NBA Scores: Cunningham’s 52, Spurs Win 11th Straight
The latest NBA scores from Friday night delivered a full slate of stories, from a career night in Detroit to a statement win in San Antonio, and from a comeback in Los Angeles to an overtime win in Chicago that ended a long losing run. Cade Cunningham scored a career-high 52 points with 11 assists and no turnovers as the Detroit Pistons beat the Washington Wizards 144-140 in double overtime, while the San Antonio Spurs won their 11th straight game, beating the Golden State Warriors 123-85 in a performance that underlined how strongly the Spurs have started this stretch of the season. Those two results alone would have made Friday a memorable night in the NBA, but they were part of a wider set of NBA Cup games and regular-season contests that produced close finishes, big individual performances, and results that shifted the early shape of the NBA standings.
The NBA scores from Friday, November 13, covered games in the NBA Cup as well as games that mattered for momentum and confidence, and the pattern across the night was one of teams finding ways to win in very different circumstances. Some wins came through a single player taking over, some came through depth and balance, and some came through a late rally that turned a deficit into a victory in the final minutes. Together, the results show a league in which the gap between winning and losing can be decided by a single play in the final minute, by a performance in overtime, or by a dominant opening quarter that sets the tone for everything that follows.
Cunningham’s night in Detroit is the headline performance, not only because of the 52 points, but also because of the way those points came with 11 assists and no turnovers in a double-overtime game. A career-high total is significant on its own, but a career-high that arrives with double-digit assists and without a single turnover, in a game that needed two extra periods to decide, is a performance that touches every part of a point guard’s job. The Pistons needed all of it to beat Washington 144-140, a scoreline that reflects just how much scoring the game produced and how long it took to separate the two teams. In a night of NBA scores that included several high-scoring games, the Detroit-Washington game stands out for its length, its total, and the individual brilliance that decided it.
NBA Scores: Cade Cunningham’s Career-High 52 in Double Overtime
The Detroit Pistons’ 144-140 win over the Washington Wizards in double overtime was decided by Cade Cunningham’s career-high 52 points, and by the control he showed alongside that scoring. Cunningham finished with 11 assists and no turnovers, a combination that is rare in any game and even rarer in a game that goes to two overtimes, when fatigue, pressure, and the need to make decisions with the ball all increase. The 52 points are the number that will be remembered first, because a career high is a clear marker in any player’s season, but the 11 assists show that Cunningham was creating for others as well as scoring for himself, and the absence of turnovers shows that he was protecting the ball while doing both.
A double-overtime game is a test of endurance as well as skill, because it asks players to keep producing after the regulation 48 minutes have already been played, and then to do it again after the first overtime has not settled the result. The Pistons and the Wizards both had to find a second and then a third wind in that game, and the fact that the final score reached 144-140 shows how much offense both teams were able to generate across the extended minutes. For Detroit, the win is the outcome that matters most, but the way it was achieved, through Cunningham’s career night, gives it a significance that goes beyond a single result in the NBA standings. It is the kind of performance that defines a player’s season and that gives a team a reference point for what its best player can do when a game demands everything from him.
The context for Cunningham’s performance is the wider set of NBA scores from Friday, where other stars also produced big numbers, but where no other player reached the total that Cunningham reached. His 52 points stand as the highest individual scoring total of the night, and the fact that it came in a win, rather than in a losing effort, makes it a complete performance rather than a statistical footnote. The Pistons’ ability to close out a double-overtime game at home, with their leading player producing at that level, is a result that will be remembered when the season’s early games are reviewed, and it is the performance that sets the tone for any roundup of Friday’s NBA action.
San Antonio Spurs Win 11th Straight Against Golden State Warriors
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors 123-85, winning their 11th straight game and remaining unbeaten in NBA Cup play, in a result that was decided early and never seriously in doubt after the opening quarter. Stephon Castle scored a season-high 32 points for San Antonio, while Victor Wembanyama had 12 points and 12 rebounds for his 121st career double-double in only 21 minutes, a line that shows how much impact Wembanyama can have even in limited playing time. The Spurs’ 11th straight win is the headline number for the team, because a winning streak of that length is a clear statement about form, consistency, and the ability to win in different ways against different opponents, and the fact that it came in the NBA Cup adds a competitive edge to the result.
