The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament tipped off on Friday with seven games taking place.
Day 1 featured numerous NBA superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić beginning their quest to win the first-ever NBA Cup.
The Indiana Pacers will go down in history as the first-ever In-Season Tournament game victor after taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-116.
That kicked off a thrilling slate of dramatic contests, none better than the Golden State Warriors beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 141-139 win following Curry’s game-winner with two-tenths of a second left.
Here’s a look at how the entire slate went down alongside a pair of recaps for two notable games.
Indiana Pacers 121, Cleveland Cavaliers 116
Milwaukee Bucks 110, New York Knicks 105
Brooklyn Nets 109, Chicago Bulls 107
Miami Heat 121, Washington Wizards 114
Golden State Warriors 141, Oklahoma City Thunder 139
Denver Nuggets 125, Dallas Mavericks 114
Portland Trail Blazers 115, Memphis Grizzlies 113
Milwaukee Bucks 110, New York Knicks 105
The Milwaukee Bucks withstood a 45-point effort from New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson to win their first In-Season Tournament game 110-105 at home in Fiserv Forum.
Damian Lillard led the Bucks with 30 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 22 alongside eight rebounds and six assists.
Milwaukee led for most of the game and once held a 14-point lead, but the Knicks stormed back and took a 103-101 edge with 1:10 left after a Brunson three.
Lillard took over from there, however, with a three-pointer and a three-point play on consecutive possessions to give the Bucks a 107-103 lead.
Milwaukee Bucks @Bucks
CLOSING TIME. ⌚️ pic.twitter.com/YovzlhAZi3
NBA In-Season Tournament @NBA
YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS.
Back-to-back Dame buckets have the Bucks up 4 ‼️
🏆 NBA In-Season Tournament
🏀 East Group B action on ESPN pic.twitter.com/T9eqiWeTXQ
Brook Lopez then blocked two Julius Randle shots on the Knicks’ next possession to preserve that edge. Lopez finished the evening with eight blocks.
The difference in this game took place behind the three-point line. Both teams attempted 39 threes, but Milwaukee made twice as many (20 to 10).
New York enjoyed a strong night on the boards, grabbing 64 to Milwaukee’s 55. Three Knicks had 10 or more boards led by Mitchell Robinson’s 15.
Both teams will play their next In-Season Tournament game on Friday, Nov. 17. Milwaukee will visit the Charlotte Hornets, while the New York Knicks will visit the Washington Wizards.
Golden State Warriors 141, Oklahoma City Thunder 139
The 2023-24 NBA campaign is only two weeks old, but the Warriors and Thunder may have just played a contest that might be considered the regular season game of the year when all is said and done.
A lightning-paced, seesaw affair ended in favor of the Dubs after Curry’s clutch bucket with two-tenths of a second left to give the Warriors the victory.
NBA In-Season Tournament @NBA
STEPH WITH 0.2 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK 😱
WARRIORS WIN THEIR FIRST IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT GAME 🏆 pic.twitter.com/JQ8LJk5wj0
Golden State Warriors @warriors
CURRY DID IT AGAIN
W. pic.twitter.com/TRG6E59kP3
Initially, referees decreed that Draymond Green committed offensive goaltending. Upon further review, however, the officials reversed the decision and credited Curry with the big bucket.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic offered more insight:
Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater
Officially being credited as a Steph Curry game-winner. Sounds like they ruled that Josh Giddey grabbed the net before Draymond Green interference, meaning Curry basket counts. https://t.co/XflGoGr0Vh
Curry led the Warriors with 30 points alongside eight rebounds and seven assists. Five other players scored in double digits, including Dario Saric off the bench with 20 in 20 minutes. Chris Paul added 13 assists too.
Oklahoma City put forth an incredible effort despite missing reigning All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (left knee sprain). Lu Dort paced OKC with 29 points, while rookie sensation Chet Holmgren added 24 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
A pair of Holmgren free throws gave OKC a 138-137 lead with 33 seconds remaining, but Gary Payton II made an alley-oop layup in response. Dort then hit one-of-two free throws for the 139-all tie before Curry went to work.
Both teams will play their next In-Season Tournament games at home on Nov. 14. OKC will host the San Antonio Spurs, while the Warriors will welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to San Francisco.
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