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I wanted to wish everyone who celebrates a happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the food and free time when you can take a break. Speaking of a break: We won’t be sending out the newsletter on Thursdays and Fridays because we’re taking a short holiday break. But we’ll be right back at it on Monday! Devour, devour!

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NBA Cup date!

The Lakers finally lost in the NBA Cup!

The NBA Cup has long been a place of safety for the Lakers. (By “a long time ago” I mean that they went undefeated in winning the In-Season Tournament championship last season and started group play this year 2-0.) Last night they faced the Suns, who have gone through their own struggle. After a 9-2 start, Phoenix lost its next five games as it tried to make do without Kevin Durant (calf) and Bradley Beal (also a calf injury). The Suns got both KD and Beal back on the court last night to hand the Lakers their first-ever NBA Cup loss, and that’s exactly what happened.

Not only did the Suns hand the Lakers their first tournament loss of the season, they also obliterated LA and reminded everyone what time it was before the Durant injury. Phoenix won 127-100 thanks to a strong second half and outscored the Lakers 65-40 in the final two quarters. They turned a competitive, entertaining fight into a laugh. KD and Beal each had 23 points on a combined 19 of 32 shooting from the field, and Devin Booker led them all with 26 points and 10 assists. Now the Suns have taken a leadership position in their group.

Wait, do you know what it sounds like? Time for an NBA Cup date!

West group B:

We know the Suns beat the Lakers. Guess what? The Spurs defeated the Jazz 128-115, getting 34 points, seven rebounds, six made 3-pointers and three blocks from Victor Wembanyama. That means we have a little clarity and a lot of confusion for this group.

• Group leader: Suns (2-1, plus-19) | Wins over UTA, LAL | Lost to OKC
• In the mix: Lakers (2-1, minus-16) | Wins over SAS, UTA | Loss for PHO
• In the mix: Spurs (2-1, plus-14) | Wins over OKC, UTA | Defeat against LAL
• In the mix: Thunder (1-1, plus-10) | Win over PHO | Loss for SAS
• Eliminated: Jazz (0-3, minus-27)
• Important game(s) on Friday? Thunder at the Lakers

West Group A:

The Rockets went to overtime with the Timberwolves but ultimately won 117-111, with Fred VanVleet leading the way with 27 points and 11 assists. They also got 22 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocks from Alperen Şengün, overcoming 29 points from Anthony Edwards. This means the group has decided on Houston.

• Winner: Rockets (3-0, plus-49) | Wins over LAC, POR, MIN
• Wildcard Hunt: Clippers (1-1, minus-5) | Win SAC | Lost to HOU
• Wildcard Hunt: Trail Blazers (1-1, minus-14) | Win MIN | Lost to HOU
• Effectively out: Timberwolves (1-2, minus-14) | Win SAC | Defeat against POR, HOU
• Effectively out: Kings (0-2, minus-16) | Defeat against MIN, LAC
• Important game(s) on Friday? Clippers at Wolves, Kings at Blazers

West group C:

There are still only two teams active in this group, which is starting to feel like a high school friends group chat with basically just two people populating the thing with weekly texts and keeping it active. The Mavericks have a good chance of getting into the wild card due to their points difference.

• Winner: Warriors (3-0, plus-12) | Wins over DAL, MEM, NOP
• Wildcard Hunt: Mavericks (2-1, plus-41) | Wins over NOP, DEN | Defeat against GSW
• Effectively out: Nuggets (1-2, plus-2), win over MEM | Defeat against DAL, NOP
• Effectively out: Grizzlies (0-2, minus-17) | Defeat against DEN, GSW
• Officially eliminated: Pelicans (1-2, minus-38) | Win THE | Defeat against GSW, DAL
• Important game(s) on Friday? Pelicans at Grizzlies

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The last 24

No. 1 Kansas beats Cooper Flagg, No. 11 Duke

🏀 Duke loses again. The Blue Devils received a good game from Cooper Flagg and a poor shooting night from Kon Knueppel and lost to top-ranked Kansas. Big sputum in there.

🏀 Khris Middleton is almost back. He recently completed a five-on-five workout at Bucks practice and will hopefully be back soon. Eric Nehm has the information you need.

👀 Greetings from Kevin Harlan. If you thought I wouldn’t include the GOAT announcer yelling at me on TNT, then you’re completely mistaken. Listen!

🤝 Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers had a meeting that helped their hot start. Sam Amick had the details.

📺 Don’t miss this game tonight. Knicks (10-7) at Mavericks (10-8), 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. It’s not the same without Luka Dončić, but it should still be a great game.

📺 National television is bringing it. Thunder (13-4) at Warriors (12-5), 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. Fight for the tip of the west here.

