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Knockout Round Matchups Set For NBA Cup; Games Scheduled For Non-Quarterfinalists

December 4th, 2024 at 6:27am CST by Luke Adams

Following the conclusion of the group play games in the NBA Cup on Tuesday, the eight teams advancing to the knockout round have been set, and the quarterfinal games have been scheduled.

After the Warriors, Rockets, and Hawks previously clinched spots in the knockout round, the Thunder, Mavericks, Bucks, Knicks, and Magic joined them as a result of Tuesday’s outcomes. The quarterfinal matchups are as follows, per the NBA (Twitter links):

Eastern Conference:

Orlando Magic (No. 4) at Milwaukee Bucks (No. 1): Tuesday, December 10 (7 pm ET)
Atlanta Hawks (No. 3) at New York Knicks (No. 2): Wednesday, December 11 (7 pm ET)

Western Conference:

Dallas Mavericks (No. 4) at Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 1): Tuesday, December 10 (9:30 pm ET)
Golden State Warriors (No. 3) at Houston Rockets (No. 2): Wednesday, December 11 (9:30 pm ET)

While those four games will be played in the home team’s arena, the winners will advance to a neutral site for the final four. The semifinals (Dec. 14) and final (Dec. 17) will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The quarterfinal and semifinal results will count toward each team’s regular season record, whereas the final won’t. A team that loses in the quarterfinals will play the other quarterfinal loser in its conference in newly scheduled regular season games to make sure those clubs get the full 82.

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 (Twitter link):

Thursday, December 12:

Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (7:30 pm ET)
Toronto Raptors at Miami Heat (7:30 pm ET)
Sacramento Kings at New Orleans Pelicans (8 pm ET)

Friday, December 13:

Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers (7 pm ET)
Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers (7 pm ET)
Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota Timberwolves (8 pm ET)
Brooklyn Nets at Memphis Grizzlies (8 pm ET)
Charlotte Hornets at Chicago Bulls (8 pm ET)
Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets (9 pm ET)
Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz (9:30 pm ET)
San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers (10 pm ET)

Sunday, December 15:

New Orleans Pelicans at Indiana Pacers (5 pm ET)
Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards (6 pm ET)
Minnesota Timberwolves at San Antonio Spurs (7 pm ET)
Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns (8 pm ET)
Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers (9:30 pm ET)

Monday, December 16:

Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets (7 pm ET)
Miami Heat at Detroit Pistons (7 pm ET)
Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors (7:30 pm ET)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Brooklyn Nets (7:30 pm ET)
Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings (10 pm ET)
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 pm ET)

Pacific Notes: Harden, Nurkic, Durant, Ighodaro, Dunn, Green, Monk

December 2nd, 2024 at 9:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers re-signed James Harden on a two-year deal over the summer. It has turned into a wise move, as Harden has dominated games in Kawhi Leonard‘s absence.

Harden had 39 points in a 126-122 win against the Nuggets on Sunday. Last week, he erupted for a season-high 43 points in a road win against the Wizards.

“I’m feeling a lot better,” Harden told The Athletic’s Law Murray. “My role has changed. You know, I haven’t had this role in, four or five years. So it just took me some time to get there. But you guys can see us, game by game, I continue to get better.”

We have more from around the Pacific:

Suns center Jusuf Nurkic has been ruled out for at least a week due to a right thigh contusion, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. Nurkic has appeared in 16 games this season, averaging 8.9 points and 9.9 rebounds. Nurkic has a four-year, $70MM contract that runs through next season.
Suns forward Kevin Durant has been impressed with the contributions of rookies Oso Ighodaro and Ryan Dunn, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets. Dunn only attempted two shots in 20 minutes in a win over Golden State on Saturday but contributed four rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Ighodaro played 31 minutes off the bench and added six points and eight rebounds. “We expect that out of them. I think that’s what they bring to our team is that energy, that aggressiveness on defense, that physicality on defense….They’re setting a high standard for themselves every night,” Durant said.
Warriors forward Draymond Green didn’t practice Monday in Denver due to left calf tightness, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. He’s doubtful to play against the Nuggets on Tuesday, according to coach Steve Kerr, Slater tweets. Green hasn’t missed a game yet this season after appearing in just 55 regular season contests last season.
Malik Monk, one of the league’s top sixth men, made his first start since joining the Kings on Sunday. He played 37 minutes and supplied 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists but the Kings fell to San Antonio. Monk hadn’t started since he was in the Lakers’ lineup 37 times in 2021/22.

