The Celtics' NBA Cup run will end in Group Play.
With a 138-129 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday, Boston remained alive in the second-annual tournament, finishing Group Play with a 3-1 record with a +23 point differential.
However, the 3-1 (+15) Atlanta Hawks were the winners of the Group, thanks to their head-to-head win over the Celtics at TD Garden back on November 12. So, Boston's only hope to advance to the Knockout Rounds was via the Wild Card (the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its Group) – and they needed help to do so.
Final standings for East Group CNBA.com
Boston's most realistic path required the Orlando Magic to beat the New York Knicks, and for either the Milwaukee Bucks to beat the Detroit Pistons by five or more points, or for the Pistons to win by six or more.
The Celtics got the margin they needed when the Bucks won by 11, but New York blew out Orlando. Still, Boston's chances weren't dead yet.
In the event of an Orlando loss, Boston could have advanced if the Knicks beat the Magic by 37 or more points — and it came closer than many expected.
The Knicks carried a 34-point lead into the fourth quarter against a Magic team that had won six straight and 12 of their last 13 games. However, Orlando, needing to lose by fewer than 37 points to secure the Eastern Conference Wild Card, left their starters in and outscored New York 28-15 in the fourth quarter. The fourth-quarter effort trimmed the deficit to 15, eliminating the Celtics from contention.
With the Celtics now eliminated, two regular-season games will be added to their schedule—one on December 12th or 13th, and another on the 15th or 16th. One game will be played at home, the other on the road. Boston will play just two games between December 8th and 18th.
Those games will be against two of the other 10 teams that didn't advance to the knockout round. The Eastern Conference teams to advance were the Bucks, Knicks, Hawks, and Magic (Wild Card). It will be Magic at Bucks and Hawks at Knicks in the single-elimination knockout round.
The Celtics (+425) were the betting favorites to win the tournament.