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Chef Reactions – Questions and Answers!

The internet legend invents some answers

If you’ve been on Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok in the last few years, you’ve probably seen my Chef Reactions roast a terrible cooking recipe. He has around six million followers across all platforms. He is one of the funniest and fastest people on social media. And while he sometimes celebrates great cooking and baking efforts, this culinary guru is at his best when looking at a whimsical recipe that will make anyone’s kitchen endeavors look like a wizard’s game.

With Thanksgiving coming up tomorrow, James Jackson and I asked the Croatian internet sensation four NBA and food questions.

We have Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell, Nikola “Big Honey” Jokić and Channing “Buffet of Goodness” Frye. What is the best food nickname and why?

Chef: All fantastic options. HOWEVER… my choice is my favorite player from my childhood: “The Waiter” Toni Kukoč. As a child from a Croatian family, he was my lanky Eastern European idol. Rainbow 3s. Serve helps. The damn waiter, buddy. Plus, I’ve worked in restaurants, so I’m doubly biased.

Which three NBA players do you think would be the best chefs?

Chef: “Chef” Steph Curry is the obvious choice here, so he’s automatically in the mix. I remember seeing a post about Kawhi Leonard cooking something, so I’m going to use him as a sous chef. You need someone who is stoic and will just put their head down and get sex done in the kitchen. Last but not least, I’m going with Dennis Rodman to neutralize Kawhi’s energy and be the cannon of the kitchen. It’s about balance.

They prepare the perfect holiday meal for a team. What are the worst dishes that would ruin it?

Chef: When it comes to the holidays, you have to stick to the classics and avoid any wild experiments. I feel like these guys spend so much time on the road, eating at restaurants, in hotels, on the bus/plane, that they would want and appreciate some sense of normalcy and familiarity when it comes to special holiday meals. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Also: Brussels sprouts, because they make people fart.

What Thanksgiving dishes are you most afraid of reacting to?

Chef: Nothing surprises me anymore. I made a video today where someone stuffed a whole turkey with Velveeta and then baked it for ONE HOUR.

@chefreactions Be thankful you don’t have to eat this #chef #chefreactions #fyp #thanksgiving ♬ Original sound – Chef Reactions

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More Cupdate!

What you need to know for Friday

East group A:

This group didn’t do anything last night, but we have a pretty important Friday ahead of us. The Magic are clearly at the top due to their huge point difference. This group will likely gather for the Knicks-Magic game on Tuesday, December 3rd.

• Group leader: Magic (2-0, plus-37) | Defeats CHO, PHI
• Right there: Knicks (2-0, plus 14) | Defeats PHI, BRK
• Effectively out: 76ers (1-2, minus-9) | Win BRK | Lost to ORL, NYK
• Effectively out: Nets (1-2, minus-16) | Win over CHO | Defeat against NYK, PHI
• Effectively out: Hornets (0-2, minus-26) | Defeat against ORL, BRK
• Important game(s) on Friday? Knicks at Hornets, Magic at Nets

East group B:

The Bucks (without Giannis Antetokounmpo) went to Miami and defeated the Heat with a 106-103 win. Damian Lillard finally came out of his 3-point loss by scoring 37 points and making 8 of 13 shots from long range. The Bucks can now win the group with a win over Detroit on Tuesday. The Pistons could still win and shock the group by winning it.

• Group leader: Bucks (3-0, plus-29) | Wins over IND, TOR, MIA
• Right there: Pistons (2-0, plus-4) | Wins over MIA, TOR
• Effectively out: Heat (1-2, plus-10) | Win over IND | Loss to DET, MIL
• Effectively out: Pacers (0-2, minus-25) | Defeat to MIA, MIL
• Officially eliminated: Raptors (0-2, minus-18) | Defeat to MIL, DET
• Important game(s) on Friday? Pistons at Pacers, Raptors at Heat

East group C:

This is officially what we call a mess. The Bulls defeated the Wizards 127-108 last night behind 21 points from Coby White and seven different Bulls in double figures. It put the Bulls at the top of the group for the time being and prevented the Wizards from advancing. This group is too close to call.

• Group leader: Bulls (2-1, plus-15) | Wins over ATL, WHAT | Lost to CLE
• Right there: Hawks (2-1, minus-1) | Wins over BOS, WAS | Defeat against CHI
• Right there: Celtics (2-1, plus-14) | Win CLE WHAT | Loss against ATL
• Right there: Cavaliers (1-1, plus-15) | Overcome CHI | Defeat against BOS
• Officially eliminated: Wizards (0-3, minus-43) | Defeat against ATL, BOS, CHI
• Important game(s) on Friday? Cavs at Hawks, Celtics at Bulls

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(Top photo: Contributor / XXXX )