Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reached a monumental career milestone on Wednesday night, securing his 800th victory in dramatic fashion as his team edged the Milwaukee Bucks 106-103 in a thrilling NBA Cup matchup.
Historic Night for Heat Coach
The momentous occasion was marked with celebration as Spoelstra was presented with a cake surrounded by staff members following the hard-fought victory. The win places Spoelstra in elite company, making him only the 17th coach in NBA history to reach the 800-win plateau and just the third to accomplish this feat with a single franchise, joining coaching legends Gregg Popovich of San Antonio and Jerry Sloan of Utah.
The game itself provided plenty of drama, with Tyler Herro leading the Heat charge with 29 points while Bam Adebayo contributed a strong double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. The victory improved Miami's record to 3-1 in Cup play and strengthened their impressive home court advantage to 9-1 this season.
Bucks' Struggles Continue
For the Milwaukee Bucks, the loss extended their frustrating losing streak to six consecutive games, with their last four defeats coming without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The defeat also marked Milwaukee's first-ever loss in NBA Cup group-stage play, ending their perfect 10-0 run that dated back to the tournament's inception.
Ryan Rollins led the Bucks with 26 points, while Myles Turner added 24 points and Gary Trent Jr. contributed 15 points. Bucks coach Doc Rivers, who had previously maintained a perfect 8-0 record in Cup games, suffered his first tournament loss alongside his team's disappointing performance.
Eastern Conference Showdown
The Heat's path to winning Group C now depends on Milwaukee defeating New York on Friday, adding another layer of intrigue to the Eastern Conference standings. Miami received balanced scoring support beyond their stars, with Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Kel'el Ware each adding 11 points to the winning effort.
Meanwhile, in other NBA action, the Boston Celtics ended Detroit's impressive 13-game winning streak with a 117-114 victory, despite Cade Cunningham's spectacular 42-point performance for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons.
The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their dominant start to the season, winning their 10th straight game behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 40-point effort in a 113-105 victory over Minnesota. The Thunder improved to 18-1, becoming just the fifth team in NBA history to achieve such a remarkable start.
Additional results from around the league saw New York dominate Charlotte 129-101, Toronto edge Indiana 97-95, Memphis defeat New Orleans 133-128 in overtime, Phoenix top Sacramento 112-100, San Antonio beat Portland 115-102, and Houston hold off Golden State 104-100.
