Houston and Golden State know they’re in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup tournament. Another six spots remain - and some might be wrapped up on Friday when tourney play continues.
The NBA Cup was called the In-Season Tournament last year when it debuted, after years and years of Commissioner Adam Silver wanting to add something extra to the regular season. All 30 teams take part and play four group-stage games.
From there, eight teams move to the quarterfinals, and the winners of those games head to Las Vegas for the semifinals on Dec. 14.
All games in the tournament - except for the championship game - count in the regular-season standings and statistics. The championship game is considered extra and isn’t part of the 82-game season for the two teams that make the final.
On the “Black Friday” shopping holiday, ESPN and NBA TV will show five Cup games - spanning about 13 hours of coverage in all - with games starting at noon EST and tipping off through 10 p.m.
It’s Knicks-Hornets at noon, Cavaliers-Hawks at 2:30 p.m., Pelicans-Grizzlies at 5 p.m. - those three are all on NBA TV - followed by a pair of ESPN games, Clippers-Timberwolves at 7:30 p.m. and Thunder-Lakers at 10 p.m.
PHOTOS: NBA Cup: How to watch, betting odds and more about the league's in-season tournament
TNT will have a doubleheader on Tuesday: Grizzlies-Mavericks and Warriors-Nuggets.
There will be quarterfinal doubleheaders, with two games on TNT on Dec. 10; on Dec. 11, one will be on ESPN followed by another on TNT.
TNT will show the first Cup semifinal from Las Vegas on Dec. 14 at 4:30 p.m., followed by the second semifinal at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. The championship game is an 8:30 p.m. airing Dec. 17 on ABC.
Local broadcasts will also be available when NBA rules permit, as usual.
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, Boston, at +450, is now the favorite to win the NBA Cup, taking over that spot from New York.
The Knicks are also favored to win East Group A (-300), Milwaukee is favored to win East Group B (-200), Boston is a big favorite in East Group C (-135), and Phoenix (+110) now is the favorite in West Group B after its big win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were 9-0 all-time in NBA Cup games before the loss to the Suns.
A breakdown of the groups and the standings:
East Group A - Orlando 2-0, New York 2-0, Philadelphia 1-2, Brooklyn 1-2, Charlotte 0-2.
Schedule: New York 111, Philadelphia 99;Orlando 114, Charlotte 89;New York 124, Brooklyn 122;Orlando 98, Philadelphia 86;Brooklyn 116, Charlotte 115;Philadelphia 113, Brooklyn 98; New York at Charlotte, Friday; Orlando at Brooklyn, Friday; Philadelphia at Charlotte, Tuesday; Orlando at New York, Tuesday.
East Group B - Milwaukee 3-0, Detroit 2-0, Miami 1-2, Toronto 0-2, Indiana 0-2.
Schedule: Detroit 123, Miami 121;Milwaukee 99, Toronto 85;Miami 124, Indiana 111;Detroit 99, Toronto 95;Milwaukee 129, Indiana 117;Milwaukee 106, Miami 103; Toronto at Miami, Friday; Detroit at Indiana, Friday; Milwaukee at Detroit, Tuesday; Indiana at Toronto, Tuesday.
East Group C - Chicago 2-1, Atlanta 2-1, Boston 2-1, Cleveland 1-1, Washington 0-3.
Schedule: Atlanta 117, Boston 116; Cleveland 144, Chicago 126;Atlanta 129, Washington 117;Boston 120, Cleveland 117;Chicago 136, Atlanta 122;Boston 108, Washington 96;Chicago 127, Washington 108; Boston at Chicago, Friday; Cleveland at Atlanta, Friday; Washington at Cleveland, Tuesday.
West Group A - Houston 3-0, Los Angeles Clippers 1-1, Portland 1-1, Minnesota 1-2, Sacramento 0-2.
Schedule: Portland 106, Minnesota 98;Minnesota 130, Sacramento 126;Houston 125, LA Clippers 104;LA Clippers 104, Sacramento 88;Houston 116, Portland 88;Houston 117, Minnesota 111; LA Clippers at Minnesota, Friday; Sacramento at Portland, Friday; Houston at Sacramento, Tuesday; Portland at LA Clippers, Tuesday.
West Group B - Phoenix 2-1, Los Angeles Lakers 2-1, San Antonio 2-1, Oklahoma City 1-1, Utah 0-3.
Schedule: Phoenix 120, Utah 112;LA Lakers 120, San Antonio 115;Oklahoma City 99, Phoenix 83;San Antonio 110, Oklahoma City 104;LA Lakers 124, Utah 118;Phoenix 127, LA Lakers 100;San Antonio 128, Utah 115; Oklahoma City at LA Lakers, Friday; Utah at Oklahoma City, Tuesday; San Antonio at Phoenix, Tuesday.
West Group C - Golden State 3-0, Dallas 2-1, New Orleans 1-2, Denver 1-2, Memphis 0-2.
Schedule: Golden State 120, Dallas 117;New Orleans 101, Denver 94;Golden State 123, Memphis 118;Denver 122, Memphis 110;Dallas 132, New Orleans 91;Dallas 123, Denver 120;Golden State 112, New Orleans 108; New Orleans at Memphis, Friday; Memphis at Dallas, Tuesday; Golden State at Denver, Tuesday.
The best single-game scoring efforts in the NBA Cup this season.
60 - De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento vs. Minnesota, Nov. 15
43 - Cam Thomas, Brooklyn at New York, Nov. 15
40 - Tyler Herro, Miami at Detroit, Nov. 12
40 - Anthony Davis, LA Lakers at San Antonio, Nov. 15
There were four triple-doubles in NBA Cup games last season (Domantas Sabonis had two, Nikola Jokic had one and Tyrese Haliburton had one). There have been eight already in Cup games this season (Alperen Sengun has two, while Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Jalen Johnson and Josh Hart all have one).
To the winners: pride, a trophy and money.
Players on the winning team will claim $514,971 each, while $205,988 goes to each player on the runner-up team, $102,994 to players whose teams lost in the semifinals and $51,497 to those players whose teams lost in the quarterfinals.
If teams get eliminated in group play, they’ll have two more games added to their schedule. If teams get eliminated in the quarterfinals, they’ll have one more game added.
All teams have only 80 games scheduled so far in the regular season but will play 82. That’s why the title game doesn’t count; it would be an 83rd game for those teams (the 80 games that are already scheduled, then the quarterfinal, then the semifinal will be their 82 games).
Not every game played over the next month is a tournament game. A quick way to know if it is a tournament matchup: Every team has a new, distinctive court for these games. See those courts, and you’ll know it’s a Cup game.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.