After taking Thanksgiving off, the NBA returns with a full-day Black Friday feast. Two-thirds of the league can be in motion because the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup resumes with 10 video games, starting with Knicks-Hornets at 12 p.m. ET and stretching throughout a tasty Thunder-Lakers matchup within the 10 p.m. ET nightcap.
This is a take a look at what’s at stake in Friday’s 10-game NBA Cup slate, in addition to the lay of the land in every of the six teams because the tourney presses on:
The way it works: Group winners and wild playing cards
There are two extra nights of Group Play, which concludes on Tuesday, Dec. 3, with the highest eight groups within the East and West — the winners of Teams A, B and C, plus two “wild playing cards” (the staff from every convention with one of the best document in group-play video games that completed second in its group) — advancing to the single-elimination knockout rounds.
Due to the small variety of video games, tiebreakers will possible come into play (even for the wild card), with the advancing staff being determined by:
(1) head-to-head document in group play;
(2) non-overtime level differential in group play;
(3) whole non-overtime factors in group play;
(4) 2023-24 regular-season document;
… and, lastly, if all of that fails to interrupt the tie:
(5) a random drawing.
The 4 quarterfinal video games can be performed Tuesday, Dec. 10, and Wednesday, Dec. 11.
The 4 winners will advance to Las Vegas, the place the semifinals can be held on Saturday, Dec. 14. The championship recreation for the NBA Cup will happen on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Will probably be the one recreation in the complete event that gained’t additionally rely towards the taking part groups’ regular-season information or their gamers’ statistics.
The groups that don’t make it to Las Vegas gained’t simply be chilling at dwelling, although. Throughout the knockout rounds, on the times the place no NBA Cup video games are scheduled — Dec. 12, 13, 15 and 16 — the 22 groups who didn’t qualify for the knockouts will every play two regular-season video games. The 4 groups that lose within the quarterfinals will every play one regular-season recreation in opposition to each other, too.
This is the place issues stand in group play:
Gone ’til (subsequent) November
We’re now as much as 4 groups eradicated.
The Pelicans have been first out, after shedding to the 2 groups they path in West Group C by a margin that offers them the West’s worst level differential. The Wizards’ Tuesday loss to the Bulls dropped them to 0-3, and thus out of competition, in East Group C. Ditto for the Jazz, whose Tuesday loss to Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs ousted them from West Group B.
And regardless of not even taking part in on Tuesday, the Raptors discovered themselves out of the competitors by advantage of the Bucks’ win over the Warmth, which ensured that Toronto couldn’t end larger than third place in East Group B. Knocked out on an evening off. Robust break, Raps.
Who’s sitting fairly
The Warriors have been the primary staff to punch their ticket to the knockout spherical, successful West Group C.
The Rockets joined them on Tuesday, knocking off the Timberwolves in time beyond regulation behind enormous video games from Alperen Şengün and Fred VanVleet to enhance to 3-0 with a West-leading +49 level differential, and win West Group A.
The Bucks improved to 3-0 by outlasting the Warmth in Miami, with out famous person ahead Giannis Antetokounmpo. They haven’t clinched East Group B; the Pistons are 2-0, which means the winner of the head-to-head assembly between Milwaukee and Detroit on Dec. 3 will wind up atop the group. Even when Cade Cunningham and Co. win out, although, the Bucks — presently with a +29 level differential, second-best within the East behind the Group A-leading Magic — look to be in robust place for a wild-card berth.
Additionally undefeated to this point: The Knicks, at 2-0 in East Group A, with a head-to-head recreation in opposition to the Magic on faucet at Madison Sq. Backyard to wrap up group play on Dec. 3.
Who’s nonetheless within the hunt
With simply 4 groups eradicated and two groups superior, meaning there are 24 groups nonetheless technically alive for a knockout-round spot.
The 4 aforementioned undefeateds — Magic, Knicks, Bucks, Pistons — are in one of the best form. The Mavericks didn’t win West Group C, however at 2-1 with a +41 level differential, they’re nonetheless very a lot alive for the wild card.
