The Indiana Pacers made this one interesting, climbing back to within 10 points in the final quarter, but a final surge of offense from Cleveland put this one to bed. Four Cavaliers topped 20 points tonight, while Indiana’s Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard scored a collective 79 points. Mitchell 3. Mobley 3. Hunter 3.

Back in 2023, the NBA decided to spice up the first half of its regular season with the In-Season Tournament, now known as the NBA Cup, which puts prize money and bragging rights on the line for all 30 teams, months before the NBA Playoffs arrive.

Minnesota had the game in the bag until two turnovers and a pair of missed free throws killed them in Phoenix.

The Timberwolves are 4-2 in the last six games and 6-2 since Anthony Edwards return. While the record is impressive, Minnesota has beaten Washington, Dallas, Sacramento twice, and Utah twice with losses to Denver and New York. Minnesota actually hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record yet and can with a road game at Phoenix next.

Two Eastern Conference contenders go head-to-head on Saturday when the New York Knicks travel south to face the Orlando Magic. Orlando has been excellent at home this season, and my Knicks vs Magic predictions expect a win for the home underdog.

If Portland wins, Denver has to run up the score on the Spurs on Friday to advance as the top second-place team. The Nuggets currently have a better point differential than the Clippers and Suns, but they trail the Wolves and Thunder in the tiebreaker.

While there are no big-name deals even close to happening, there is still simmering trade talk around the league.

DraftKings offers $200 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins, plus 3 months of free NBA League Pass for college football betting on Saturday

Trade rumors continue to swirl around Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant as he struggles through a disappointing 2025-26 season thus far.

The Denver Nuggets managed to overcome the loss of Aaron Gordon in the first half and beat the Houston Rockets on the road at the Toyota Center on Friday in an NBA Cup game.