Steve Kerr Praises Devin Booker For Olympics Role

November 30th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Before tonight’s meeting with the Suns, Warriors coach Steve Kerr once again singled out Devin Booker for adjusting his game to complement the other elite players on the U.S. Olympic team (Twitter video link from PHNX Sports). “It’s not easy for a guy to adapt his normal role of go-to-guy, scorer and then to be asked to be a defender, connector and then thrive in that role,” Kerr said, “and then become a star when we needed him to become a star.”

Pacific Notes: Kawhi, Lakers, Crowder, Beal, Nurkic

November 30th, 2024 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is “progressing well” in his recovery from the right knee issue that has sidelined him this fall and postponed his season debut, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters on Friday (Twitter video link via Law Murray of The Athletic).

“He’s been able to get on the court and do some things on the court, which is good for us,” Lue said. “Just still checking every box, making sure he’s doing the right things and his workouts are really good. Making sure we don’t let it get to the next step until he checks those boxes. Our medical staff has done a great job with that, making sure that we make sure he’s 100% when he comes back.”

Following Paul George‘s departure in free agency and without Leonard available to open the season, the Clippers weren’t viewed as a serious contender in the Western Conference entering this season.

However, they’ve held their own in Kawhi’s absence, posting a 12-9 record through the first quarter of the season, good for eighth in a competitive Western Conference. Lue said on Friday that Leonard is “very excited” about what he’s seen from the team so far and is looking forward to helping out when he returns. Still, there’s no set timeline for when that will happen.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

When they replaced D’Angelo Russell with Cam Reddish in their starting lineup earlier this season, the Lakers were making an effort to solidify their defense. Their most recent lineup tweak – elevating rookie Dalton Knecht and moving Reddish back to the second unit – suggests they’re leaning more into their greatest strength, their offensive firepower, says Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Before being held to a season-low 93 points on Friday against the NBA’s No. 1 defense (Oklahoma City), the Lakers had the league’s fourth-best offensive rating (116.3).
James Ham of The Kings Beat takes a closer look at what newly added forward Jae Crowder brings to the table for the Kings, pointing out that the 34-year-old is the kind of defensive-minded veteran that head coach Mike Brown likes to rely on. Crowder figures to move from the starting five to the bench once DeMar DeRozan is healthy, but he’ll likely still get regular minutes, Ham writes.
Suns guard Bradley Beal appears to have avoided a major setback after exiting Wednesday’s game early due to calf and ankle soreness. As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter links) relays, Beal (left calf injury management) and Jusuf Nurkic (right quad contusion) are both officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s game vs. Golden State, though head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters on Friday that he viewed them as probable to play.

Pacific Notes: Crowder, Beal, Podziemski, Knecht, Reddish

November 28th, 2024 at 10:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

Jae Crowder went from being out of the league at the beginning of the week to starting for the Kings on Wednesday. After signing with the team earlier in the day, Crowder was immediately inserted into the lineup. The veteran forward played 27 minutes and contributed eight points, four rebounds and a steal as Sacramento defeated Minnesota to snap a four-game losing streak.

“He knows what it takes to win,” coach Mike Brown told Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. “Not only that, he’s a grown a– man, and he can guard fours, he can guard fives. If somebody gets going that’s in that realm, he ain’t going to back down. He’s going to fight that much harder. You saw it tonight. You’re not going to stop Julius Randle, but you got to fight him.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Bradley Beal had another injury setback on Wednesday. The Suns wing left their game midway through the fourth quarter with left calf and ankle soreness. Beal was playing just his second game since a five-game absence due to a calf strain. “He had a couple different times where he stepped on somebody’s foot,” Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said, per David Brandt of The Associated Press. “We’ll hope for the best, but I have no update right now.”
Warriors second-year guard Brandin Podziemski has been seeking guidance from mental coach Dr. Graig Chow, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Podziemski has been battling a shooting slump, resulting in reduced playing time. He has shown signs of coming out of his funk, including a 12-point, five-assist performance against Oklahoma City on Wednesday. “I think I’ve let the mental piece of it get to me a little bit,” Podziemski said. “Early on, when I was struggling, the first five, 10 games, I thought it was more physical. Like maybe I wasn’t putting enough into it. But everybody around here knows I’m one of, if not, the hardest workers and I put a lot into it. So I just thought outside the box. ‘Mentally, how can I get to where I want to get to?’ … And Dr. (Chow) has helped, obviously, a lot of people around here. And it doesn’t hurt to try and ask him. So he helped me give me a lot of different things that help me be my authentic self.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick tweaked his lineup on Wednesday, reinserting rookie Dalton Knecht and moving Cam Reddish to the bench. Knecht scored a game-high 20 points as Los Angeles cruised past San Antonio to end a two-game slide. “I’m very proud of our group,” Redick said, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “The response was great. And it’s funny because it’s literally what I talked about with them before the game. It’s just you got to let go of the past. You got to let go of the recent past and you got to get on to the next thing. And like they’ve done already on several occasions, they’ve responded.”

