NBA In-Season Tournament
Jaime Halstuch
Staff Writer
The second edition of the NBA In-Season Tournament started with one substantial change: Its name. Now named the Emirates NBA Cup, the NBA points to a much more international audience. Like in European sports, the Cup will focus on momentum, while the regular season focuses on consistency. The format is simple: three 5-team groups per conference, the top team in each group will advance to the quarterfinals, and the best second seed of each conference will also advance. It is important to say that the first tie-breaker criteria is point differential. There will be three rounds of playoffs, quarterfinals, semifinals and a final. The playoffs will be played March Madness-style, only one game per round. NBA will not only appeal to the international market, but there is a clear intention of expansion shown with the Cup. The semifinals and the Final will be played in Las Vegas, one of the major cities without an NBA franchise, and a place where the NBA has shown interest for expansion.
Group A for the East features the Orlando Magic, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Charlotte Hornets, and the Brooklyn Nets. This group started with the Magic defeating the Hornets in a game that ended 114-89. In the second game, the Knicks traveled to Philadelphia, where they defeated the 76ers 111-99. Group B features the Milwaukee Bucks, the Detroit Pistons, the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors, and the runner-up from last year’s cup, the Indiana Pacers. This group has also played two games; the Pistons hosted the Heat and defeated them 123-121 in overtime. Later that day, the Bucks hosted the Raptors and defeated them 99-85. Group C features the Atlanta Hawks, the defending NBA Champions Boston Celtics, the undefeated (in the NBA) Cleveland Cavaliers, the Chicago Bulls, and the Washington Wizards. During the only game of this group the Hawks beat the Celtics in Boston in a game that finished 117- 116.
The Portland Trail Blazers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Sacramento Kings, and the Houston Rockets are the five teams that compose group A for the West. The Blazers defeated the Timberwolves 122-108 in the only game played in this group. The Phoenix Suns beat the Utah Jazz in the only game played for group B. Group B also features the Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers, and Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs. Group C started with the Golden State Warriors defeating the Dallas Mavericks 120-117. The group also features the current NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic, with his Denver Nuggets, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Memphis Grizzlies.
In soccer, there is a term called the “death group,” which describes the hardest group. The “death group for the Emirates NBA Cup is group C in the west. The Warriors are 9-2 in the league. The Mavericks were last season’s NBA runners-up, and they added one of the sharpest shooters in the game, Klay Thompson. The Nuggets are one of the favorites to win the NBA title, with Jokic and Murry, few teams can stop them. The Pelicans, if healthy, can compete against any team in the league. Finally, the Grizzlies. Zach Edey works as the final piece the team needed, and with Ja Morant playing this season, there is no reason for this team to fail.
This tournament is set to be a peak of what we could see in the playoffs next year, also an opportunity to watch players putting their bodies on the line as every game holds the highest importance. It is set to be exciting and memorable while helping the NBA in its efforts to attract a bigger international audience.
Contact Jaime at jaime.halstuch@student.shu.edu