After the Thanksgiving holiday, the NBA returns with an all-day Black Friday celebration. Two-thirds of the league will be in action when the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup continues with 10 games, starting with the Knicks-Hornets at 12pm ET and ending with a tasty clash between the Thunder and Lakers in the nightcap at 10pm: 00 p.m. ET.

Here’s a look at what’s at stake in Friday’s 10-game NBA Cup slate, as well as the state of play in each of the six groups as the tournament continues:

---

This is how it works: group winners and wild cards

There are two further group game nights, ending on Tuesday, December 3rd, with the eight best teams from East and West – the winners of Groups A, B and C and two “wild cards” (each team). Conference with the best record in group games, finishing second in its group) – and advanced to the single-elimination knockout round.

Due to the small number of games, tiebreakers will likely come into play (even for the Wild Card), with the team advancing being decided by:

(1) Head-to-head record in group play;

(2) point difference outside of extra time in group play;

(3) Total points scored outside of extra time in group play;

(4) 2023-24 Regular Season Balance Sheet;

…and finally, when all The fails to break the tie:

(5) a random drawing.

The four quarter-final games will be played on Tuesday, December 10th and Wednesday, December 11th.

The four winners will travel to Las Vegas, where the semifinals will take place on Saturday, December 14th. The NBA Cup championship game takes place on Tuesday, December 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. It will be the only game in the entire tournament that does not also factor into the participating teams’ regular season records or their players’ statistics.

However, the teams that don’t make it to Las Vegas won’t just be chilling at home. During the knockout round, on the days when no NBA Cup games are scheduled (December 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th), the 22 teams that did not qualify for the knockout rounds will compete .-o. round, two games each of the regular season. The four teams that lose in the quarterfinals also each play one regular season game against each other.

Here is the state of play in group play:

---

Gone until (next) November

We are now up to four teams eliminated.

The Pelicans were eliminated first after losing to the two teams that left them behind in West Group C by a margin that gave them the worst points difference in the West group. The wizardThe loss to the Bulls on Tuesday dropped them to 0-3 and out of contention in East Group C. The same applies to them jazzwhose defeat on Tuesday against Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs pushed them out of West Group B.

And even though they didn’t even play on Tuesday, they did Raptors were eliminated from the competition by the Bucks’ win over the Heat, which ensured Toronto couldn’t finish higher than third in East Group B. Eliminated on a free evening. Hard break, rapeseed.

---

Who sits nicely

The warrior were the first team to book their ticket to the knockout rounds and win West Group C.

The Rockets came to them on Tuesday and defeated the Timberwolves in overtime behind big games from Alperen Şengün and Fred VanVleet, improving to 3-0 with a West lead of +49 points and winning West Group A.

The dollar improved to 3-0 by outlasting the heat in Miami, without Superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. They didn’t win East Group B; The Pistons are 2-0, meaning the winner of the head-to-head clash between Milwaukee and Detroit on December 3rd will finish at the top of the group. Even if Cade Cunningham and Co. win, the Bucks – currently with a +29 point lead – are the second-best players in the East behind the Group A leaders magic – seem to have a good chance of getting a wildcard spot.

Also unbeaten so far: The Curtsyis 2-0 in East Group A, with a head-to-head game against the Magic at Madison Square Garden to conclude group play on December 3rd.

---

Who else is hunting?

With only four teams eliminated and two teams advancing, there are 24 teams remaining technically ready for a place in the knockout rounds.

The four undefeated teams mentioned above – Magic, Knicks, Bucks, Pistons – are in great shape. The outsider Didn’t win West Group C, but with 2-1 and a lead of +41 points they are still on their way to the wildcard.

There are three 2-1 teams in Group B of each conference – the Bulls, Hawks And Celtics in the East; The Suns, Lakers And Spurs in the West – plus a 1-1 team that is one of the best in the NBA so far this season (the Cavaliers And thunderrespectively).

