NBA Cup bracket set as Magic, Mavericks grab wild-card spots in group play

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The bracket for the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup’s knockout round is officially set, and it features only two of the eight quarterfinalists from last year’s in-season tournament.

The Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks all punched their tickets to the quarterfinals with wins on Tuesday, or a loss in the Magic’s case. Not in the field are either of last year’s finalists, the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers.

Here are the Eastern Conference matchups for the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup:

No. 4 Magic at No. 1 Bucks

No. 3 Hawks at No. 2 Knicks

And the Western Conference:

No. 4 Mavericks at No. 1 Thunder

No. 3 Warriors at No. 2 Rockets

All four quarterfinal games will be played Tuesday, Dec. 10, and Wednesday, Dec. 11, followed by the semifinals and finals on Dec. 14 and 17 in Las Vegas. Exact dates and times for matchups have yet to be determined.

Here is how all the games that mattered in the final day of group play shook out:

Luka Dončić grabs wild card for Mavericks with monster game

The Mavericks were on the brink of elimination in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies, trailing by 15 points early in the fourth quarter. They ended up pulling out the must-win game, and the key was, as usual, Luka Dončić.

The All-Star posted a monster 37 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four steals to will Dallas into the knockout round. Spencer Dinwiddie and P.J. Washington also came up huge with a run of three straight 3-pointers in the final two minutes.

Had the Mavericks lost, it would have been the Suns going to the quarterfinal.

Dallas’ fate wasn’t assured, though. The Portland Trail Blazers still had a chance to pull it out with the final game of the night, and could have advanced if they beat the Los Angeles Clippers. By 52 points.

Alas, Portland ended up losing 127-105.

Giannis leads blowout of Pistons to clinch East Group B

The Bucks and Pistons met Tuesday in Milwaukee in a winner-take-all clash for the Group B crown. The Pistons never stood a chance.

The Bucks opened up a 36-31 first-quarter lead that they extended to 78-59 at halftime. There was no second-half…

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Source link : https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-cup-bracket-set-as-magic-mavericks-grab-wild-card-spots-in-group-play-054806138.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-04 05:48:00

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