LOS ANGELES: De’Andre Hunter scored 23 points off the bench as the Atlanta Hawks beat league-leading Cleveland again on Friday to advance in the NBA Cup. The Hawks, who handed the Cavs their first home defeat of the season on Wednesday, came out on top at home, parlaying a 52-50 halftime lead into a 117-101 triumph.

It was enough to put Atlanta into the NBA Cup knockout rounds as winner of their group after the Boston Celtics beat the Bulls 138-129 in Chicago. Trae Young scored 21 points and handed out 11 assists and Jalen Johnson chipped in 20 points for Atlanta, who had six players score in double figures.

Darius Garland scored 29 points for Cleveland and Evan Mobley added 24 points for the Cavs, who opened the season on a 15-0 tear and at 17-3 still boast the best record in the league. The Hawks held Cavs star Donovan Mitchell to 12 points and out-scored Cleveland 39-23 in the third quarter to take control for good in the contest that was one of 10 NBA Cup group stage games scheduled on the Thanksgiving holiday Friday.

“They outplayed us,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said after the Cavaliers were held to their lowest point total of the season. “Sometimes you just have to call it like you see it.” The Los Angeles Lakers, who won the inaugural edition of the Cup last season, were essentially eliminated from the in-season tournament after falling 101-93 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter for Oklahoma City, draining a three-pointer that put the Thunder up 95-91 with 1:35 remaining. Gilgeous-Alexander added a pair of free throws and Jalen Williams came up with a steal and a dunk as the Thunder kept the Lakers at bay.

Dalton Knecht was the Lakers’ top scorer with 20 points. Anthony Davis added 15 and LeBron James scored 12 points but produced five of the Lakers’ 17 turnovers. The NBA champion Celtics, meanwhile, maintained their wildcard hopes with their win over the Bulls—who came into their game fighting the Hawks for group supremacy.

Jayson Tatum scored 35 points and pulled down 14 rebounds and reserve Payton Pritchard scored 19 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to help Boston pull away in a see-saw battle that featured 14 lead changes. Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis scored 21 points apiece for the Celtics while Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 32 points and 11 rebounds.

Knicks sting Hornets

The New York Knicks, buoyed by Jalen Brunson’s fourth-quarter heroics, improved to 3-0 in Cup play with a 99-98 victory over the Hornets in Charlotte. The Hornets challenged despite missing five of their top six scorers, with LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Tre Mann, Grant Williams, Mark Williams and Nick Richards all sidelined.

“Outside looking in, you’re thinking they’ve got some key guys out, so this is supposed to be an easy game. That’s not how the NBA works,” New York’s Josh Hart told reporters after the game. Brunson scored 11 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, draining a pair of free-throws with 8.6 seconds left that pushed New York’s lead to four points.

The win left the Knicks tied atop their group with Orlando, who beat the Brooklyn Nets 123-100. The Knicks and Magic will face off for the group crown on Tuesday. Franz Wagner scored 29 points with eight rebounds and eight assists to fuel the Magic in their fifth straight win.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 19 points for Orlando, who had little trouble with a Nets team missing top-scorer Dennis Schroder—who was absent for personal reasons—and injured playmaker Cam Thomas.

Elsewhere, the Minnesota Timberwolves halted their four-game losing streak with a 93-92 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony Edwards connected on just seven of 21 shots from the field but led the Timberwolves with 21 points. “I had a terrible game tonight,” said Edwards, adding that Minnesota’s defense carried the day. “Defensively I think we dominated the game,” he said. — AFP