Clippers Notes: Struggles, Powell, Harden, Zubac
The Clippers went just 2-13 in November, making it one of the worst months in franchise history, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. As Murray observes, the Clippers have had 13 or more losses in a month in the past, but none of the other versions of the team that achieved that ignominious feat had the sort of expectations entering the season that this one did.
Injuries have resulted in the Clippers relying on certain players more than they wanted to, Murray notes, with John Collins and Kris Dunn having entered the starting lineup in recent weeks despite head coach Tyronn Lue determining before the season that he preferred having both players coming off the bench.
Many of the Clippers’ offseason additions also haven’t worked out as expected. Center Brook Lopez and point guard Chris Paul have very much shown their age and have fallen out the rotation, while shooting guard Bradley Beal suffered a hip injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season.
A defense anchored by Ivica Zubac was one of L.A.’s strengths last season, when the team finished third in defensive rating. However, the Clippers have plummeted to 27th in that category this season, according to Murray, who writes that the club doesn’t get back on defense, doesn’t defend three-pointers or rebound well, and doesn’t force turnovers.
Here’s more on the struggling Clippers:
- The Clippers’ December began the same way their November did — with a loss at the hands of the Heat, led by former Clipper Norman Powell. Powell scored a team-high 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting and was a +33 in his 32 minutes on the court, as his former club fell to 5-16 on the season. “I would have never guessed that they were going to be 5-16 and where they’re at right now,” Powell said after the game, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
- As Reynolds details, after the Heat opened the second half on a 9-0 run on Monday, Lue pulled his entire starting five just 86 seconds into the third quarter. Four of those five players eventually got back into the game, but James Harden – who had five turnovers and was a -39 in 20 minutes – didn’t return. According to Reynolds, Lue entered the post-game interview room almost immediately after the game ended, didn’t see anyone there, and left, so there wasn’t an opportunity to ask him about the lineup decision.
- As bad as the season has gone for the Clippers, they’re in a decent position to pivot away from their current roster if they’re not able to turn things around in the coming weeks, writes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). While the Clippers don’t control several of their own draft picks in the next few years – including, most notably, the 2026 first-round pick they owe the Thunder – they also don’t have any long-term salary obligations on their books and could probably extract solid value for some of their veterans on the trade market. Zubac, in particular, would be a very popular target, given his age (28) and team-friendly contract (three years, $58.7MM).
Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson Named Players Of Week
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Doncic led the Lakers to three wins during the week of November 24-30 while averaging 37.3 points, 10.3 assists and 8.7 rebounds per contest. Those performances, which included a 43-point outburst against the Clippers, increased his league-leading scoring average to 35.1 points per game.
Brunson lifted the Knicks to four wins by averaging 28.8 points and 4.5 assists per game while knocking down 40.7 percent of his three-point attempts. He matched his season high on Friday by racking up 37 points against Milwaukee.
Doncic and Brunson, of course, were backcourt partners in Dallas. Brunson has earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors seven times since joining the Knicks, while this is the first time Doncic has achieved the feat since becoming a Laker.
The other nominees in the West were Zach Edey (Grizzlies), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jamal Murray (Nuggets) and Austin Reaves (Lakers).
Desmond Bane (Magic), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Tyler Herro (Heat), Jalen Johnson (Hawks) and Pascal Siakam (Pacers) were also nominated in the East.
Heat Notes: Herro, Jovic, Robinson, Rozier
The Heat are 2-1 since Tyler Herro made his season debut following his recovery from ankle surgery. However, the team’s back-to-back 106-point showings in their two wins were well below what the high-scoring Miami offense had been accustomed to this fall, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
After scoring a league-leading 124.9 points per game and playing at a league-fastest pace of 106.38 possessions per 48 minutes through their first 17 contests, the Heat had two of their lowest-scoring and slowest-paced games in those victories over Dallas and Milwaukee. Herro is aware of that drop-off despite the success in the win column, and is trying to find the balance between playing his game and adjusting to the new offensive ecosystem.
