NBA Cup 2024 UPDATE: How does it work, who is in knockout round, what remaining games matter, odds

By
Kurt Helin,

By
Kurt Helin

Published December 2, 2024 03:04 PM

Only one night remains of the 2024 NBA Cup group play games — 11 contests — yet five of the eight spots in the knockout round are still up for grabs. There are a handful of deciding games but far more teams will spend Tuesday night doing the math on point differential.

Here’s everything you need to know for the NBA Cup 2024.

What’s the format for the NBA Cup 2024?

It started with group play, where all 30 NBA teams were drawn into six groups of five teams each (three in the East and three in the West). Each team plays the other teams in its group once — four games for each team (and those games also count as regular season games as well).

The winner of each of the six groups and one wild card team from each conference move on to a knockout round. Tiebreakers are decided first by head-to-head results from Cup games, but for wild card and multi-team tiebreakers where teams didn’t face each other point differential is the decider — which is why some teams have been running up the score.

The teams that win the first game in the Knockout Round — the top two teams from each conference — head to Las Vegas for the championship round.

NBA Cup 2024 Update: Knockout Round

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Already in: Atlanta Hawks

Before Cup play tipped off, the question was whether Boston or Cleveland would win East Group C. Turns out, neither. The Hawks have been the team to beat — Cleveland is eliminated, and Boston needs a few things to break their way to advance despite going 3-1.

Who is eliminated: Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards

East games that matter

Orlando at New York

It’s simple for New York — win and it advances as the winner of East Group A. Lose and the Knicks are out; they cannot advance as a wild card (Boston has completed its Cup play at 3-1 with a +23 net rating that would be better than New York if it loses).

Orlando is in a great spot to advance, regardless of the outcome. Win and they move on as the Group A winners. Lose by 30 or less and the Magic still advance via the wild card — the Magic have a ridiculous +60 point differential in Cup games that is 31 points better than anyone else in the East. The Magic will move on as long as they don’t get blown out in a loss.

Milwaukee at Detroit

Win and you’re in. That’s the case for Milwaukee and Detroit, who are both 3-0 heading into Tuesday’s game. The winner advances as the champion of Group B and might be the only team to advance out of the group.

The loser moves into the wild card chase but would need help: Orlando has to beat New York, and then the loser needs to keep this game close (point differential will be the tiebreaker and heading into Tuesday, Milwaukee has a +29 point differential and Detroit a +28, with the Celtics are lurking at +23; for example, if the Pistons lost by 10 it would end their hopes).

East wild card to watch: Boston Celtics

Boston can still advance as the wild card but it needs help from a couple of teams. First, Orlando has to beat New York. If that happens, the Celtics need the Pistons to win by six or more, or the Bucks to win by five or more — if all that happens, then the Celtics move on as a wild card. That’s a lot of dominoes that need to fall, but it’s possible.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Already In: Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors

Two of the best stories in the opening month of the NBA season — the young and fast-improving Houston Rockets, and the depth and veterans of Golden State making one more run — have advanced to the knockout round of the NBA Cup. Houston beat Minnesota, Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers, their only game left is against already out Sacramento (even if the Kings win and the Trail Blazers beat the Clippers on Tuesday and improve to 3-1, the Rockets advance because they have the tiebreaker, having won the head-to-head matchup).

Golden State has beaten Dallas — the only team that can catch them in the West Group C standings — as well as Memphis and New Orleans, so the Warriors advance no matter what happens against Denver on Tuesday.

The Warriors and Rockets have motivation for their final games on Tuesday: Win and they will be home for the first games of the knockout round. Lose and it comes down to point differential between teams and they could be on the road.

Who is eliminated: Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz

A number of teams are not mathematically eliminated but stand little to no chance of moving on. For example, if the Trail Blazers beat the Clippers Tuesday they improve to 3-1, but with a -5 point differential going into that game Portland would need a blowout win and a lot of help to advance.

The Lakers won the NBA Cup (then called the In-Season Tournament) a year ago, there will be a new champion this year.

West games that matter

San Antonio at Phoenix, Utah at Oklahoma City

West Group B is the tightest group in the Cup — the Spurs, Suns and Thunder are all 2-1. That makes Tuesdays’ games more intense, but the outcomes get more complicated.

Oklahoma City is a heavy favorite to beat Utah. Assuming that happens, the Thunder advance as champs only if the Suns beat the Spurs — if OKC and San Antonio both win, then the Spurs advance to the knockout round (based on head-to-head results). If Utah upsets OKC, then the San Antonio vs. Phoenix winner advances as the group winner.

The two teams that don’t win the group are alive for the play-in, but they need help. Which brings us to…

Memphis at Dallas

The Mavericks didn’t win their group (the Warriors took West Group C), but Dallas still has an impressive +41 point differential. If Dallas beats Memphis, it finishes 3-1 and likely advances as the wild card in the West unless the Spurs or Suns can win in a 23+ point blowout that lets them catch up to Dallas in point differential.