The New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks secured their spots in the knockout round of the NBA Cup after completing clean sweeps of their respective groups, while the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, were eliminated.
The Knicks achieved a convincing 121-106 victory over the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden, ending East Group A undefeated and earning home-court advantage for the quarter-finals. Karl-Anthony Towns led with 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Josh Hart added a triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Although the Magic lost, they qualified for the East wild card based on point differential over the Celtics, both finishing the group stage with a 3-1 record.
Meanwhile, the Bucks triumphed over the Detroit Pistons 128-107, remaining undefeated in East Group B thanks to standout performances from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Antetokounmpo contributed 28 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists, while Lillard scored 27. The Bucks hit 23 three-pointers in their seventh straight win and will host the Orlando Magic in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
In other action, Luka Doncic’s impressive 37 points led the Dallas Mavericks to overcome a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 to secure the West wild card. They will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who dominated the Utah Jazz 133-106 to finish first in West Group B over the Phoenix Suns.
The Knicks will play against the Atlanta Hawks, who topped East Group C ahead of the Celtics, on Wednesday. The quarter-final matchups will also feature the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors, who advanced despite losses to the Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets, respectively.
The winners of the quarter-finals will progress to the semi-finals on December 14 in Las Vegas, with the finals scheduled for December 17 in the same city.
In other games on Tuesday, the LA Clippers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 127-105, the Phoenix Suns won against the San Antonio Spurs 104-93, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Washington Wizards 118-87.
The Philadelphia 76ers also claimed victory on the road against the Charlotte Hornets, winning 110-104, while the Toronto Raptors triumphed over the Indiana Pacers 122-111.