Teams confirmed to advance to quarterfinals of ‘in-season tournament’ including Sacramento
Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert (No. 27)
The Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA) won the battle for the lead in the Western Conference and maintained their lead.
Minnesota defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 106-103 thanks to Rudy Gobert’s all-round performance in the 2023-2024 regular league held at the Target Center in Minneapolis, USA on the 29th (Korean time).
Gobert played a key role in the victory by scoring 17 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots.
Minnesota, which had been classified as a low-ranking team for many years, maintained its lead in the Western Conference with 13 wins and 4 losses.
Oklahoma City finished with 11 wins and 6 losses, falling to third place.
Minnesota faced bad news when starting member Anthony Edwards (21 points) left the court due to injury in the third quarter.
Minnesota, which was inferior in the first half, regained the lead thanks to the performance of Edwards, who scored 12 points in the third quarter alone.
However, Edwards injured his back after falling to the floor while attempting a dunk and left the court in pain.
Afterwards, Minnesota’s bench member Troy Brown Jr. (17 points) did an excellent job filling Edwards’ void.
Brown, who transferred from the LA Lakers, hit a 3-pointer with 1 minute and 39 seconds left in the game, and a layup 31.6 seconds before the end to make it 103-98, putting the win on the line.
Sacramento’s Malik Monk (right)
After the game on the 29th, the teams that advanced to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup ‘In-Season Tournament’ were also selected.
The Sacramento Kings of Western Conference Group C took the last step, defeating the Golden State Warriors 124-123 with Malik Monk’s 2-point shot 7.1 seconds before the end.
Sacramento, which won all four games in Group C, ranked first and advanced to the quarterfinals.
In Western Conference Group A, the LA Lakers (4 wins) and Phoenix Suns (3 wins, 1 loss, wild card), and in Group B, New Orleans Pelicans have already confirmed the quarterfinals.
The Milwaukee Bucks of the Eastern Conference defeated the Miami Heat 131-124, with Giannis Antetokounmpo (33 points) and Damian Lillard (32 points) combining for 65 points.
Milwaukee, which won all four games in Group B of the Eastern Conference, advanced to the quarterfinals in first place.
In the same Group B, the New York Knicks (3 wins, 1 loss), who defeated the Charlotte Hornets 115-91, joined the quarterfinals as a wild card.
In Group A, the Indiana Pacers (4 wins) have already confirmed the quarterfinals, while in Group C, the Boston Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls 124-97 to join the quarterfinals.
In Group C, the three teams were tied with 3 wins and 1 loss, but Boston, which was ahead in point difference, secured a ticket to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals will be held on December 6th and 7th. 슬롯사이트