Return Of Durant, Beal Sparks Suns' Rout

November 27th, 2024 at 5:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tuesday’s return of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal has the Suns looking like an elite team again, observes Doug Haller of The Athletic. Durant and Beal sparked a 27-point rout of the Lakers in an NBA Cup game and provided a reminder of how good the team looked during its 8-1 start to the season. “I just wanted to be out there with the guys,” said Durant, who missed seven games with a strained left calf. “Wanted to travel. When you’re injured, you’re still a part of the team, you’re still on the roster, but there’s a level of separation you have (with guys who are playing). I just wanted to be part of the group again.”

Suns’ Durant, Beal On Track To Return Tuesday

November 25th, 2024 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Injured Suns stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal intend to return to Phoenix’s lineup on Tuesday when the team faces the Lakers in an NBA Cup matchup, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Durant and Beal have both been sidelined due to left calf strains. Durant last played on November 8, having missed the Suns’ past seven games, while Beal has been out since Nov. 12 and has been inactive for the club’s past five contests. Reporting on Friday indicated that both players were full participants in practice and were targeting Tuesday for their respective returns.

The Suns won eight of their first nine games this season with Durant in the lineup and the star forward playing at his usual All-NBA level, averaging 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks per night with an excellent shooting line of .553/.429/.836.

However, Phoenix has lost six of seven games with Durant on the shelf, including all five since Beal went down. The Suns are still firmly in the midst of the Western Conference playoff race at 9-7, but the hope is that having all three of their stars – Durant, Beal, and Devin Booker – back in the lineup will help fuel another hot streak.

Tuesday’s game against the Lakers is the third in a six-game home stand — the Suns will host the Nets on Wednesday, the Warriors on Saturday, and the Spurs on Tuesday before heading back out on the road to New Orleans, Miami, and Orlando.

The Suns will have to win on Tuesday if they hope to advance to the knockout round of the NBA Cup. They’re 1-1 in the in-season tournament so far, while the 2-0 Lakers are the only undefeated team in West Group B. A win tomorrow would give Phoenix the tiebreaker edge over L.A.

Injury Notes: Morant, Embiid, Bridges, Durant, Beal, M. Jones

November 22nd, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (hip) is listed as doubtful to play on Saturday vs. Chicago, but the plan is for him to get workouts in during the coming days and potentially return early on in Memphis’ four-game homestand that begins on Monday, per Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link).

As Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian observes (via Twitter), the fact that Morant is considered doubtful for Saturday instead of being ruled out entirely suggests he’s getting closer and that a Monday return is in play.

Morant has been sidelined since November 6, but the Grizzlies have held their own in his absence, winning four of seven games. They’re 9-7 overall this season, putting them in a three-way tie with the Suns and Clippers for the No. 6 spot in the West entering Friday’s action.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from across the NBA:

The 2-12 Sixers will be down two stars on Friday vs. Brooklyn as they look to snap a five-game losing streak. Center Joel Embiid has been ruled out due to left knee injury management, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports. He’ll join forward Paul George (knee bone bruise) on the sidelines, with third star Tyrese Maxey active but still on a minutes limit.
Hornets forward Miles Bridges stepped on a foot and aggravated his right knee bone bruise on Tuesday, according to the team (Twitter link). Bridges, who missed Thursday’s game, will remain on the shelf a little longer. The Hornets say he’ll be reevaluated one week after suffering the injury, which would be next Tuesday (Nov. 26).
Injured Suns stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal were full participants in Friday’s practice and did 3-on-3 work, head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters, including Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The hope is that Durant and Beal – both out due to left calf strains – will be able to play 5-on-5 on Sunday and be activated for Tuesday’s game vs. the Lakers, Rankin adds.
Kings two-way guard Mason Jones sustained a right hamstring strain in a G League game on Wednesday, according to the team (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). Jones, who has seen limited action in three games for Sacramento this season, will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days.

