The NBA group stage is now history. Eight teams form an attractive draw for the quarterfinals of the North American Cup competition, which celebrates its first edition this year. Milwaukee Bucks- New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers-Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers- Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings- New Orleans Pelicans with the four quarterfinal pairings.
The qualified teams are a little closer to the final that will be held on December 9 in Las Vegas, where the champion of the In-Season Tournament will be decided.
The quarterfinals are played in a single match and will decide the semifinal matches that will take place on December 7 at the La Esfera venue, also located in Las Vegas. A semifinal will pit the two winners of the quarterfinals in the Eastern Conference, as well as in the Western Conference.
One of the biggest attractions of these playoffs is a new duel between LeBron James and Kevin Durant. 'King James' hopes to defeat one of his greatest historical rivals on the court, after suffering the biggest beating of his career against the Sixers this Monday. The four-time NBA champion has reasons to be calm.
The Lakers have won both of their matchups against the Suns so far: one at home and one away. However, in Phoenix they are running as one of the favorites to advance to the next round. Frank Vogel's team arrives in great form with seven consecutive victories under its belt.
The Celtics will face the Indiana Pacers in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, after beating the Chicago Bulls this Tuesday by a difference of 35 points. The Boston franchise is one of the top favorites, after leading the Eastern Conference with a balance of 14-4.
All in all, Joe Mazzulla's team will have a difficult time being one of the four best in the semifinals, since their quarterfinal match against the Indianapolis team will not take place at the TD Garden, the arena where they have won all of their games to date. .
The Celtics could face off against the Milwaukee Bucks if both teams beat the Pacers and the Knicks, respectively, leading to what many would consider an early final.
The Bucks visited Miami this morning to face the Californians and seek their place in the quarterfinals. Giannis Antetokounmpo shined, scoring 33 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Statistics that lead the Greek to a good dynamic to face the tie, as well as in the case of Damian Lillard.
The point guard had 32 points, nine assists and four rebounds last night. The Greek and the American form one of the best duos in the NBA and as a consequence one of the most brilliant attacks in the championship. However, Griffin's men will have to improve their defense ahead of the duel against the Knicks, as they concede an average of 117.5 points per game.
Thus, the quarterfinal matches have been as follows:
Eastern Conference:
Milwaukee Bucks- New York Knicks
Indiana Pacers-Boston Celtics
Western Conference:
Los Angeles Lakers-Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings- New Orleans Pelicans
Next Monday, December 4, the Pacers-Celtics will be played in Indianapolis and the Kings-Pelicans will be played in Sacramento. The Bucks will face the Knicks in Milwaukee on Tuesday the 5th and the Lakers against the Suns in Los Angeles.
