After Thanksgiving is lifted, the NBA returns with an all-day Black Friday celebration. Two-thirds of the league will be in action when the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup resumes with ten games, starting with Knicks-Hornets at 12pm ET and stretching to a tasty Thunder-Lakers matchup in the 10pm ET nightcap.
Here’s a look at what’s at stake in Friday’s 10-game NBA Cup slate, as well as the situation in each of the six groups as the tournament continues:
How it works: Group winners and wildcards
There are two more nights of Group play, ending on Tuesday, December 3, featuring the top eight teams in East and West – the winners of Groups A, B and C, plus two “wild cards” (the team from each conference with the best record in group play games and finished second in his group) – through to the single-elimination knockout rounds.
Due to the small number of games, tiebreaks will likely come into play (even for the wildcard), with the advancing team being decided by:
(1) mutual results in group play;
(2) points difference outside of overtime in group play;
(3) total non-overtime points in group play;
(4) 2023-2024 Regular Season Record;
…and, finally, like everything That fails to break the tie:
(5) any drawing.
The four quarter-finals will be played on Tuesday, December 10 and Wednesday, December 11.
The four winners will advance to Las Vegas, where the semi-finals will be held on Saturday, December 14. The NBA Cup championship game takes place on Tuesday, December 17 at 8:30 PM ET on ABC. It will be the only match in the entire tournament that does not count towards the participating teams’ regular season records or player statistics.
The teams that don’t make it to Las Vegas won’t just be chilling at home, though. During the knockout rounds, on the days when no NBA Cup matches are scheduled (December 12, 13, 15 and 16), the 22 teams that have not qualified for the knockouts will each play two regular seasonal matches. The four teams that lose in the quarterfinals will also each play one regular season game against each other.
Here’s where things stand in group play:
Away until (next) November
We have now eliminated a maximum of four teams.
The Pelicans were first out, after losing to the two teams they trail in Western Group C by a margin that gives them the worst points difference in the West. The WizardsTuesday’s loss to the Bulls left them at 0-3, and therefore out of contention, in Eastern Group C. Ditto for the Jazzwhose loss to Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs on Tuesday knocked them out of West Group B.
And despite not even playing on Tuesday, the Birds of prey were out of the competition thanks to the Bucks’ win over the Heat, which kept Toronto from finishing higher than third place in East Group B. He was eliminated on a night off. Tough break, Raps.
Who’s sitting pretty?
The Warriors were the first team to secure their ticket to the knockout round, winning West Group C.
The Missiles joined them on Tuesday, beating the Timberwolves in overtime behind huge games from Alperen Şengün and Fred VanVleet to improve to 3-0 with a West-leading difference of +49 points, and win West Group A.
The Bucks improved to 3-0 by outlasting the Heat in Miami, without superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. They didn’t reach Eastern Group B; the Pistons are 2-0, meaning the winner of the Milwaukee-Detroit head-to-head matchup on December 3 will finish top of the group. Even if Cade Cunningham and Co. win, the Bucks remain – currently with a +29 point differential, second best in the East behind the leader in Group A Magic – appear to be in a strong position for a wildcard berth.
Also undefeated so far: The Knicksat 2-0 in East Group A, with a head-to-head matchup against the Magic on tap at Madison Square Garden to conclude group play on December 3.
Who’s still on the hunt?
With only four eliminated teams and two advanced teams, that means there are 24 teams left technical alive for a spot in the knockout round.
The four aforementioned undefeated – Magic, Knicks, Bucks, Pistons – are in the best of shape. The Outsiders West did not win Group C, but at 2-1 with a difference of +41 points they are still very much alive for the wildcard.
Group B of each conference consists of three 2-1 teams: the Bulls, Hawks And Celts in the East; the Suns, Lakers And Tracks in the West – plus one 1-1 team that is among the NBA’s best so far this season (the Cavaliers And Thunderrespectively).
The Hair clippers And Trail Blazers both are tied at 1-1, and are at a standstill theoretical alive for a wildcard spot. However, both have a negative point differential, which gives them a very difficult road amid so many other one-loss teams. To have a chance of making it out of West Group A alongside Houston, they will likely have to win their last two games, and do so by comfortable margins… which their head-to-head clash on the final day could deliver. group play is particularly challenging.
The teams currently at 1-2 or 0-2 – the 76ers, Nets, Hornets, Heat, Pacers, Timber wolves, Kings, Gold nuggets And Grizzlies? They will need a lot of help.
Eastern group A
1. Orlando Magic (2-0)
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Remaining schedule: at Nets, at Knicks
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Main 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)
Eastern group B
1.Milwaukee Bucks (3-0)
2. Detroit Pistons (2-0)
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Remaining schedule: at Pacers, vs. Bucks
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Hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Heat
3. Miami Heat (1-2)
4. Toronto Raptors (0-2)
5. Indiana Pacers (0-2)
Eastern group C
1. Chicago Bulls (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: vs. Celtics
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Hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Hawks
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+15 points difference (one point ahead of Boston)
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Win group C with a win AND a Cavaliers loss against Hawks
2. Atlanta Hawks (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: vs. Cavaliers
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-1 point difference, But holds a head-to-head tiebreaker against Celtics
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Win Group C with a win AND Bulls loss to Celtics
3. Boston Celtics (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: at Bulls
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Hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over Cavaliers
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Win Group C with a win AND Hawks loss to Cavaliers
4.Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1)
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Remaining schedule: at Hawks, vs. Wizards
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Hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Bulls
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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 Trailblazers (1-1)
3. LA Clippers (1-1)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-2)
5. Sacramento Kings (0-2)
Western Group B
1. Phoenix Suns (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: vs. Spurs
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Hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Lakers
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+19 points difference
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Win group B with a win AND a thunderous loss
2. Los Angeles Lakers (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: vs. Thunder
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-16 points difference, But holds the head-to-head tiebreaker against Spurs
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Win group B with a win AND a loss
3. San Antonio Spurs (2-1)
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Remaining schedule: at Suns
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Hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Thunder
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+14 points difference
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Win Group B with a win AND Lakers loss
4.Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1)
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Remaining schedule: at Lakers, vs. Jazz
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Hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Suns
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Win Group B with wins over Lakers and Jazz AND Spurs losses
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 times East)
Knicks at Hornets, afternoon (NBA TV)
Cavaliers at Hawks, 2:30 PM (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 Heat, 8 p.m
Celtics at Bulls, 8 p.m
Thunderstorm at Lakers, 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Kings at Trail Blazers, 10 p.m