Every convention’s Group B options three 2-1 groups — the Bulls, Hawks and Celtics within the East; the Suns, Lakers and Spurs within the West — plus one 1-1 staff that ranks among the many NBA’s finest to this point this season (the Cavaliers and Thunder, respectively).
The Clippers and Path Blazers each sit at 1-1, and are nonetheless theoretically alive for a wild-card spot. Each have destructive level differentials, although, which supplies them a really powerful street amid so many different one-loss groups. For both to have any probability of becoming a member of Houston in popping out of West Group A, they’ll possible have to win their remaining two video games, and achieve this by snug margins … which might make their head-to-head matchup on the ultimate day of group play notably spicy.
The groups presently at 1-2 or 0-2 — the 76ers, Nets, Hornets, Warmth, Pacers, Timberwolves, Kings, Nuggets and Grizzlies? Nicely, they’re going to want a whole lot of assist.
East Group A
1. Orlando Magic (2-0)
Remaining schedule: at Nets, at Knicks
Key tiebreaker: +37 level differential (23 factors forward of New York)
2. New York Knicks (2-0)
3. Philadelphia 76ers (1-2)
4. Brooklyn Nets (1-2)
5. Charlotte Hornets (0-2)
East Group B
1. Milwaukee Bucks (3-0)
2. Detroit Pistons (2-0)
Remaining schedule: at Pacers, vs. Bucks
Maintain head-to-head tiebreaker over Warmth
3. Miami Warmth (1-2)
4. Toronto Raptors (0-2)
5. Indiana Pacers (0-2)
East Group C
1. Chicago Bulls (2-1)
Remaining schedule: vs. Celtics
Maintain head-to-head tiebreaker over Hawks
+15 level differential (one level forward of Boston)
Win Group C with win AND Cavaliers loss to Hawks
2. Atlanta Hawks (2-1)
Remaining schedule: vs. Cavaliers
-1 level differential, however maintain head-to-head tiebreaker over Celtics
Win Group C with win AND Bulls loss to Celtics
3. Boston Celtics (2-1)
Remaining schedule: at Bulls
Maintain head-to-head tiebreaker over Cavaliers
Win Group C with win AND Hawks loss to Cavaliers
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1)
Remaining schedule: at Hawks, vs. Wizards
Maintain head-to-head tiebreaker over Bulls
Win Group C with wins over Hawks and Wizards AND Celtics loss to Hawks
5. Washington Wizards (0-3)
West Group A
1. Houston Rockets (3-0)
2. Portland Path Blazers (1-1)
3. LA Clippers (1-1)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-2)
5. Sacramento Kings (0-2)
West Group B
1. Phoenix Suns (2-1)
Remaining schedule: vs. Spurs
Maintain head-to-head tiebreaker over Lakers
+19 level differential
Win Group B with win AND Thunder loss
2. Los Angeles Lakers (2-1)
Remaining schedule: vs. Thunder
-16 level differential, however maintain head-to-head tiebreaker over Spurs
Win Group B with win AND Suns loss
3. San Antonio Spurs (2-1)
Remaining schedule: at Suns
Maintain head-to-head tiebreaker over Thunder
+14 level differential
Win Group B with win AND Lakers loss
4. Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (1-1)
Remaining schedule: at Lakers, vs. Jazz
Maintain head-to-head tiebreaker over Suns
Win Group B with wins over Lakers and Jazz AND Spurs loss
5. Utah Jazz (0-3)
West Group C
1. Golden State Warriors (3-0)
2. Dallas Mavericks (2-1)
3. New Orleans Pelicans (1-2)
4. Denver Nuggets (1-2)
5. Memphis Grizzlies (0-2)
Friday’s schedule (all occasions Japanese)
Knicks at Hornets, midday (NBA TV)
Cavaliers at Hawks, 2:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
Pelicans at Grizzlies, 5 p.m. (NBA TV)
Magic at Nets, 7:30 p.m.
Clippers at Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Pistons at Pacers, 8 p.m.
Raptors at Warmth, 8 p.m.
Celtics at Bulls, 8 p.m.
Thunder at Lakers, 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Kings at Path Blazers, 10 p.m.
