Celtics Sting 76ers at Home as Brown Shines and Doncic Drops 44 in Return

Game night in the NBA Cup delivered a dramatic finish

Jalen Brown scored 32 points to power the Boston Celtics to a 109-108 win over the host Philadelphia 76ers, handing Philadelphia its first home loss in the NBA Cup opener. The Celtics vaulted to three wins against three losses on the season, vindicating themselves after a season-opening setback to Philadelphia in Boston, a narrow 117-116 verdict that they quietly avenged on the road.

Brown’s performance anchored Boston’s late push, as he carried the offense and steadied the team through a stretch of careless mistakes. He called the win a testament to resolve and persistence, noting that the Celtics fought until the final horn and found a way to close it out despite some shaky moments down the stretch.

Philadelphia countered with a strong showing from Tyrese Maxey, who tallied 26 points along with 14 assists and eight rebounds. Maxey and Joel Embiid combined to trim a late deficit, moving within 106-108 with 51 seconds remaining, and Maxey followed Brown’s key free throws with a late basket to keep the game in reach.

Brown added the decisive free throw with 32.9 seconds left, and Maxey answered with a basket with 20.8 seconds remaining to pull within a point. A late turnover by Brown with 11.6 seconds left gave Philadelphia a final hope, but they could not convert a closer shot as Embiid’s attempt from beyond the arc missed at the buzzer.

Other notable performances and late-night developments

In another marquee matchup, the Chicago Bulls surged past the New York Knicks 135-125, capitalizing on Philadelphia’s loss to move within striking distance of the top of the Eastern Conference. Chicago’s Australian guard Josh Giddey led the way with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, while veteran center Nikola Vucevic added 26 points to stabilize the offense late in the game. For New York, multiple players topped 20 points, with Jalen Brunson leading the visitors in scoring with 29.

Meanwhile, Luka Doncic returned in style for the Los Angeles Lakers with a dominant 44-point night, paired with 12 rebounds and 6 assists, lifting his team to a 117-112 win at Memphis. Teammate Austin Reaves, who scored 21, spoke afterward about Doncic’s impact, emphasizing that the star can carry the team when it matters most.

In another top-line note, Nikola Jokic logged 21 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists as the Nuggets’ triple-double streak ended in a loss, while Devin Booker paced the Suns with 36 points in a 118-96 victory over the Jazz. The Hawks pulled away late at Indiana, improving to 3-3 behind 22 points and 13 boards from Ja Morant’s supporting cast, and Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett both chipped in 20-plus for the Raptors against the Cavaliers, sealing a 112-101 Toronto win.

In the NBA Cup format, all 30 teams were split into three groups of five, with each team playing four games to determine standings through November 28. The eight group winners and best runner-up from the East and West would advance to the quarterfinals, scheduled for December 9-10, with the semifinals set for December 13 in Las Vegas and the final on December 16.

Tech note: the night’s action confirmed again that the NBA Cup adds a new layer of drama to an already star-studded schedule, keeping fans glued to scorelines that swing like a pendulum in a high-stakes arcade. If you blinked, you might have missed a key moment—thankfully, popcorn is reliably forgiving.