The day is finally here; the NBA Cup gets underway on Tuesday night with the first night of group play. Last year’s Cup - or In-Season Tournament as it was called - was a big hit, with the Lakers eventually taking home the title over the Pacers.
The Nuggets were drawn into the Western Conference’s Group C along with the New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, and Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets will play each of the other four teams and the team with the best record in the group will advance. If there is a tie, it will be broken by point differential.
There is still an opportunity for a wild card, but that means having the next-best record and point differential among all the groups. If the Nuggets want to advance, they are realistically going to have to win at least three of these games, and likely by a wide margin.
While most of the league gets their NBA Cup schedule underway tonight, the Nuggets are off and will start their campaign on Friday night against the Pelicans in New Orleans. The Pels have gotten off to a slow start this season and they’re already dealing with a bevy of injuries. No team should be overlooked, but Denver should have a good chance to get off on the right foot.
Nuggets’ NBA Cup Schedule
Friday, November 15: Nuggets @ Pelicans 7 PM MT
Tuesday, November 19: Nuggets @ Grizzlies 7 PM MT
Friday, November 22: Nuggets vs. Mavericks 6 PM MT
Tuesday, December 3: Nuggets vs. Warriors 6 PM MT
The Nuggets have a tough group here, but that’s just the reality of the Western Conference this season. There aren’t many easy games in the West, so the Nuggets will have to make sure to take advantage of opportunities such as the game against New Orleans.
Nuggets’ NBA Cup Results
*This section will be updated as games are played*
Pelicans 101 - Nuggets 94
Nuggets 122 - Grizzlies 110
Mavericks 123 - Mavericks 120
Nuggets 119 - Warriors 115
Nugget’s NBA Cup Group C Standings
*This section will be updated as games are played*
1. Golden State Warriors (3-1, Point Differential: +8) *Clinched Group
2. Dallas Mavericks (3-1, PD: +46) *Cinched Wild Card
3. Denver Nuggets (2-2, PD: +6) *Eliminated
4. Memphis Grizzlies (1-3, PD: -11) *Eliminated
5. New Olreans Pelicans (1-3, PD: -49) *Eliminated