What result do the Knicks need to qualify to the knockout round of the NBA Cup 2024? Every possible outcome
The New York Knicks face the Orlando Magic at MSG on Tuesday and know exactly what they need to do to reach the quarterfinals.
The group stage of the 2024 NBA Cup reaches its conclusion on Tuesday (December 3), with the game between the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden in East Group A one of the most eye-catching.
Which teams qualify for the 2024 NBA Cup quarterfinals?
As well as the six group winners, one second-placed team from each conference will also qualify for the last eight.
Which teams have already qualified?
Going into the final day of group-stage play, on which there will be 11 match-ups, the Atlanta Hawks (East Group C), the Houston Rockets (West Group A) and the Golden State Warriors (West Group C) cannot be overtaken as group winners and, as a result, are already assured of their places in the knockout stage.
let’s keep it rollin’ ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/2HP04we9we
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 2, 2024
Magic-Knicks NBA Cup permuations
The Magic-Knicks game at MSG will provide another qualifier, as the two teams are 3-0 from their first three group games. That means whichever team emerges victorious in New York will win East Group A and progress to the quarterfinals.
If the Magic lose to the Knicks, there is still a very good chance they will go through as the Eastern conference’s best second-place team due to their huge point differential (+60 after three games), which is the first tiebreaker.
A 38-point defeat would allow the Boston Celtics (+23) to qualify at Orlando’s expense, although their exact margin for error could be slightly less depending on the outcome of the East Group B game between the Milwaukee Bucks (3-0, +29) and the Detroit Pistons (3-0,+28).
Tuesday’s #EmiratesNBACup slate for the final night of Group Play 🍿
— NBA (@NBA) December 3, 2024
🏆 The 5 remaining Knockout Round spots will be determined (Hawks, Rockets, Warriors all clinched)
🏆 3-0 Magic visit 3-0 Knicks, winner clinches East Group A
🏆 3-0 Pistons host 3-0 Bucks, winner clinches East… pic.twitter.com/6hxKwjoEVw
The result the Knicks need against the Magic
As for the Knicks, their predicament is simple: win or go home. Because New York’s point differential is only +15, they go into Tuesday’s game knowing they will be worse off in the ranking of second-placed teams than the Celtics (and potentially the Bucks or the Pistons) if they are beaten by the Magic.
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