Golden State was without Stephen Curry, sidelined at least two weeks with a right oblique tear suffered in Wednesday’s 115-108 loss in Houston, and the absence of Curry was felt from the start. The Warriors shot 5 for 25 in the opening quarter and trailed 38-14, a start that left them chasing the game for the rest of the night and that reflected both the Spurs’ early intensity and the difficulty of generating offense without their leading scorer. Draymond Green was issued a Flagrant Foul 1 for a forearm shove that sent Wembanyama tumbling out of bounds, exited and did not return in the first half, finishing with four points, a sequence that further disrupted Golden State’s night. L.J. Cryer, with 20 points, and Charles Bassey, with 11, were the Warriors’ only double-figure scorers, a fact that underlines how limited Golden State’s scoring options were on the night.
The Spurs’ performance, by contrast, was balanced and controlled, with Castle’s season-high 32 points leading the way and Wembanyama’s double-double providing the interior presence that has become a defining feature of San Antonio’s play. Wembanyama’s 121st career double-double, achieved in only 21 minutes, is a milestone that speaks to how consistently he produces in both scoring and rebounding, and to how efficiently he can do it when the game allows him to play shorter minutes in a comfortable win. The Spurs remain unbeaten in NBA Cup play, which means their winning streak is not only a regular-season story but also a tournament story, and their form in the Cup is now part of the wider conversation about which teams are best placed to progress in that competition. The 123-85 scoreline, a margin of 38 points, is the largest winning margin of the night, and it reflects a game in which San Antonio controlled the contest from the opening quarter to the final buzzer.
Chicago Bulls End Eight-Game Losing Skid in Overtime
The Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 125-117 in overtime, a win that snapped Chicago’s eight-game losing skid and that came in a game where both teams had a player record a triple-double. Norman Powell scored 33 points in his return to the lineup, after missing two games, including 15 in the fourth quarter and overtime, a return that gave the Bulls the scoring they needed at the most important moments of the game. Josh Giddey recorded a triple-double for Chicago, while Jalen Johnson had a triple-double for Atlanta with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, which means the game featured two triple-doubles on opposite sides, a rare occurrence that adds to the significance of the result. Jalen Smith had 15 points and 12 rebounds before leaving with an apparent left-hand injury early in overtime, a moment that removed a contributor from Atlanta’s frontcourt at a critical stage.
The win is important for Chicago because an eight-game losing skid is a run that tests a team’s confidence, its rotation, and its ability to keep competing when results are not going its way, and ending it in overtime, with a returning player leading the scoring, is a positive way to break that pattern. Powell’s 33 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter and overtime, show how much of an impact a returning player can have when he is able to produce in the closing stages, and Giddey’s triple-double shows that the Bulls had contributions across scoring, rebounding, and playmaking. The fact that both teams are 1-1 in East Group C of the NBA Cup means the result also matters in the tournament standings, where a win in overtime can be the difference between staying in contention and falling behind in the group.
Rookie Caleb Wilson is out after surgery on a fractured right hand suffered in Wednesday’s home loss to San Antonio, a piece of news that sits alongside the Bulls’ win and that shows the injury challenges Chicago is managing even as it ends its losing run. Wilson’s absence is a reminder that a single win does not erase the other issues a team is dealing with, and that the Bulls’ season will continue to be shaped by who is available as well as by who is producing on a given night. For Atlanta, Johnson’s triple-double and Smith’s double-double before his injury show that the Hawks had strong individual performances, but the overtime loss means those performances did not translate into a win, and the Hawks, like the Bulls, remain at 1-1 in their NBA Cup group.
Los Angeles Clippers Stun Oklahoma City Thunder in Final Minutes
The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-112, a one-point win that was decided in the final minute and that featured a comeback from a deficit in the closing stages. Darius Garland completed a go-ahead three-point play with 50.4 seconds left and finished with 24 points, a play that turned the game in the Clippers’ favour at the moment when it mattered most. Brook Lopez scored a team-high 26 points for Los Angeles, while Derrick Jones Jr. and rookie Keaton Wagler added 14 each, giving the Clippers a spread of scoring that supported Garland’s late heroics. The Clippers erased a 112-106 deficit over the final 2:43 and won for the second time in three games after a 1-7 start, a run that suggests the team is beginning to find its rhythm after a difficult opening to the season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points for Oklahoma City but his buzzer jumper missed, a final attempt that could have won the game for the Thunder and that instead left the Clippers with a one-point victory. Jared McCain added 23 points for Oklahoma City, giving the Thunder a second scorer to support Gilgeous-Alexander’s 40, but the Thunder lost their third straight game, a run that contrasts with the Clippers’ recent improvement. Oklahoma City were short-handed, with Chet Holmgren sidelined by a knee injury, Jalen Williams sidelined by a leg injury, and Cason Wallace sidelined by a shoulder injury, all of whom have not played since the October 25 home win over the Clippers. Jaylin Williams, with a back injury, missed his sixth straight game, and Ajay Mitchell, with an ankle injury, missed his second, which means the Thunder were without a significant group of players for a game they led late and then lost.
