at home in this system. He\u2019s among the top in many off-the-bench statistics, while being one of the most relentless drivers in the league.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We&#8217;re getting the 6th Man of the Year conversation started early because there&#8217;s only one option to consider\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jaquez_jr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@jaquez_jr<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p>The Case \/\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Kia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@Kia<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fJZkzBwxlx\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/fJZkzBwxlx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MiamiHEAT\/status\/1992000472459493648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>November 21, 8:00 PM<\/p>\n<p>Lottery Pick Showcase<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a look at the starting lineups for tonight\u2019s matchup with the Mavericks and Pelicans. Dallas remains without Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, but top overall draft pick Cooper Flagg is back in the lineup. The Duke rookie missed the previous game due to an illness.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Tonight&#8217;s starters \u2935\ufe0f<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ModeloUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@ModeloUSA<\/a> \/\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">#MFFL<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2fxwxi1bgp\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/2fxwxi1bgp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dallasmavs\/status\/1992035437804679356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p lang=\"tl\" dir=\"ltr\">Fears. Herb. Trey. Zion. DQ. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qbYh3YbtdG\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/qbYh3YbtdG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PelicansNBA\/status\/1992035976265245173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>On the other side, New Orleans is starting a pair of lottery picks. Point guard Jeremiah Fears was chosen seventh overall while big man Derik Queen was chosen 13th. Queen was exceptional in his last game, finishing with 30 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals against the Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>November 21, 7:53 PM<\/p>\n<p>MPJ on a Tear \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8<\/p>\n<p>The Nets hold an early lead over the Celtics, even though Michael Porter Jr. has started one-of-four from the field. If recent trends continue, expect MPJ to heat up tonight. Over his last seven games he\u2019s averaging 27 points per contest.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"ht\" dir=\"ltr\">Michael Porter Jr. over his last 7 games:<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf 27.0 PPG<br \/>\ud83c\udfaf 7.4 RPG<br \/>\ud83c\udfaf 3.4 APG<br \/>\ud83c\udfaf 38.1 3P% <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8Mz1z4skQ3\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/8Mz1z4skQ3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrooklynNets\/status\/1992025233017258206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>November 21, 7:45 PM<\/p>\n<p>Sharing is Caring<\/p>\n<p>Cleveland takes a slim lead into the second quarter over the Pacers. Evan Mobley is the leading scorer for his team after finishing the quarter with 12 points and two rebounds. The ball zipped around the half-court before finding Donovan Mitchell for this swish from downtown. The Pacers trail 33-31 after one.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ball movement MASTERY from the Cavs!<\/p>\n<p>Nance to Ball to Wade to Spida for the splash. <\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfc6 IND-CLE \u2022 East Group A <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/emirates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@emirates<\/a> NBA Cup on Prime <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7F5auEziEG\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/7F5auEziEG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NBA (@NBA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA\/status\/1992030520772034858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>7:30 Slate begins \ud83d\udd62<\/p>\n<p>Nets @ Celtics \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/bkn-vs-bos-0022500049?watchLive\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch<\/a><br \/>\nWizards @ Raptors \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/was-vs-tor-0022500050?watchLive\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch<\/a><\/p>\n<p>November 21, 7:28 PM<\/p>\n<p>Nembhard going to work<\/p>\n<p>Andrew Nembhard holds the reigns at point guard for the Pacers, in the absence of Tyrese Haliburton. He\u2019s getting the job done early tonight, as the first Pacers player to reach double-digits. His team is looking for their first NBA Cup win, as they only have two wins total on the year.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Andrew Nembhard stepback three is so smooth \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcfa <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBAonPrime?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@NBAonPrime<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Z5NmHSmq0F\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/Z5NmHSmq0F<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pacers\/status\/1992025429000196386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mathurin\u2019s Scorching Start \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n<p>Indiana Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin has missed more games than he\u2019s played this year, but he\u2019s been elite scoring the ball when available. Pacers legend Reggie Miller is the only player in franchise history with a high scoring average through their first four games of a season. Aaron Nesmith is out tonight for Indiana, along with Haliburton, of course, leaving the door open for another big scoring night for Mathurin.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Bennedict Mathurin has scored the second-most points by any player in their first four games of a season in franchise history, trailing Reggie Miller by just one point \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n<p>he\u2019s averaging a career-high 27.8 PPG through four games this year. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xw9d4syjfm\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/xw9d4syjfm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pacers\/status\/1991505799177457961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>November 21, 7:10 PM<\/p>\n<p>Celts &amp; Nets tip-off Soon<\/p>\n<p>Both teams enter this matchup with ground to cover in East Group B. The Celtics hold a one-game edge on the Nets, who are in search of a win after dropping the team\u2019s first two tournament games. Jaylen Brown enters the night averaging a career-high 27.5 points on the season.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">First five on the floor \u2935\ufe0f<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DraftKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@DraftKings<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/F6vldILEm8\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/F6vldILEm8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Boston Celtics (@celtics) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/celtics\/status\/1992018445681181109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Nets players chimed in on a hotly debated internet trend as of late, pertaining to fashion: Quarter zip or Nike tech? It was a tight race decided by a single vote in the end. The team\u2019s leading scorer, Michael Porter Jr., opting for neither. Instead he shouted out Puma, the brand he rocks on the court.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">quarter-zip \ud83c\udd9a nike tech? <\/p>\n<p>yea\u2026we all knew what <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NoahClowney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@NoahClowney<\/a> was picking \ud83d\ude02 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/H6l4D2X8Ks\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/H6l4D2X8Ks<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrooklynNets\/status\/1991915112761094401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Cleveland\u2019s Keys \ud83d\udd11<\/p>\n<p>The Cavaliers believe big man Evan Mobley is the x-factor in tonight\u2019s NBA Cup contest. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has been tame as of late, scoring 20 or more points just once in his past five outings. Clevelands coaching staff believes getting him going early tonight could be the difference maker.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">CUP KEYS. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/keybank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@keybank<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/LetEmKnow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">#LetEmKnow<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3DMwS7R2Yd\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/3DMwS7R2Yd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cavs\/status\/1991944707526553927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">November 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>November 21, 2025 6:50 PM<\/p>\n<p>Top storylines to follow \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n<p>The chopping block: In tonight\u2019s NBA Cup action, some teams will have the chance to move one step closer to advancing to the next round, while others are on the verge of elimination. Those who fall in the middle will be competing to the final whistle, as point differential is used as the final tiebreaker for the current stage.<br \/>\nRaptors, Wolves looking for 3-0 start:\u00a0Toronto has looked the part of a true NBA Cup contender. The Raptors are looking to maintain their early season momentum with a win tonight, as all other teams in East Group A have at least one loss already. It\u2019s a similar case for Minnesota, also looking for a 3rd win tonight. Except, the Suns and Thunder are also unbeaten in West Group A. The Timberwolves will have to keep Phoenix at bay to maintain pole position.<br \/>\nRockets-Nuggets Showdown:\u00a0Behind only Oklahoma City, Denver and Houston are the top teams in the Western Conference standings. All three of the West\u2019s current top-three teams belong in West Group C, beside the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors. This group is deadlocked with all five teams entering the night 1-1 so far in Group Play.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LAS VEGAS, NV \u2013 DECEMBER 17: The NBA Cup logo before the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":306225,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[68666,158682,355,158681,158683,99],"class_list":["post-306224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-durant","tag-jokic","tag-nba","tag-nba-cup-clinching-scenarios","tag-rockets-nuggets","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=306224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/306225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=306224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=306224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}