Friday is NBA Cup night again, with nine Group Play games spread across five groups. Teams only get four Group Play games to make their case for a knockout spot, so the urgency starts early. Fanatics Sportsbook is offering new users promo code FOXNEWS350 to bet $20 and get $350 in FanCash on whichever NBA Cup game you choose.
Six groups of five teams, four games each, and only the six group winners plus one wild card per conference advance. The knockout rounds start Dec. 4, and the title game is Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Here’s how Friday’s games break down by group.
East Group B: 76ers at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. ET
The toughest group in the tournament. Philadelphia, Cleveland, Miami, Indiana and the defending champion Knicks are all fighting for one guaranteed spot. LeBron James returns to Cleveland for the first of his reunion games, and the Cavs counter with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. Whoever loses this one is already behind in a group with no easy outs.
East Group C: Wizards at Hawks and Celtics at Hornets, 7:00 p.m. ET
Boston is the favorite in this group on paper, but the Celtics have been eliminated in the group stage each of the last two seasons. Washington has a new look with Trae Young and Anthony Davis, and Atlanta is coming off a playoff year.
East Group A: Raptors at Bucks, 8:00 p.m. ET
Kawhi Leonard leads a balanced Toronto team into Milwaukee in a group that also includes Detroit, Orlando and Brooklyn.
West Group A: Jazz at Mavericks, 8:00 p.m. ET
Cooper Flagg and Dallas need to bank wins against Utah in a group headlined by Denver.
West Group B: Thunder at Grizzlies, 8:00 p.m. ET, and Timberwolves at Pelicans, 8:00 p.m. ET
Oklahoma City is the group favorite, but it’s playing without Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace.
West Group C: Trail Blazers at Lakers and Spurs at Kings, 10:00 p.m. ET
The late window features Luka Dončić and Victor Wembanyama on the West Coast in a group that also includes Golden State.
Here’s the contrarian spot. Oklahoma City is the obvious name in West Group B, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP. But the Thunder are missing their second-best scorer, their starting center and one of their best perimeter defenders, and Wednesday night they had to go through a Cavaliers team with Harden and Mitchell. A road game on short rest against a Memphis team playing at home in a Cup game is the kind of spot where depth gets exposed. The public will back the MVP. Take Memphis and the points.
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