“I want to score 150, as well,” Herro said. “That looked like a lot of fun on the bench. So I’m trying to make it work. I’m not here to take over the offense or do anything. I told all the guys to just continue to play the same way, and I’ll find my spots and fit in as I can.”
Head coach Erik Spoelstra said the scoring dip was unrelated to Herro’s return.
“It’s not because Tyler is coming back,” Spoelstra said. “It’s because teams will try to scheme against what we’re trying to do. Teams will try to slow us down, and we just need to be better at what we do.”
Miami scored 135 points on Saturday, but allowed 138 in a close loss to Detroit.
We have more from the Heat:
- With Miami finally back at full strength for the first time on Wednesday’s game, someone was bound to lose their spot in the rotation, and that turned out to be Nikola Jovic, Chiang writes in the same article. “I’m good,” Jovic said. “It’s something that happens, you know, I guess every season now. I’ll be back. I’ll get back on the court again. I’ll get a chance and I’ll show that I can play again. And then the circle comes around.” The fourth-year forward played 10 minutes in the following game, scoring two points on three shots. Even though he signed a four-year extension this summer, Jovic’s role and minutes continue to fluctuate. His playing time dropped from 22.6 MPG over his first 11 games to 15.0 MPG over his last four outings.
- Duncan Robinson played against the Heat for the first time in his career on Saturday and scored 18 points with five assists and five rebounds. Coming into the game, he knew it would be strange, but still felt that things had worked out for the best, according to Chiang. “I had been in every trade rumor under the sun throughout my time, and it never happened,” Robinson said. “And I started to sort of live in this reality or this world where, maybe not reality, where I was just always going to be there… I think undoubtedly this is probably the best thing and the right thing, maybe arguably for both organizations — myself and the Heat. It doesn’t mean that I’m not grateful for my time there. But I’m really excited and thrilled for where I’m at now, and excited to be a part of this young and hungry Pistons team.“
- Terry Rozier has fulfilled one of his legal obligations in his ongoing legal troubles, as the IRS confirmed in late October the satisfaction of an $8.2MM tax lien, writes Daniel Libit for Sportico. Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, stated at the time that Rozier only actually owed $9,000 on the lien and that he’d already paid it off and was just waiting for the IRS to remove it.
Duncan Robinson: Return To Miami Will Be Fun, Weird
Duncan Robinson spent his first seven NBA seasons with the Heat. He’ll return to Miami for the first time in a different uniform when the Pistons visit on Saturday night.
“I’m excited. It is definitely going to be a fun experience, but weird. I have so much rhythm and flow of being on the other side of that building, it’s going to be interesting,” Robinson told The Detroit News’ Coty Davis. “But, I am excited, especially the chance to go in there with this group, go out there and try to get a win.”
Robinson wound up in Detroit as part of a sign-and-trade at the beginning of free agency. Robinson terminated his contract with the Heat in order to become a free agent. Had Robinson opted into the final year of his deal, his $19.9MM salary for ’25/26 would have become partially guaranteed for $9.9MM, which would have forced Miami to decide whether to guarantee his remaining $10MM or waive him in order to create $10MM in savings.
He signed a three-year, $48MM deal with Detroit. It’s only partially guaranteed in year two and non-guaranteed in year three.
Robinson has started all 19 games with the Pistons, averaging 12.3 points per contest. He’s shooting 40.6% from beyond the arc but feels he can do more.
“We are still working through some things, building synergy on both sides of the ball,” Robinson said. “We have a system on both ends that we are trying to play to. The goal throughout the season is to optimize that. From an individual standpoint, continue to become more comfortable and aggressive and find my spots.”
Robinson appreciates the time he spent in the Heat organization.
“Heat culture is all about maximizing every day, putting your best foot forward and taking advantage of every opportunity,” Robinson said. “Pat (Riley) is a legend himself. I was a beneficiary of the stability of that organization and learned a lot.”
The Heat’s coach still keeps close tabs on his former player.
