The road to the NBA Cup knockout stage is narrowing with only a few games left. Some teams are already eliminated, while others will live to fight another day. As the dust settles on Wednesday night’s games, let’s take a look at which teams can advance and compete for the elusive NBA Cup trophy.
5 Tiebreaker Scenarios That Will Decide NBA Cup Knockout Stage
One thing is certain: point differential will be extremely important as teams prepare for their final matchups. The next time these teams hit the floor, they’ll be encouraged to score as much as possible to secure their place in the NBA Cup knockout stage. With that in mind, let’s take a look at each group and which teams can still win it.
East Group A
This group is already decided. The Raptors went 4-0 in group play to claim first place. The Cavaliers finished second and still have a chance to earn the Eastern Conference wildcard spot. The Cavs have two wins and need one more big victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. Their point differential is currently +33. They are competing with the Detroit Pistons at +24 (with one game left), the New York Knicks at +25, and the Milwaukee Bucks at +25. Here’s the fun part: the Knicks and Bucks play each other, so one of those teams will be eliminated for sure.
East Group B
The Orlando Magic are the surprise leaders of Group B. But here’s the kicker: they might not make it to the NBA Cup knockout stage despite being 3-0 in their first three games. It’s an unlikely scenario, but still possible. The Pistons sit second in the group and play the Magic in their final matchup. Right now, the Magic are +61 in point differential, while the Pistons are +24. That means the Pistons would need to win by 19 points or more to overtake Orlando and advance automatically. Any win improves their differential, but they would still need to wait and see what happens with the Cavaliers, Knicks, and Bucks.
East Group C
Right now, it seems like the Miami Heat will win this group with three wins and a +49 point differential. However, both the Bucks and Knicks have two wins—and they play each other on Friday night. If either team wins by 25 or more, they would pass the Heat for first place. Miami can’t improve their chances, as they’ve already played all four of their games.
West Group A
This is the only group that still has two undefeated teams. The Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder both won their first three games and now face off in a winner-takes-first-place battle on Friday. Here’s the kicker: the Thunder have a +71 point differential. It’s hard to imagine them losing by 30 and missing out on at least the Western Conference wildcard. The Suns, meanwhile, are at +35. That looks safe, with only the Grizzlies in Group B (+15) having a realistic chance to overtake them for the wildcard.
West Group B
The Los Angeles Lakers are undefeated in three games so far, and they play the struggling Dallas Mavericks on Friday. It’s almost certain they will win and advance to the NBA Cup knockout stage. The Grizzlies and Clippers are tied for second, but Memphis holds the better point differential. The Grizzlies are the only remaining team that can realistically challenge for the wildcard spot. They face the Clippers on Friday.
West Group C
This is the most evenly matched group. Here’s the fun part: no team has won three games yet. That means no team from this group has a realistic chance to advance as the wildcard. On Friday, the Denver Nuggets host the San Antonio Spurs. The winner of that game will win the group and advance to the knockout stage.
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