NBA Cup — Day 7 (12:12 am)

 Hello, I’m Carlos Andres Segrera, and this is the NBA from the mind of a high schooler.

Now that group play has come to an end, we will be looking at what the future holds in the quarterfinals.

Many of the games last night were insignificant when it came to Cup seeding, so to quickly recap: The 76ers beat the Hornets 110 to 104, making the Hornets one of four teams to go 0-4 in group play. The Cavs beat the Wizards 118 to 87, extending the Wizards' losing streak to 15 (watch out, 2023-24 Pistons!). The Raptors beat the Pacers 122 to 111, and Scottie Barnes continues his hot streak post-injury, dropping 35. The Nuggets beat the Warriors, who already clinched. The Kings beat the Rockets, who clinched, pushing the Kings to 1-3 and keeping them out of that 0-4 group. The Clippers beat the Trailblazers, putting the Clippers at a +16 point differential, higher than several teams who moved on to the quarters.

To the games that had some stakes:
The Bucks and Pistons both went into Tuesday’s matchup 3-0, making the victor the winner of East: Group B. The experienced Bucks team that made it all the way to the semis in last year's tournament won 128 to 107. Giannis dropped 28, 8, and 7, and only missed one field goal. Dame didn’t trail too far behind with 27 of his own, knocking down five of his 11 attempts from range. Efficiency is what won the Bucks the game, shooting 23 for 41 from downtown. For the Pistons, things weren’t as pretty—they shot 46% from the field and 33% from three. Slightly below average splits, but nothing compared to the Bucks' video game-like numbers. This game sent the Bucks to the elimination round and placed them as one of two undefeated teams in group play.

The other undefeated team ended up being the Knicks, who won 121 to 106 against the Magic. It was the same situation for the Knicks and the Magic as the Bucks and the Pistons: the winner moves on, the loser goes home—or at least that’s what we thought. The Magic had a +45 point differential, making them tied for third place in all of group play. So, with that and their 3-1 record, they earned the Eastern Conference wild card spot in the elimination round. Franz Wagner had an inefficient 30 and 6, trying to will this Magic team to the next round. The Knicks had five guys with 18+ and one Josh Hart, who had 11, 10, and 13. The Knicks shot a clean 51% from the field and 43% from the line, while tacking on 20 free throws at a 100% clip. The Magic are going to need to put this performance behind them and lock in if they want to make any sort of waves in the elimination round.

In West: Group C, both the Mavericks and the Warriors went 3-1, with the Warriors having a +8 point differential and the Mavs with a +46 one. The Warriors won the head-to-head between the two teams, making them the winners of the group, but the Mavs took the Western Conference wild card spot.

The Mavs, despite Kyrie giving them basically no production and racking up 25 turnovers, beat the Grizzlies 121 to 116 to secure that wild card spot. Luka had 37 and 12 rebounds, but it was Spencer Dinwiddie and P.J. Washington who secured the victory for Dallas. The Mavs overcame a 15-point deficit that was topped off by those two hitting three straight threes in clutch time.

For the Warriors, it was a 115 to 119 loss against the Nuggets. Curry had 24, 11, and 7 but shot an abysmal 8 for 23 from the field and 4 for 15 from three-point land. For the Nuggets, it was none other than the MVP, Nikola Jokic, who dropped 38, 10, and 6 with a surprising five steals. Still, the Warriors were able to clinch the group due to that first group play victory against the Mavs.

Here’s a throwback to what I had to say about that first-day NBA Cup matchup where Klay made his return to the Chase Center: Captain Klay made his return to The Bay and was welcomed into the Chase Center surrounded by fans wearing captain’s hats, a heartfelt tribute video, and a hug from his Splash bro. Once the welcome-home ceremony for the four-time Warrior champ wrapped up, Klay began his first career game against the Warriors. Derrick Lively and Luka Doncic were both questionable coming into tonight’s game but ended up suiting up for the Mavs. Luka had a smooth 31, and Kyrie added an efficient 21, but Klay Thompson was the man with everyone’s attention. Klay had 22, going 6-12 from range, but it was the man who was his counterpart for 13, Steph Curry, who led the Warriors to the 120-117 victory. Curry had 37, missing one more three than Klay, and had the last 12 for the Warriors that put them over the top.

There was a surprising amount of tension in West: Group B. The Thunder and the Suns were both 2-1 going into Tuesday’s games, but OKC had the head-to-head tiebreaker. In order for the Suns to take the group, they needed the Thunder to lose to the 0-3 Jazz and they needed to beat the Spurs. Both teams ended up winning their games, meaning OKC clinched the group. The Thunder blew out the Jazz 133 to 106, and the Suns pulled away in the end, beating the Spurs 104 to 93.

The seeding for the Quarterfinals is set, and things are shaping up nicely. In the East, the one-seeded Bucks, who started out the season slow but are now picking up some momentum, take on the four-seeded Magic, who are without their top guy. The Bucks were eliminated in the semis last year in a heated matchup against the Pacers. Giannis, who is the league’s current point leader, also has an opportunity to prop himself atop the MVP conversation. In the other Eastern Conference matchup, it's the Knicks and the Hawks, who we know have some history. In the 2021 playoffs, the Hawks eliminated the Knicks in the first round behind an ice-cold series by Trae Young, where he started the series off with a game-winning floater that silenced the Knicks crowd. The Knicks can also use this set of stakes to prove that their new roster can perform under pressure and truly gel.

In the West, it's the one-seeded Thunder vs. the four-seeded Mavericks. Both teams are led by exciting young superstars who are very contrasting to one another. Shai and Doncic ended up placing 2nd and 3rd in the MVP race, respectively, and are fighting for the honor of being called the best point guard in the NBA. The other Western Conference matchup showcases the two-seeded youthful Rockets vs. the three-seeded veteran Warriors. The two teams brewed some bad blood when fighting for the last play-in spot in last year's regular season. Curry also can show that he still reigns supreme as the best point guard in the league, letting us know that his age doesn’t matter and neither Luka nor Shai will be taking his crown anytime soon.

That’s going to cap this Cup recap. You’ll hear from me next Tuesday.

Thank you.