“It’ll be strange,” Erik Spoelstra said, per Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “I catch a lot of their games and I’ve watched their highlights a lot. I still root for Duncan. He’s one of the great success stories from our building. I wrote him a note after the deal, and I’ve told him this before, but I really do think his story is so inspirational that eventually it can be a book, a movie.”
Robinson holds the Heat franchise record with 1,202 made three-pointers after initially joining the team as an undrafted free agent.
“That just doesn’t happen, where you come from Division III, then transfer, be a sixth man (at Michigan), and then to come into the league and get to 1,000 threes as quickly as he did and break our record for threes, and then he’s going to continue to go,” Spoelstra said. “That’s just a credit to his fortitude and grit, just an amazing super power. So I do root for him, but it looks strange, him in that uniform, it really does.”
The franchise will show a Robinson tribute video prior to the contest, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets.
Field Set For NBA Cup Knockout Round
The group stage of the NBA Cup was completed on Friday, determining the matchups for the knockout round.
In the East, Group B winner — the Magic — captured the No. 1 seed. The Raptors, the Group A victor, snared the No. 2 seed with the Knicks, who emerged from Group C, in the No. 3 slot. The Heat earned the wild card bid and No. 4 seed.
On the West side, the Thunder grabbed the No. 1 seed after taking Group A. The Lakers, who won Group B, got the No. 2 seed with the Spurs, the Group C winner, nailing down the No. 3 seed. The Suns collected the wild card bid and No. 4 seed.
[RELATED: Details On NBA Cup Prize Money For 2025/26]
Here is the knockout round schedule, per NBA.com:
Quarterfinals
- December 9
- No. 4 Heat at No. 1 Magic (6:00 p.m. ET)
- No. 3 Knicks at No. 2 Raptors (8:30 p.m. ET)
- December 10
- No. 4 Suns at No. 1 Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET)
- No. 3 Spurs at No. 2 Lakers (10:00 p.m. ET)
Semifinals
Saturday, Dec. 13 (Las Vegas)
Championship
Tuesday, Dec. 16 (Las Vegas)
Meanwhile, the 22 teams who did not advance to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup have each had two regular season games added to their initial 80 to fill that mid-December gap on their schedules.
Here are the newly added games for those clubs, according to the league:
December 11:
- L.A. Clippers at Houston Rockets
- Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks
- Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans
- Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings
December 12:
- Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets
- Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers
- Cleveland Cavaliers at Washington Wizards
- Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies
- Brooklyn Nets at Dallas Mavericks
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors
December 14:
- Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers
- Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets at Cleveland Cavaliers
- Milwaukee Bucks at Brooklyn Nets
- Sacramento Kings at Minnesota Timberwolves
- Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers
December 15:
- Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics
- New Orleans Pelicans at Chicago Bulls
- Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz
- Houston Rockets at Denver Nuggets
- Memphis Grizzlies at L.A. Clippers
Regular season games for NBA Cup quarterfinalists:
- If Toronto and Orlando advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Miami at New York game will be played on Dec. 14
- If Toronto and Miami advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Orlando at New York game will be played on Dec. 14
- If New York and Orlando advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Toronto at Miami game will be played on Dec. 15
- If New York and Miami advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Toronto at Orlando game will be played on Dec. 15
- If San Antonio and Oklahoma City advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the L.A. Lakers at Phoenix game will be played on Dec. 14
- If San Antonio and Phoenix advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City game will be played on Dec. 14
- If L.A. Lakers and Oklahoma City advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Phoenix at San Antonio game will be played on Dec. 15
- If L.A. Lakers and Phoenix advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Oklahoma City at San Antonio game will be played on Dec. 15
Josh Christopher Signs G League Deal, Rejoins Heat’s Affiliate
Free agent Josh Christopher has signed a G League contract and has been reacquired by the Heat‘s affiliate team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce announced in a press release.
According to the Skyforce, Christopher is expected to make his 2025/26 debut on Saturday against the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s affiliate.