Pacific Notes: Waters, Powell, Hachimura, Hayes, Booker

November 21st, 2024 at 10:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

With De’Anthony Melton out for the season due to a knee injury, Warriors coach Steve Kerr has at least temporarily decided to go with Lindy Waters III as the team’s starting shooting guard, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. Waters, who started the past three games, has impressed Kerr with his ability to move without the ball, cut to open space and space the floor.

It’s quite a surprise that Waters has become such a valuable member of the team. He was acquired from the Thunder in a draft-day trade for a late second-round pick.

“He’s a good fit in that (starting) group,” Kerr said. “I like bringing Buddy (Hield) off the bench.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Norman Powell missed the Clippers’ game against the Magic on Wednesday and will also miss Friday’s contest against the Kings, according to The Associated Press. Powell, who is averaging a career-best and team-leading 23.3 points, is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Rui Hachimura has been sidelined by a sprained left ankle, missing three games, and Jaxson Hayes has been sidelined for four games since spraining his right ankle during a practice. Lakers coach J.J. Redick is hopeful both players will return to action next week, according to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register.
Kerr made a point of telling the media at the Paris Olympics that Suns guard Devin Booker was the “unsung MVP” for Team USA. Booker appreciated the praise, he told Marc Spears of Andscape. “It meant everything. No one really asked him,” Booker said. “That was probably something that was weighing on his heart throughout the whole process. I said it a year prior what I wanted to do for that team and what we want to do for the country.” Booker’s aim now is to win a championship, something that many of his Olympic teammates have already achieved. “Most of the guys that were there, they have done it,” Booker said. “They have been champs. That is the standard for them. Anything less than that, they don’t want nothing to do with it. It’s contagious … It’s all I want.”

Western Notes: Durant, Beal, Rockets, Giannis, Marshall, Pelicans

November 20th, 2024 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s optimism that Kevin Durant will be able to return from his left calf strain at some point next week, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link), who suggests the Suns star could be back on the court as soon as Tuesday for an NBA Cup matchup with the Lakers.

There’s also optimism that Bradley Beal, who is dealing with a left calf strain of his own, will be able to return at some point next week, says Charania.

After taking on the Knicks on Wednesday in Phoenix, the Suns will have five days off before facing the Lakers, so if Durant can make it back for that Tuesday game, he’ll only be sidelined for one more contest. That would be great news for the Suns, who got off to an 8-1 start with Durant in the lineup and have gone 1-5 since he went down.

Here are a few more notes from around the Western Conference:

The Rockets aren’t interested in breaking up their core to acquire Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). The report is presumably a response to Marc Stein saying that rival teams are keeping an eye on Houston as a possible Antetokounmpo suitor should he become available. However, given that Giannis isn’t actually available and Houston’s “core” isn’t precisely defined, it reads less like the Rockets are taking a hard-line position they’ll stick to in hypothetical negotiations down the road and more like they simply want to express how highly they value their young players.
Mavericks forward Naji Marshall admitted he was “a little bit excited” to play the Pelicans on Tuesday, since it was his first time since entering the NBA that he got a chance to face a former team, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Marshall, who had 15 points and three steals as Dallas secured a blowout win, said he has enjoyed seeing several former teammates who arrived in New Orleans around the same time as him secure contract extensions. “It’s crazy to see how it panned out,” Marshall said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “Herb (Jones) is somebody. Jose (Alvarado). Trey (Murphy). Me. It’s a blessing. It’s something you dream about literally. When we were kids, wondering if we were going to be here or not. To see it all pan out and go in our favor is amazing.”
Reinforcements should be coming soon for the injury-plagued Pelicans, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic, who says CJ McCollum could be back as soon as this Friday, with Jones and Jordan Hawkins to follow in the coming weeks. There’s hope that the team will be mostly healthy early next month, Guillory writes, though Alvarado’s and Zion Williamson‘s absences will likely extend beyond that. As Guillory details, if and when the Pelicans get back to full strength, the pressure will be on head coach Willie Green to get the team back into playoff contention.