Aday Mara started alongside Isaiah Hartenstein and had 10 points and three blocks for Oklahoma City, a contribution that shows how the Thunder had to adjust their lineup to cover for the absences, and how a starting opportunity can produce a solid performance even in a losing effort. Both teams are 1-1 in NBA Cup play, which means the result matters in the tournament as well as in the regular-season standings, and the Clippers’ win, achieved by erasing a six-point deficit in the final 2:43, is the kind of comeback that can change the mood around a team that started the season 1-7. For the Thunder, the third straight loss, despite a 40-point night from Gilgeous-Alexander, is a reminder that individual brilliance does not always translate into a win when a team is short-handed and when the final minutes go against it.
NBA Trade Rumors and Team News Around Friday’s Games
The NBA scores from Friday also carried news beyond the box scores, including the kind of team news that feeds into the wider conversation around NBA trade rumors and roster movement. In New Orleans, Dejounte Murray sat out with a left ankle sprain after requesting a trade earlier in the day, a development that connects a player’s absence from a game to a request that could shape the Pelicans’ plans in the weeks ahead. Murray’s situation is a reminder that the NBA season is not only about the games that are played, but also about the decisions players and teams make about their futures, and that a trade request can become part of the story of a single night even when the player involved does not take the court. The Pelicans’ game against Memphis, which they lost 142-111, has to be read in that context, because the absence of a player who has asked to be traded is a different kind of absence from an injury absence, and it raises questions about what happens next for both the player and the team.
The Memphis Grizzlies’ 142-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans was a dominant performance in which Jerami Grant scored a season-high 22 points off the bench to lead 10 Grizzlies in double figures, a depth of scoring that shows how many players contributed to the result. Ty Jerome had 17 points and nine assists for Memphis, while GG Jackson, Cam Spencer, and Cedric Coward scored 14 each, and Cameron Boozer added 12 points and nine rebounds, which means the Grizzlies had scoring and rebounding from across their rotation. Memphis is 1-1 in West Group B and unbeaten in six road games, a combination that shows the team is performing well away from home and is in contention in its NBA Cup group. For New Orleans, Saddiq Bey had season highs of 30 points, six three-pointers, and 10 rebounds, while Derik Queen finished with 10 points, but the Pelicans lost their fifth straight game and have allowed 138 points or more in four straight games, a defensive run that explains why the scoreline was so one-sided. The Pelicans fell to 0-2 in the NBA Cup, which means their tournament position is now difficult, and the combination of a losing streak, a trade request, and a defensive record that has seen them concede heavily in four straight games makes their situation one of the most challenging in the league on Friday night.
Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns Win
The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 123-112, a win in which Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points and added eight assists, Joel Embiid scored 20 points, and Anfernee Simons scored 17 points off the bench. The Sixers improved to 10-3 with the win, a record that places them among the strongest teams in the early season and that reflects the balance of their scoring, with Maxey leading the way, Embiid contributing in the starting lineup, and Simons providing points from the bench. The 123-112 scoreline shows a game in which Philadelphia was able to outscore Toronto over the course of the night, and the 10-3 record is a marker of consistency that will be watched as the season progresses and as the NBA standings take shape.
The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks 133-94, a 39-point win in which LaMelo Ball scored 22 points with six three-pointers and nine assists, and Bones Hyland scored 24 points off the bench. Ball’s combination of scoring, three-point shooting, and playmaking, with six three-pointers and nine assists alongside his 22 points, shows the kind of all-around contribution that can define a game, while Hyland’s 24 points off the bench show the depth that Minnesota was able to call on. The margin of victory, 39 points, is one of the largest of the night, second only to the Spurs’ 38-point win in terms of the scale of the result, and it reflects a game in which Minnesota controlled the contest and Dallas was unable to stay close. The Timberwolves’ win is part of the wider set of NBA scores from Friday that included several one-sided results alongside the close finishes in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Detroit.