A 6’4″ shooting guard, Christopher is a former first-round pick, having been selected No. 24 overall in the 2021 draft. He spent all of ’24/25 on a two-way contract with the Heat, though he rarely played for Miami, making just 14 NBA appearances for 69 total minutes (4.9 minutes per game).
Christopher, who turns 24 years old on December 8, had a much more robust role for the Skyforce last season. In 36 total games (35.9 MPG), he averaged 23.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.1 steals, with a shooting slash line of .443/.314/.793. The former Arizona State guard was named to the All-NBA G League Third Team in April.
Most of Christopher’s NBA experience came with Houston, the team that drafted him. He holds career averages of 6.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG and 1.5 SPG in 152 games (14.4 MPG) and remains an NBA free agent despite his new NBAGL contract.
Siegel’s Latest: DeRozan, Sabonis, Wolves, Claxton, Kuminga, Wiggins
Of the three Kings veteran stars considered in-season trade candidates, DeMar DeRozan looks like the one most likely to be on the move ahead of the February 5 deadline, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
As Siegel explains, DeRozan’s relatively team-friendly contract structure – $24.6MM this season and a $10MM partial guarantee on his $25.7MM salary for 2026/27 – makes him a more manageable investment for most clubs than either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis. LaVine is earning $47.5MM this season, with a $49MM player option for ’26/27, while Sabonis will be owed $94MM over the next two seasons after making $42.3MM in ’25/26.
The Bucks, Clippers, Heat, Trail Blazers, and Grizzlies are some of the potential suitors to watch for DeRozan, says Siegel, though he doesn’t explicitly state that all those clubs have shown interest in the veteran forward.
Sabonis, who is currently on the shelf with a meniscus tear, will likely have to show he’s healthy before drawing real interest on the trade market. According to Siegel, the Sacramento big man isn’t expected to begin the return-to-play portion of his recovery process until sometime around Christmas.
Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA, courtesy of Siegel:
- There’s a “growing sense” that the Timberwolves would be willing to sell high on forward Julius Randle in the right deal this season, Siegel writes. Minnesota is known to be on the lookout for a point guard, having checked in on Ja Morant. The team has also inquired about Cavaliers guard Darius Garland for the past year-plus, sources tell Siegel. However, the Wolves’ lack of tradable first-round picks will be complicate their ability to make any major moves.
- Nets center Nic Claxton is considered a trade candidate and has come up in discussions with sources around the NBA as a possible Warriors target, Siegel writes. However, given that the Nets showed no interest in pursuing Jonathan Kuminga using their cap room when he was a restricted free agent over the summer, it doesn’t appear the fifth-year forward would be a target for Brooklyn. Claxton has also been considered a potential Lakers target dating back to last season, Siegel notes.
- The Pacers are among the teams that have been keeping an eye on Kuminga, having “quietly” scouted him since the start of last season, according to Siegel, who wonders if the Warriors would have any interest in a deal involving Bennedict Mathurin. There’s a sense around the league that Indiana might look to move a player like Mathurin, Jarace Walker, or Obi Toppin due in part to the club’s cap situation going forward, Siegel adds.
- The Warriors are known to have interest in forwards Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones and will likely talk to the Pelicans during the season, Siegel writes. It’s unclear if New Orleans would be open to moving either Murphy or Jones, but they represent the sort of “versatile wings” that Golden State will likely be targeting in a Kuminga trade, Siegel explains.
- If the Heat were to trade Andrew Wiggins this season, they’d be seeking a first-round pick, plus a player or two who could step into their rotation and be a positive contributor, per Siegel. The Lakers were linked to Wiggins during the offseason and the Bucks also inquired about him, Siegel reports, but Miami hasn’t had any serious trade talks about the veteran forward as of late.
Heat Notes: Powell, Herro, Starters, Rotation, Spoelstra
Veteran wing Norman Powell almost immediately felt at home with the Heat after being acquired in an offseason trade, writes Mirin Fader of The Athletic. The 32-year-old is having a career year in his first season with Miami, averaging 24.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .494/.441/.884 shooting through 15 games (30.4 minutes per contest).
