How can the Boston Celtics qualify for the Emirates NBA Cup Round of 16? All permutations and combinations explored

THE Boston Celtics will find out where they stand in the Emirates NBA Cup on Tuesday evening. Boston will wait until two games are completed before tiebreaker rules decide which team wins the East wild card spot. The Celtics have a good chance to advance, but their fate is out of their control.

In Group A East, the Orlando Magic will face the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Milwaukee Bucks travel to the Motor City for a matchup against the Detroit Pistons in the deciding Group B East game. The winners of both games advance to the round of 16, while the losers compete with the Celtics for the wild card ticket.

The Boston Celtics missed a golden opportunity to win their group when they lost 117-116 to the Trae Young-less Atlanta Hawks on November 13. Boston and Atlanta had identical 3-1 records after pool play, but the Hawks advanced after winning. face-to-face.

Now, the team coached by Joe Mazzulla is waiting for the result of two matches before knowing its NBA Cup standing.

NBA Cup Tiebreaker Rules

Here are the rules for tiebreakers, according to the NBA Cup rule book:

1. Point difference in group play
2. Most points scored in group play
3. The 2023-24 regular season record will determine whether the teams remain tied.

In the group pools, the Celtics emerged with a +23 point differential after scoring 482 points and conceding 459. How those numbers fare against the group's other runners-up after Tuesday's games will determine their fate in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.

The Boston Celtics need TWO things to advance to the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals

The Boston Celtics need the Orlando Magic to pull off a road win or hope the New York Knicks demolish the Magic by 37 points at home.

When either scenario occurs, Boston also expects the Detroit Pistons to beat the Milwaukee Bucks by more than 5 points. If it's the other way around, they need Milwaukee to win by more than 6 points against Detroit.

The reason for the specific winning margins is due to the point differential. Heading into Tuesday's game, Orlando is +60, while New York is +15. Milwaukee is at +29, while Detroit is at +28.

Jayson Tatum and company have a day off on Tuesday, so they will be closely monitoring the results of both games.

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Edited by Nicolas Ackermann