The second annual in-season tournament (officially rebranded as the Emirates NBA Cup 2024) is set to begin Tuesday, Nov. 12. Here’s everything you need to know.
Can the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics add another trophy to their mantel?
The Emirates NBA Cup -- known as the In-Season Tournament in Year 1 -- is back for a second season, with 30 teams divided into six groups of five (three in the Eastern Conference; three in the Western Conference) to compete in Group Stage action.
The Celtics are in Group C -- along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards -- and began Group Stage play Tuesday night against the Hawks at TD Garden. While the Celtics fell to Atlanta in a surprising upset, they still have an opportunity to make up ground and advance out of the group stage.
Here's everything you need to know about the Celtics in the NBA Cup, from how the tournament works to Boston's Group Stage schedule to up-to-date standings for Group C:
How does the NBA Cup work?
The tournament begins with the Group Stage. All 30 teams will compete in group play, having been placed into six groups of five teams within their conference. Teams face each of their group opponents once for a total of four group play games (two at home and two on the road).
Eight teams advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds: the top team in each of the six groups and a wild-card team in each conference that's awarded to the second-place finisher with the best overall record.
If two or more teams are tied within a group, the following tiebreakers are used:
- Head-to-head record in group play
- Point differential in group play
- Total points scored in group play
- Record from the 2023-24 NBA regular season
- Random drawing
The knockout rounds begin with quarterfinal games hosted by the higher seed, and then the semifinals and finals, which will be held in Las Vegas.
All Group Stage games count toward teams' regular-season records. Teams entered the season with only 80 scheduled games, and the 22 teams that don't advance to the knockout round will play two regular-season games during tournament off nights on Dec. 12/13 and Dec. 15/16. The four teams that lose in the quarterfinals will play a regular-season game on Dec. 15 or 16.
MORE CELTICS COVERAGE
Celtics' Group C schedule
Boston's four Group Stage games are spread out over an 18-day span from Nov. 12 to Nov. 29. Every game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston.
- Tuesday, Nov. 12: Hawks 117, Celtics 116
- Tuesday, Nov. 19: Celtics vs. Cavs, 7 p.m. ET
- Friday, Nov. 22: Celtics at Wizards, 7 p.m. ET
- Friday, Nov. 29: Celtics at Bulls, 8 p.m. ET
Group C Standings
Each team in Group C will play each other once during Group Stage play. If two teams have the same record in group play, the first two tiebreakers are head-to-head record and point differential.
Here are the Group C standings, which we'll update throughout group play:
The Celtics still can win Group C if they beat the Cavs, Wizards and Bulls, but they'd need the Hawks to lose at least twice in group play or lose once and have a worse point differential.
If the Celtics win Group C or are named the East Wild Card team -- the team with the best record in Group Play that finished second in its group -- they'll advance to the Knockout Rounds. In that scenario, the C's would play either the winner of East Group A or Group B (or the East Wild Card team) in a Quarterfinal game on Dec. 10 or 11. (Click here for East Group A and Group B standings.)
Here is the schedule for the Knockout Rounds:
- Quarterfinals: Tuesday, Dec. 10 or Wednesday, Dec. 11 (hosted by higher seed)
- Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 14 (in Las Vegas)
- Championship: Tuesday, Dec. 17 (in Las Vegas)
For more details about the NBA Cup format, tiebreaker scenarios, prizes and more, check out this helpful explainer article.