“I don’t mean to say anything in the wrong way, but this is like the purest form of basketball that I’ve played in a long time where you got no schemes of like, we’re trying to get this player going every single time down,” Powell said. “We’re playing in the flow, we’re playing for each other, we’re playing basketball the right way, we’re competing on both sides of the floor.”
Heat coaches and players admire that Powell continues to push himself to get better in his 11th NBA season, Fader adds.
“He has an open mind,” says Wayne Ellington, a Heat assistant coach and former NBA player. “He wants to learn and continue to grow even though he had a great experience already. … He always listens and is super coachable.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Tyler Herro shined once again on Wednesday after a stellar season debut on Monday, observes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The 25-year-old guard finished with 29 points (on 9-of-15 shooting), seven assists and five rebounds in 32 minutes in the win over Milwaukee. “I’m just trying to play off the catch,” he said. “I did that last year as well, and then that’s what I’m doing right now. I’m just trying to play off the catch and trying to create advantages in transition where I can get downhill or get to my spot before the defense gets set. And then in the half court, I’m just trying to make the right play. I feel like as I get my legs and my feet under me, I’m going to be able to play-make more and get into the paint more. I still have to strengthen my foot and feel fully comfortable jumping off my foot and exploding off my foot. It’s going to be a process for a couple weeks until I can fully feel comfortable.”
- With a fully healthy roster on Wednesday, head coach Erik Spoelstra suggested the starting lineup might be matchup-based going forward, with the rotation remaining fluid as well, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. As Winderman notes, second-year center Kel’el Ware was moved to the second unit after starting nine of the past 10 games, while forward Nikola Jovic wasn’t part of the 10-man rotation in his first game back from a right hip injury. “None of it will be in cement and I don’t feel pressure to make it cement, whether it’s the starting lineup or whether it’s the rotation once we get into the bench,” Spoelstra said. “I’ve said it since the first day of training camp, we feel that our depth is one of our best strengths and we want to weaponize that.”
- Wednesday’s win was the 800th of Spoelstra’s carer, making him the 17th coach in league history to reach that threshold, Winderman relays in another story. “It hasn’t sunk in yet, because I wasn’t aware of it,” Spoelstra said after the team’s sixth straight win. “But yeah, I guess it’s fitting that it comes on the eve of Thanksgiving. Like, I just feel incredible gratitude for this organization and all of these years, where the years are going by so fast. I’m having a hell of a time. I love what I do, I love coaching, I love this profession, I love working for this organization, I love working for, and with, amazing players and staff, like we have — too many to count over the years.”
Six NBA Cup Quarterfinal Spots Up For Grabs On Friday
After the NBA takes Thanksgiving off on Thursday, the final group stage games of this year’s NBA Cup take place on Friday, with 22 teams in action (eight teams have already wrapped up their four-game schedules).
Although 49 of the 60 group stage contests have been played so far, we still only know two of the eight clubs that will advance to the knockout round of the in-season tournament — the Raptors have clinched Eastern Conference Group A, while the Lakers have locked up Western Conference Group B.
[RELATED: Details On NBA Cup Prize Money For 2025]
That leaves six quarterfinal spots up for grabs on Friday, with 12 teams still in the running for them. Here’s a breakdown of how those 12 teams can qualify for the knockout round:
(Note: The first two tiebreakers for teams with the same records are head-to-head results and point differential).
Eastern Conference Group A
- Although Toronto has secured its spot atop this group, the Cavaliers (2-1 record, +33 point differential) remain in the hunt for the East’s wild card berth. The Cavs will play in Atlanta on Friday and would be pretty well positioned for that wild card spot if they can pick up a win — especially if they blow out the Hawks in the process and their point differential continues to grow.
Eastern Conference Group B
- The Magic (3-0, +61) will visit the Pistons (2-1, +24) on Friday, with the winner of that game claiming Group B. Wild card hopefuls from other Eastern Conference groups will be rooting for Orlando, since the Magic would still be in great shape for a wild card spot with a loss in Detroit — as long as they don’t lose by a ton.
