The Thunder (24-1) have won a franchise-record 16 in a row. They destroyed the Phoenix Suns in a 138-89 win to advance in the NBA Cup on Wednesday. They led by as many as 53 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points and eight assists in three quarters.

• Wallace ranks as the league leader in steals. The last Thunder player to finish a season atop the NBA's steals chart was Paul George in 2018-19. This article originally published at Spurs vs. Thunder: How to watch the game, who's starting, who's out.

It’s hard to think of a more climactic NBA Cup semifinals than the league’s defending champions, who have only lost one game all season, vs. an up-and-coming, scrappy team getting back the most exciting young player in the world.

LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the rest of the Lakers took on the Spurs in the last NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup of the week, and Hov and his 13-year-old girl sat courtside for the Western Conference tilt. The Lakers showed love to their special guests on their X account just after tip-off, sharing a photo of two looking stylish in their chairs.

Austin Reaves has to score for this version of the Lakers to beat a team like the San Antonio Spurs. He has to score because they can’t stop anyone.