The NBA Cup is back for a second season, and the Cleveland Cavaliers entered competition undefeated and in great position to advance in the NBA's in-season tournament.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league office introduced this competition for the first time last year, and it was a resounding success. Teams and fans appeared locked-in, the custom courts popped off the screen, and the title game introduced the world to Tyrese Haliburton and saw LeBron James and the Lakers take home the banner.
It was therefore a no-brainer for the league to bring it back. The Cavaliers had a strong showing with a 3-1 record in last year's competition, but failed to advance on a tiebreaker. Will things be different this season? Let's break down everything you need to know about where things stand for the Cavaliers.
NOTE: We will be updating this post live after each result in East Group C.
Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Cup Schedule
Each team will play four NBA Cup group games against each of the other teams in their group. The Cavaliers are in East Group C, along with the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.
Here is the Cavaliers' full NBA Cup Schedule:
Opponent | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
Chicago Bulls | 11/15 | 7:30 PM ET |
Boston Celtics | 11/22 | 7:00 PM ET |
Atlanta Hawks | 11/29 | 2:30 PM ET |
Washington Wizards | 12/3 | 7:00 PM ET |
Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Cup Results
The Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Chicago Bulls in their NBA Cup Opener on Friday, November 15th and came away with a 144-126 victory at home. The game was close throughout until Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland on a 19-7 run in the game's final two minutes to seal the deal. Cleveland kept the gas on late to increase their scoring margin, winning the game by 18 points. Donovan Mitchell scored 37 and Darius Garland added 29 in the runaway victory.
Then came the showdown with the defending champion Boston Celtics. Playing on the road and without four key rotation players, the Cavaliers got behind early, came storming back, and ultimately lost by just three points, their first loss of the season. Losing by just three points keeps them very much alive for both winning the group and having a chance at the Wild Card.
East Group C Standings
Team | Record | Games Back | Point Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
Atlanta Hawks | 2-1 | -- | -1 |
Boston Celtics | 2-1 | -- | +14 |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 1-1 | 0.5 | +15 |
Chicago Bulls | 1-1 | 0.5 | -4 |
Washington Wizards | 0-2 | 1.5 | -24 |
What to Watch For
The Cleveland Cavaliers play their next NBA Cup game on Black Friday, November 29th, against the Atlanta Hawks. If they lose that game they are effectively eliminated from advancing in the NBA Cup. If they win, and then beat the Chicago Bulls in their final game, they will be 3-1 and likely with the best point differential in the group.
With that being said, the first tiebreaker for who wins the group is head-to-head record. With the Hawks losing to the Chicago Bulls, a loss to the Cavaliers means they will be 2-2 and out of the running at the top. If the Boston Celtics take care of business and beat the Bulls, the most likely outcome is a tie at 3-1 at the top of the group - a tie that would be broken in favor of the Celtics.
The Cavaliers are therefore rooting for another Boston loss to the Bulls on Tuesday, November 26th, that could leave them alone atop the group at 3-1, with the Celtics, Hawks and Bulls likely tied at 2-2. If that doesn't happen, the Cavaliers will need to beat out the second-place teams in the other two East groups to win the wild card.