Eastern Conference Group C
- Three teams are still alive in Group C, with the Knicks (2-1, +26) and Bucks (2-1, +13) both vying to become the first team to make the quarterfinals in three consecutive NBA Cups. The Heat (3-1, +49) currently sit atop the group though and would win it if Milwaukee beats New York on Friday, since the Heat hold the tiebreaker over the Bucks. The Knicks beat the Heat earlier in group play, however, so a win over Milwaukee would give New York the top spot in Group C.
- While the Bucks technically still have a path to the East’s wild card spot, their modest point differential will make it an uphill battle. Milwaukee would need a win in New York and might need both Cleveland and Detroit to lose too.
Western Conference Group A
- The Thunder (3-0, +71) will host the Suns (3-0, +35) on Friday, with the winner of that game clinching West Group A. Given the two teams’ strong point differentials, it’s very possible the loser of this game will be the West’s wild card team, though a lopsided loss would hurt Phoenix’s chances. That +71 mark gives Oklahoma City far more breathing room, so it would be a shock if the defending champs don’t advance.
Western Conference Group B
- The Lakers have clinched this group, but the Grizzlies (2-1, +9) and Clippers (2-1, -15) haven’t been eliminated from wild card contention yet. They’ll face one another in L.A. on Friday and the winner will finish group play with a 3-1 record. Still, that team could be hard-pressed to surpass the loser of the OKC/Phoenix showdown in overall point differential, so it’s very possible neither the Grizzlies nor the Clippers advance.
Western Conference Group C
- The equation is simple in West Group C, where the Spurs (2-1, +23) are visiting the Nuggets (2-1, +26) with the group crown on the line. The winner of that game will make the quarterfinals, while the loser will be eliminated.
Lakers Become Second Team To Secure Spot In NBA Cup Quarterfinals
With their 135-118 win over the rival Clippers on Tuesday, the Lakers moved to 3-0 in NBA Cup group play and clinched their spot atop Western Conference Group B. They’re the second team to secure a place in the knockout round, joining the Raptors.
As Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group writes, the Lakers’ “big three” propelled the team to victory on Tuesday. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James combined for an impressive 99 points, 24 rebounds, and 22 assists, with Doncic (43 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds) leading the way.
The Lakers have one more round-robin NBA Cup matchup this Friday, against Dallas, but the 1-2 Mavericks can’t catch them in the group standings, and neither can the 1-1 Grizzlies or 0-3 Pelicans. The Clippers dropped to 2-1 in NBA Cup group play as a result of Tuesday’s loss, which gave the Lakers the tiebreaker edge.
The Lakers would be assured of hosting their quarterfinal game if they defeat the Mavs on Friday.
The final NBA Cup group play contests will take place on Wednesday and Friday, with six quarterfinal spots still up for grabs — three in each conference. Here are a few details on the races for those spots:
- The Thunder (2-0), Suns (2-0), and Timberwolves (2-1) are battling for Western Conference Group A, with Oklahoma City set to host the Wolves on Wednesday and the Suns on Friday. A win in Sacramento on Wednesday would put the Suns in good position to advance to the knockout round even if they fall to OKC on Friday.
- The Trail Blazers are below .500 on the season but are in the driver’s seat in West Group C — they’re 2-1 in group play so far and can win the group with a victory over the Spurs (1-1) on Wednesday. If San Antonio wins that game, the Spurs would face the 2-1 Nuggets on Friday with the Group C crown on the line.
- In the East, the Magic (3-0) and Pistons (2-0) are vying for control of Group B and will face each other on Friday. Detroit would win the group with a victory over Orlando, even if the Pistons drop Wednesday’s game to Boston.
- In Eastern Conference Group C, the 2-0 Bucks and 1-1 Knicks are each looking to become the first team to make the NBA Cup knockout round in three straight seasons, but the 2-1 Heat are in the mix too. Milwaukee will visit Miami on Wednesday and New York on Friday, and there’s a chance that superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will be back for those games.