Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Cup schedule, results & standings
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 and kicked things off on Friday night with a 144-126 win over the Chicago Bulls.
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.
East Group C Standings
Team | Record | Games Back | Point Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
Atlanta Hawks | 2-0 | -- | +13 |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 1-0 | 0.5 | +18 |
Boston Celtics | 0-1 | 1.5 | -1 |
Washington Wizards | 0-1 | 1.5 | -12 |
Chicago Bulls | 0-1 | 1.5 | -18 |
What to Watch For
The Cleveland Cavaliers face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night in what should be a showdown of the group's expected winners. If the Cavaliers win they will be in position to not only win Group C but make a run in the rest of the tournament. If the Celtics win, it will inject chaos into the standings and open the group up to any of Cleveland, Boston or Atlanta advancing.
The Atlanta Hawks play the Chicago Bulls on Friday, November 22nd. If the Hawks win, they will be 3-0 heading into their final game vs the Cavaliers, and point differential could play a significant role in determining both the group winner and a potential Group C Wild Card team.
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