The Hair clippers And Trailblazer Both are 1-1 and still are theoretically I’m ready for a wildcard spot. However, both have negative point differentials, giving them a very difficult path compared to so many other one-loss teams. For both to have a chance of exiting West Group A along with Houston, they will likely need to win their last two games, and do so by a comfortable margin… which could make a head-to-head duel particularly sharp on the final day of group play.

The teams are currently 1-2 or 0-2 – the 76s, networks, Hornets, heat, Pacemaker, Timberwolves, Kings, Nuggets And Grizzlies? Well, they’re going to need a lot of help.

---

East Group A

1. Orlando Magic (2-0)

• Remaining schedule: at the Nets, at the Knicks

• Important tiebreaker: +37 points difference (23 points ahead of New York)

2. New York Knicks (2-0)

3. Philadelphia 76ers (1-2)

4. Brooklyn Nets (1-2)

5. Charlotte Hornets (0-2)

---

East Group B

1. Milwaukee Bucks (3-0)

2. Detroit Pistons (2-0)

• Remaining schedule: Pacers vs. Bucks

• Hold the direct tiebreaker over Heat

3. Miami Heat (1-2)

4. Toronto Raptors (0-2)

5. Indiana Pacers (0-2)

---

East Group C

1. Chicago Bulls (2-1)

• Remaining schedule: vs. Celtics

• Hold the direct tiebreaker over the Hawks

• +15 point difference (one point ahead of Boston)

• Win Group C with a Cavaliers win AND a loss to the Hawks

2. Atlanta Hawks (2-1)

• Remaining schedule: vs. Cavaliers

• -1 point difference, But Hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Celtics

• Win Group C with a Bulls win AND a loss to the Celtics

3. Boston Celtics (2-1)

• Remaining schedule: at Bulls

• Hold the tiebreaker in the head-to-head race over the Cavaliers

• Win Group C with a Hawks win AND a loss to the Cavaliers

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1)

• Remaining schedule: Hawks vs. Wizards

• Hold the tiebreaker in the head-to-head race over the Bulls

• Win Group C with wins over the Hawks and Wizards AND a Celtics loss to the Hawks

5. Washington Wizards (0-3)

---

---

West Group A

1. Houston Rockets (3-0)

2. Portland Trail Blazers (1-1)

3. LA Clippers (1-1)

4. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-2)

5. Sacramento Kings (0-2)

---

West Group B

1. Phoenix Suns (2-1)

• Remaining schedule: vs. Spurs

• Hold the direct tiebreaker over the Lakers

• +19 points difference

• Win Group B with a win AND a Thunder loss

2. Los Angeles Lakers (2-1)

• Remaining schedule: vs. Thunder

• -16 point differential, But Hold the direct tiebreaker over Spurs

• Win Group B with a Suns win AND loss

3. San Antonio Spurs (2-1)

• Remaining schedule: at Suns

• Hold the direct tiebreaker over Thunder

• +14 point difference

• Win Group B with a Lakers win AND loss

4. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1)

• Remaining schedule: Lakers vs. Jazz

• Hold the tiebreaker in the head-to-head race over the Suns

• Win Group B with wins over the Lakers and a loss against the Jazz AND Spurs

5. Utah Jazz (0-3)

---

West Group C

1. Golden State Warriors (3-0)

2. Dallas Mavericks (2-1)

3. New Orleans Pelicans (1-2)

4. Denver Nuggets (1-2)

5. Memphis Grizzlies (0-2)

---

The schedule for Friday (all times Eastern)

Knicks at Hornets, Noon (NBA TV)

Cavaliers at Hawks, 2:30 p.m. (NBA TV)

Pelicans at Grizzlies, 5 p.m. (NBA TV)

Magic at Nets, 7:30 p.m

Clippers at Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Pistons at Pacers, 8 p.m

Raptors at Heat, 8 p.m

Celtics at Bulls, 8 p.m

Thunder at Lakers, 10 p.m. (ESPN)

Kings at Trail Blazers, 10 p.m