The Phoenix Suns beat the Charlotte Hornets 101-96, a five-point win in which Devin Booker scored 30 points and added seven assists. Booker’s 30 points were the leading total in a game that was much closer than the Timberwolves’ win or the Spurs’ win, and his seven assists show that he was creating for his teammates as well as scoring for himself. The Suns’ 101-96 win is a result that matters for their position in the standings, and it is another example from Friday of a game decided by a star guard producing a 30-point night and leading his team to a narrow victory. The contrast between the Suns’ close win and the one-sided wins elsewhere on the night shows the range of results that Friday produced, from a five-point margin in Phoenix to a 39-point margin in Minnesota.
Portland, Indiana and the Rest of Friday’s NBA Scores
The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Sacramento Kings, with Toumani Camara scoring 19 points including five three-pointers, a performance that gave Portland a win built on efficient three-point shooting from a player who made five shots from beyond the arc. Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr. led all scorers with 33 points, a total that shows the rookie was able to produce at a high level even in a losing effort, and that his scoring was the standout individual performance for Sacramento on the night. The contrast between Camara’s 19 points, including five three-pointers, and Acuff’s 33 points as the game’s leading scorer is a reminder that a team can win even when the opposing team has the highest scorer, if the winning team’s contributions are spread more evenly or if its defense is able to limit the rest of the opposition.
The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks, with Aaron Nesmith scoring 18 points but leaving late with an apparent left hand or wrist injury, a moment that tempers the win with concern about a player who had contributed to the result. Nesmith’s 18 points were part of Indiana’s win, but his late exit with an injury is the kind of detail that will be watched in the days that follow, because a hand or wrist injury can affect a player’s ability to shoot, to handle the ball, and to defend. The Pacers’ win over the Knicks is therefore a result that comes with a question mark, and the status of Nesmith will be part of the story when Indiana next takes the court.
Taken together, Friday’s NBA scores tell a story about a night in which the league produced a career-high performance, a long winning streak, a comeback, an overtime win that ended a losing skid, and a series of other results that each carried their own significance. The NBA Cup context adds another layer, because several of the games were played as part of that competition, and the group standings in East Group C and West Group B were affected by the results in Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Memphis, and New Orleans. The Spurs remain unbeaten in the Cup, the Bulls and the Hawks are both 1-1 in East Group C, the Clippers and the Thunder are both 1-1, Memphis is 1-1 in West Group B, and New Orleans is 0-2, which means the tournament picture is still taking shape but is already being influenced by Friday’s outcomes.
What Happens Next After Friday’s NBA Scores
What happens next for the teams involved in Friday’s games will depend on how they build on their results, how they manage the injuries that were reported, and how they approach their next games in both the regular season and the NBA Cup. For Detroit, the question is whether Cunningham can build on a career-high 52-point night and whether the Pistons can use a double-overtime win as a springboard. For San Antonio, the question is whether an 11-game winning streak can be extended and whether the Spurs can remain unbeaten in the NBA Cup. For Chicago, the question is whether ending an eight-game losing skid in overtime can be the start of a better run, and for the Clippers, the question is whether a comeback win over Oklahoma City can confirm that their recent improvement after a 1-7 start is real.
For Golden State, what happens next will be shaped by the absence of Stephen Curry, sidelined at least two weeks with a right oblique tear, and by the need to find scoring from other players while he is out. For Oklahoma City, what happens next will be shaped by the return of the players who have not played since October 25, and by the need to end a three-game losing streak. For New Orleans, what happens next will be shaped by the trade request from Dejounte Murray, by the ankle sprain that kept him out on Friday, and by a five-game losing streak in which the team has allowed 138 points or more in four straight games. For Philadelphia, Minnesota, Phoenix, Portland, and Indiana, what happens next is the chance to build on wins that improved their records and their confidence, and to carry the momentum from Friday into the games that follow.
The NBA scores from Friday, November 13, are therefore more than a list of final totals. They are a snapshot of a league in which a career-high night, a long winning streak, a late comeback, and an overtime win can all happen on the same evening, and in which the NBA Cup is adding a competitive edge to games that already matter for the regular-season standings. The teams that won on Friday will look to the next game with the confidence that comes from a result, while the teams that lost will look to the next game with the need to respond, and the next set of NBA scores will show which of those responses was the stronger one.
Source: AP