PHOENIX (AP) — Collin Gillespie made a go-ahead jumper with 6.4 seconds left and the Phoenix Suns stunned the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-113 on Friday night with a final-minute rally.
Minnesota appeared to have comfortable 111-104 lead with 1:13 left, but Phoenix rallied to cut it to 113-112 on Jordan Goodwin’s layup with 21.4 seconds remaining.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards — who had 41 points — missed two free throws with 12.7 seconds to go, giving the Suns a chance at the win.
Gillespie obliged, driving into the lane and hitting a contested 10-foot jumper for the lead and the last of his 20 points.
Minnesota scrambled for the final shot, but Julius Randle’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.
The Timberwolves erased a 15-point halftime deficit less than five minutes into the third quarter after Edwards made a driving layup for a 69-68 advantage. Edwards — a three-time All-Star — had 19 points in the third on 7-of-9 shooting and Minnesota led 82-81 entering the fourth.
It was a tough night for Suns star Devin Booker, who finished with just 16 points on 4-of-18 shooting and nine turnovers before fouling out. Turnovers have been a problem for the four-time All-Star — he came into the game with a league-high 57.
CAVALIERS 120, PACERS 109
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, Darius Garland had 20 in his return to Cleveland’s lineup and the Cavaliers pulled away in the second half for a victory over Indiana in an NBA Cup game.
It was the first meeting between the teams since the Pacers eliminated the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals.
Evan Mobley added 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who improved to 2-1 in East Group A.
Andrew Nembhard had a career-high 32 points for injury-plagued Indiana, which fell to 0-2 in group play. Pascal Siakham added 26 points and nine rebounds and Bennedict Mathurin scored 21 points.
The NBA finalists from a year ago are 2-14 and missing six players. Indiana has dropped nine of its last 10.
RAPTORS 140, WIZARDS 110
TORONTO (AP) — Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett each scored 24 points, Scottie Barnes had 23 and Toronto became the first team to reach the NBA Cup quarterfinals by beating Washington.
Toronto secured first place in Group A with the victory and Indiana’s loss at Cleveland.
Sandro Mamukelashvili scored a season-high 23 points and Immanuel Quickley added 17 as Toronto improved to 3-0 in NBA Cup play and extended its winning streak to six games.
CJ McCollum scored 20 points, Tre Johnson had 14 and Cam Whitmore added 11 for the woeful Wizards (1-14), who lost their 13th straight and fell to 0-10 against Eastern Conference opponents.
Jamal Shead had a season-high 10 assists for the Raptors. Toronto has won 10 of 11 since a four-game skid that followed a season-opening win at Atlanta.
NETS 113, CELTICS 105
BOSTON (AP) — Nic Claxton had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for his first NBA triple-double and Brooklyn beat Boston for its first victory in the NBA Cup in-season tournament.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 33 points, and Noah Clowney had 19 to help Brooklyn snap a nine-game losing streak against Boston. The Nets improved to 3-12 overall and 1-2 in NBA Cup play.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 26 points but was limited to 32 minutes because of trouble. Neemias Queta had 16 points and 12 rebounds as Boston dropped to 8-8 overall and 1-2 in the tournament.
The Celtics’ comeback bid was dealt a tough blow when Brown picked up his fifth foul with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla challenged, but the call on the floor was upheld.
Brooklyn led 71-68 when Boston’s leading scorer took a seat. Brown’s absence was felt as the visitors regained the momentum behind a 17-4 run that helped Brooklyn widen its lead to 92-77 entering the fourth.
HEAT 143, BULLS 107
CHICAGO (AP) — Kel’el Ware had 20 points and 14 rebounds, Norman Powell scored 19 points and Miami rolled past Chicago.
Bam Adebayo scored 18 points, while Pelle Larsson and Davion Mitchell each scored 16 for Miami, which topped the 140-point mark for the fourth time this season — matching its total of such games from the last seven seasons combined.
Miami — which ended the game averaging an NBA-best 124.8 points per game this season — led by 41 in the closing minutes. That was the second-biggest Heat lead of the season and the biggest Bulls deficit (the previous was 25 against New York on Nov. 2).
Ayo Dosunmu scored 23 points for Chicago, which got 19 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists from Josh Giddey. Jalen Smith scored 14 for the Bulls.
The Heat moved to 2-1 in NBA Cup games, a half-game behind Milwaukee (2-0) for the East Group C lead. Chicago (1-2 in Cup games) fell to fourth in the group, a half-game behind New York and a half-game ahead of Charlotte.
MAVERICKS 118, PELICANS 115
DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg scored a career-high 29 points, Naji Marshall hit the go-ahead 3-pointer against his former team with 30.7 seconds left and Dallas beat New Orleans in NBA Cup play.
The 3-pointer by Marshall, who played four seasons with New Orleans before signing with Dallas in July 2024, put the Mavericks ahead 116-115.
The Pelicans missed three 3-pointers in the closing seconds, the last attempt from rookie center Derik Queen with four seconds left after Dallas’ Max Christie made two free throws with 10.9 seconds to go. The Mavericks’ P.J. Washington Jr. grabbed the rebound amid a crowd on the baseline, and the teams scuffled after the final buzzer.
Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick last summer, was 12 of 19 from the field and had seven rebounds and five assists after sitting out an NBA game for the first time Wednesday night.
Washington had 24 points, tying a season high with five 3-pointers, and Christie scored 23, tying a career best with five 3s. The Mavericks are 5-12 overall. They have won two of their last three home games after beginning the season 2-7 at American Airlines Center.
Dallas is 1-2 in NBA Cup play. New Orleans is 0-3.
The Associated Press
