After taking off on Thanksgiving, the NBA returns with a full day of Black Friday feasting. Two-thirds of the league will be in action as the Emirates NBA Cup 2024 picks up with 10 games, starting with Knicks-Hornets at 12 p.m. ET and moving through a tasty Thunder-Lakers matchup at the 10 p.m. ET nightcap.
Here is an overview of the issues Friday’s 10 NBA Cup gamesas well as the lay of the field in each of the six groups as the tournament progresses:
How it works: group winners and wildcards
There will be two more evenings of group play, concluding on Tuesday, December 3, with the top eight teams from the East and West – the winners of Groups A, B and C, plus two “wildcards” ( the team from each group) conference with the best record in group matches and finished second in their group) – qualifying for the knockout rounds.
Due to the small number of matches, tiebreakers will likely come into play (even for the wild card), with the team that advances being decided by:
(1) face-to-face recording in group play;
(2) point differential outside of overtime in group games;
(3) total points excluding overtime in group play;
(4) 2023-24 regular season record;
…and finally, if all that fails to break the tie:
(5) a random draw.
The four quarter-final matches will be played on Tuesday December 10 and Wednesday December 11.
The four winners will travel to Las Vegas, where the semi-finals will take place on Saturday, December 14. The NBA Cup championship game will take place on Tuesday, December 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. This will be the only game in the entire tournament that will not also count toward the participating teams’ regular season records or their players’ statistics.
However, teams not traveling to Las Vegas won’t just be relaxing at home. During the Round of 16, on days when no NBA Cup games are scheduled – December 12, 13, 15 and 16 – the 22 teams not qualified for the Round of 16 will each play two regular season games. The four losing teams in the quarterfinals will each play a regular season game against each other.
Here’s where things stand in group play:
Gone until November (next)
We are now down to four teams eliminated.
THE Pelicans were the first out, after losing against the two teams they trail in West Group C by a margin that gives them the worst points differential in the West. THE WizardsTuesday’s defeat against the Bulls brought them back to 0-3, and therefore out of competition, in Group East C. Ditto for the Jazzwhose defeat on Tuesday against Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs ousted them from West Group B.
And even though he didn’t even play on Tuesday, the Raptors found themselves out of competition thanks to the Bucks’ victory over the Heat, which allowed Toronto to finish no higher than third place in East Group B. Eliminated on an off night. Hard break, Raps.
Who sits nicely
THE Warriors We were the first team to get their ticket to the round of 16winning West Group C.
THE Rockets joined them on Tuesday, knocking out the Timberwolves in overtime behind huge plays from Alperen Şengün and Fred VanVleet to improve to 3-0 with a West-leading +49 point differential and win West Group A .
THE Deer improved to 3-0 by outlasting the Heat in Miami, without superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. They did not win Group B in the East; THE Pistons are 2-0, which means the winner of the head-to-head between Milwaukee and Detroit on December 3 will end up at the top of the group. Even if Cade Cunningham and Co. win, the Bucks – currently with a +29 point differential, second best in the East behind the Group A leader Magic – appear to be in a strong position for a wild card spot.
Also undefeated so far: Knicksat 2-0 in East Group A, with a head-to-head against the Magic at Madison Square Garden to conclude group play on December 3.
Who is always on the hunt
With only four teams eliminated and two teams advanced, that means there are still 24 teams remaining. technically alive for a place in the round of 16.
The aforementioned undefeated four – Magic, Knicks, Bucks, Pistons – are in the best shape. THE Nonconformists didn’t win West Group C, but at 2-1 with a +41 point differential, they’re still very much alive for the wild card.
Each conference’s Group B features three 2-1 teams — the Bulls, Falcons And Celtics to the East; THE Suns, Lakers And Spurs in the West – plus a 1-1 team that ranks among the best in the NBA so far this season (the Riders And Thunderrespectively).
THE Clippers And Pioneers both are at 1-1 and are still theoretically alive for a wild card spot. Both have negative point differentials, however, giving them a very difficult path among so many other one-loss teams. For either to have a chance of joining Houston out of West Group A, they will likely have to win their final two games by comfortable margins… which could make their head-to-head matchup in the last day. particularly spicy group game.
Teams currently at 1-2 or 0-2 — the 76ers, Nets, Hornets, Heat, Pacers, Timber wolves, Kings, Nuggets And Grizzlies? Well, they’re going to need a lot of help.
East Group A
1. Orlando Magic (2-0)
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Remaining schedule: at Nets, at Knicks
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Key tiebreaker: +37 points difference (23 points ahead 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)
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Remaining schedule: at Pacers, against Bucks
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Set up a head-to-head tiebreaker against Heat
3. Miami Heat (1-2)
4. Toronto Raptors (0-2)
5. Indiana Pacers (0-2)
East Group C
1. Chicago Bulls (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: vs. Celtics
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Set up a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Hawks
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+15 points difference (one point ahead of Boston)
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Win Group C with a victory AND a loss for the Cavaliers against the Hawks
2. Atlanta Falcons (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: vs. Cavaliers
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-1 point differential, but organize a tiebreaker against the Celtics
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Win Group C with a victory AND a Bulls loss against the Celtics
3. Boston Celtics (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: with the Bulls
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Set up a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Cavaliers
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Win Group C with victory AND defeat for the Hawks against the Cavaliers
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1)
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Remaining schedule: at Hawks, against Wizards
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Set up a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Bulls
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Win Group C with wins over the Hawks and Wizards AND Celtics loss to Hawks
5. Washington Wizards (0-3)
West Group A
1. Houston Rockets (3-0)
2. Portland Trail 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)
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Remaining schedule: vs. Spurs
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Set up a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Lakers
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+19 points differential
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Win Group B with victory AND defeat Thunder
2. Los Angeles Lakers (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: vs. Thunder
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-16 points differential, but organize a tiebreaker against the Spurs
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Win Group B with victory AND defeat for the Suns
3. San Antonio Spurs (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: at the Suns
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Set up a head-to-head tiebreaker against Thunder
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+14 points differential
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Win Group B with victory AND defeat for the Lakers
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1)
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Remaining schedule: at the Lakers, against Jazz
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Set up a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Suns
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Win Group B with victories over the Lakers and defeat of the Jazz AND the Spurs
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 program (all times Eastern)
Knicks at Hornets, noon (NBA TV)
Cavaliers at Hawks, 2:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
Pelicans at Grizzlies, 5 p.m. (NBA TV)
Magic at the Nets, 7:30 p.m.
Clippers at Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Pistons at Pacers, 8 p.m.
Raptors at Heat, 8 p.m.
Celtics at Bulls, 8 p.m.
Thunder at the Lakers, 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Kings at Trail Blazers, 10 p.m.
