Cruz wins charity basketball challenge against Jimmy Kimmel

After days of smack talk by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, the result of their one-on-one basketball challenge is in — Cruz beat Kimmel 11-9.

According to people who attended the charity basketball game, the game ended at 11 points, rather than at 15 as originally planned because the game was taking too long.{mosads}

Breaking: @TedCruz defeats @JimmyKimmel 11-9

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) June 16, 2018

.@JimmyKimmel to @TedCruz, post-game: “You’re a good sport. I still think you’re a terrible senator.”

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) June 16, 2018

Thy agreed to go to 11 instead of 15 because they were taking so long. https://t.co/hooMxg4fNf

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) June 16, 2018

Cruz took to Twitter ahead of the game and shortly after winning to share videos of the crowd and a photo of himself during a postgame interview. 

Post game interview with @IAMGUILLERMO #KimmelvsCruz pic.twitter.com/FQyLgukUP0

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 16, 2018

The crowd is fired up! #KimmelvsCruz #CruzToVictory pic.twitter.com/jvMsdsU0Np

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 16, 2018

Cruz and Kimmel agreed to the challenge earlier this month after the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host poked fun at Cruz for attending a Houston Rockets playoff game with a “super cool T-shirt over the polo look.” 

Cruz responded on Twitter, calling on Kimmel to “settle this man-to-man.”

“.@jimmykimmel  All right, Big Guy…you talk a good game. You besmirched my support for the @HoustonRockets,” Cruz tweeted. “So let’s settle this man-to-man: one-on-one, hoops (or ‘ring-ball,’ if you prefer). The loser gives $5k to the (non-political) charity of the winner’s choice.”

The game took place at 5 p.m. local time Saturday at Texas Southern University in Houston. The two men played to 11 points, with each made basket counting for one point.