After a dose of suspense and a busy final night, the NBA Cup has finished its first phase. The group matches ended on Tuesday with the eight teams qualifying for the quarter-finals.
After the WarriorsTHE Rockets and the Hawkswho had already validated their ticket even before the last day, these are the KnicksTHE MagicTHE BucksTHE Thunder and the Mavericks who thus joined the Top 8.
No Lakers therefore, who will cede their title acquired during the first edition last season, nor the first two results of the league, the Cavaliers and the Celtics. Boston mainly had to count on an Orlando victory in New York, a scenario that did not happen.
In the East, it was ultimately the Bucks who finished “seeded” number one in this group phase with a record of four victories in as many matches after dominating the Pistons. Giannis Antetokounmpo's band was able to bounce back after its sluggish start to the season, even if the Bucks probably fell into the “easiest” group against four teams with negative results at the start of the season. They will face the Magic, qualified as a “wild card” in the East with the best record of the group runners-up. The Knicks, another team at 4-0, will host the Hawks.
A Thunder – Mavericks rematch?
No team from the West managed to finish undefeated in this first part of the NBA Cup, and it was the Thunder, although not yet assured of qualifying before the last day, who finished first.
Oklahoma City, winner of Group B, will receive “wild card” Dallas, in a rematch of the conference semi-final of the last playoffs, won by the Mavs. The team of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving had already won in OKC earlier in the season after a big match. The last poster will see the Rockets face the Warriors.
The meetings will take place on December 10 and 11. The final four will then take place in Las Vegas, for the semi-finals on December 14, then the final on December 17.
For the eliminated teams, two “classic” regular season matches will be on the program on December 12-13, then on December 15-16, the posters will be determined based on the current ranking of each conference. Only two games will take place between two teams from different conferences.
The quarter-final program
Bucks – Magic (1 hour French time on the night of 10 to 11)
Thunder – Mavericks (3h30)
Knicks – Hawks (1 hour French time on the night of the 11th to the 12th)
Rockets – Warriors (3h30)
