With just one night of In-Season Tournament games left next Tuesday, six spots in the final eight are still up in the air.
Only two teams have clinched their way into the quarterfinals: The Lakers and Pacers. Everything else will be decided when games resume Tuesday night. Here’s where things stand with the NBA’s inaugural In Season Tournament after Friday night’s contests.
Just a quick reminder on how the tournament works: The 30 NBA teams were divided into six groups of five for the first round of group play. The winner of each group plus one wild card from each conference — a team that likely finishes 3-1 and has the best point differential of the non-group winners — advance to the quarterfinals, the start of an eight-team knockout tournament. The semi-finals and finals will be played in Las Vegas.
West Group A
Lakers 4–0
Suns 3-1
Jazz 2-2
Trail Blazers 1-3
Grizzlies 0-4
The Lakers have won the group and will be the top seed in the West. The Suns, at 3-1 with a point differential of +34, stand a good chance of advancing to the final eight knockout stage as the wild card out of the West.
West Group B
Pelicans 3-1
Rockets 2-1
Nuggets 2-2
Mavericks 1-2
Clippers 1-3
The Pelicans beat the Clippers and at 3-1 are in command of the group. However, the Rockets kept their chances of advancing alive with an upset of the Nuggets — if Houston beats Dallas on the road next Tuesday it would win the group because the Rockets have the tiebreaker over the Pelicans (the Rockets won the head-to-head matchup). The Pelicans can’t advance as a wild card, with a point differential of +33 they are one behind the Suns. The defending NBA champion Nuggets are done.
West Group C
Kings 3-0
Timberwolves 2-1
Warriors 2-1
Thunder 1-2
Spurs 0-4
This may be the most interesting group of games on the final night. Sacramento controls its own destiny, beat the Warriors and they win the group and advance. However, if the Warriors beat the Kings and the Timberwolves fall to the Thunder, then the Warriors would advance as the group winner (winning the two-team, head-to-head tiebreaker over the Kings). Where things get interesting is if the Warriors beat the Kings and the Timberwolves win, which would forge a three-way tie at 3-1 and then it comes down to point differential, where Sacramento is in the driver’s seat at +29 (Golden State is +5 and Minnesota is -3). If the Warriors beat the Kings by 25 points they will advance no matter what — unless Minnesota can beat OKC by 34 or more.
East Group A
Pacers 4-0
Cavaliers 2-1
76ers 2-2
Hawks 1-2
Pistons 0-4
Indiana has won the group and will advance to the final eight. The Cavaliers need to win big over the Hawks next Tuesday to advance as a Wild Card — Cleveland is +6 through three games and needs that number to be a lot higher to have a chance of winning the tiebreaker.
East Group B
Bucks 3-0
Knicks 2-1
Heat 2-1
Hornets 1-2
Wizards 0-4
Milwaukee controls its own destiny, win in Miami next Tuesday and the Bucks advance. Lose and the Heat will have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Milwaukee, but that goes out the window if the Knicks beat the Hornets — if New York and Miami win it forms a three-way tie at 3-1 and point differential will decide everything. The Bucks are +39 so far, the Knicks +18, and the Heat +11. If New York wins Tuesday, the Heat need to beat the Bucks by 29 points to advance.
East Group C
Magic 3-1
Celtics 2-1
Nets 2-1
Raptors 1-2
Bulls 0-2
With an upset win over Boston, Orlando has set the bar at 3-1. The Magic most likely advance, however, if Boston and Brooklyn both win it creates a three-way tie and point differential comes into play. The Magic are locked in at +22, while the Nets are +9 and the Celtics are even at zero.
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