With the field for the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup set, there will be a new champion, and an almost entirely different field, than from last year’s inaugural version, including the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, who registered wins on Tuesday.
The field for the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup is set. And there will be a new champion, and an almost entirely different field, than from last year’s inaugural version.
By the time the dust settled Tuesday night, the eight teams were set: the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic in the East; and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks in the West.
Last year’s NBA Cup champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, were eliminated from advancing to the knockout rounds with losses to the Phoenix Suns and Thunder last week. And only two teams overall — the Bucks and Knicks — from the eight who advanced last year.
As a result, the quarterfinal matchups next week will be the Magic at the Bucks and Mavericks at Thunder on Tuesday and the Hawks at Knicks and Warriors at Rockets on Wednesday.
« Yeah, it’s great », Bucks coach Doc Rivers said of his team advancing to the quarterfinals. « They put a tournament in front of us and we want to win it.
