The Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, and Dallas Mavericks had exciting wins in NBA Cup play on Tuesday night. The Bucks swept Group B in the East by defeating the Detroit Pistons 128-107. The Magic nearly blew their chance to advance by losing to the New York Knicks 121-106 but still secured a spot in the quarterfinals. The Mavericks played their way back into the tournament with a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Bucks, who started the season poorly, have won nine of their last 10 games. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team with 28 points. The Pistons, under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff, struggled to continue their surprising season. The Magic, led by Franz Wagner, had won 12 of their last 13 games but almost missed out on the quarterfinals.
The Thunder won the West’s Group B with a victory over the Utah Jazz, while the Suns were eliminated due to a tiebreaker with the Mavericks based on point differential. The Mavericks, needing a win to advance as the West’s wild card, came from behind to beat the Grizzlies with a strong performance from Luka Dončić.
The quarterfinals will take place next week, with winners advancing to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas. Players on teams that advance to the knockout rounds will receive pool money, with the tournament champions receiving $514,971 per player. The NBA Cup, in its second year, has not been a predictor of future success as last year’s champion, the Los Angeles Lakers, had a challenging season following their victory in the tournament.
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