For the first time this season, the Boston Celtics have the day off on one of the NBA’s “Cup Nights.” Of course, Cup Nights signal that all games played are part of the Emirates’ NBA Cup, which is now in its third year.
Boston currently sits at third place in the Eastern Conference’s Group B, after splitting their matchups with the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic. Their 13-point loss to the Magic last Friday sort of has them behind the 8-ball.
Now, the Celtics will have to win their remaining two games against the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons by a considerable margin to erase their -12 point differential and give themselves a chance to move on to the knockout stage.
They’re also going to need some help along the way.
Let’s take a look at what Celtics fans should be hoping for in NBA Cup Week 3.
First, in their own group, it would be helpful if the two undefeated teams, the Magic and Pistons, who are each 1-0 so far, lost their respective games against the Nets and 76ers. As unlikely as that is, it would create a five-way tie in the pool, halfway through group play.
There’s still a lot of Cup to be played, but this scenario opens the door for the Cs to recover from their bad loss in Orlando. If they went and swept their final two games, they’d be in decent shape.
For context, the Magic, who host Brooklyn Friday, would still have games against Detroit and Philly, who have the best overall records of the Group B teams. Because Orlando holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Boston, a loss from them is in Celtics fans’ best interest.
What should Celtics fans look for in other NBA Cup groups?
Outside of the group, it’s more complicated, and also a little too early to know exactly what’s best for the Cs. What we do know is that each conference’s Wild Card spot goes to the non-group-winner with the best point differential (or record, but it's always a 3-1 team).
With that being said, the most optimal outcome is chaos. All of the winless teams need to win, and teams that have won need to lose. For example, the Miami Heat (1-0) and New York Knicks (0-1) play this week. New York beating Miami would make both teams 1-1, while bringing down Miami’s +18 point differential. That way, should it come down to it, the Celtics would have a better chance of finishing with a higher +/- than the Heat.
Again, all Group A and C action is complicated this early in the competition, so root for chaos.
The Celtics resume Cup Play next Friday when they host the Nets at TD Garden.