NBA Cup 2026: Knicks drop to last place in group play with loss to shorthanded Pacers; Spurs dominate Warriors

The 2025-26 season was a dream for the New York Knicks, from the NBA Cup to the NBA Finals. This season is shaping up differently.

The defending Cup champions fell to 0-2 in group play on Friday with a 106-104 loss to the Indiana Pacers, who are missing Tyrese Haliburton due to a left hamstring strain. That puts New York in the bottom of the East Group B standings and all but eliminates them from the in-season tournament.

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No team with two losses in group play has reached the knockout rounds in the NBA Cup since its introduction in 2023.

Beyond the NBA Cup, the loss dropped the Knicks to 6-6 in the regular season, continuing a slow start for a team that brought back nearly every contributor from last year’s champion.

The game was nearly another epic comeback for the Knicks, who were down by 14 late in the third quarter but had the game tied early in the fourth. The Pacers responded with a 13-2 run to reassert control and held off one last Knicks push in the final minute.

New York cut an eight-point lead to two in the final two minutes and had a chance to steal the win when an inbounds pass went wrong for the Pacers (not helped by a missed foul call by the refs), but Karl-Anthony Towns’ would-be game-tying shot clanked away.

Every Pacers starter scored in double figures, with Pascal Siakam leading the team with 19 points. That plus-29 bench points was enough to counter a 33-point, 11-assist night by Jalen Brunson.

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Spurs dominate Warriors after scoring first 18 points

Let’s just say the second marquee game of the night did not come down to the final possession.

A clash of Western Conference contenders saw the San Antonio Spurs score the first 18 points of the game against the Golden State Warriors, who are playing without Stephen Curry.

It honestly didn’t get much better from there. The Spurs were up 63-33 at halftime and led by as much as 43 during a 123-85 blowout. That game-opening run broke a Spurs franchise record.

Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting, while Victor Wembanyama contributed 12 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. The win gives the Spurs a…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-cup-2026-knicks-drop-to-last-place-in-group-play-with-loss-to-shorthanded-pacers-spurs-dominate-warriors-050242776.html

Author : Jack Baer

Publish date : 2026-11-14 02:42:00

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