Spurs Defeat Rockets 121-110 in NBA Cup Opener
San Antonio's Harrison Barnes led the Spurs with 24 points, while Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama each scored 22, securing a 121-110 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night. This game marked the NBA Cup opener for both teams.
Kevin Durant contributed 24 points and Alperen Sengun added 22 for Houston, whose five-game winning streak came to an end. Barnes sealed the win by scoring the last four points, including a breakaway dunk following a midcourt steal with 12 seconds left.
- Julian Champagnie scored nine points in the fourth quarter and made six three-pointers out of 13 attempts.
- Champagnie also grabbed a contested offensive rebound and recovered a loose ball with the Spurs leading 115-108.
Cavaliers Bounce Back Against Wizards
Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and Darius Garland added 20 points along with nine assists as Cleveland dominated Washington, improving their NBA Cup record to 1-1.
The Cavaliers narrowly missed matching their franchise record for most points in a regulation game, set last December in a 149-135 win at Denver. Their all-time highest scoring game remains the 154-153 victory over the Lakers in a quadruple overtime back in January.
"The Cavaliers also had 148 points at home in a December 1991 victory over Miami."
Summary: Strong performances from Barnes and Mitchell propelled Spurs and Cavaliers to wins, highlighting key moments and near-record scoring feats in the NBA Cup.