Celtics plan uncovered for NBA Cup group play

The NBA has announced a portion of the Boston Celtics’ schedule for the upcoming season as part of the Emirates NBA Cup, an in-season tournament that will take place on specific Tuesdays and Fridays in November and early December.

The Celtics will compete in Group C of the Eastern Conference, along with the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Washington Wizards.

Here is the Celtics’ schedule for the group stage:

– November 12: vs. Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m. ET

– November 19: vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)

– November 22: at Washington Wizards, 7 p.m. ET

– November 29: at Chicago Bulls, 8 p.m. ET

Each team will play every other team in their group during the group stage, with the winners of each group and one wildcard team from each conference advancing to the quarterfinals in December. The NBA Cup semifinals and championship will be held at T-Mobile Arena for the second consecutive year, with a substantial prize pool for the winners.

The Celtics reached the quarterfinal round of the tournament last season before falling to the Indiana Pacers. This year, they will face some challenges in the frontcourt, particularly with Kristaps Porzingis expected to miss at least the group stage due to leg surgery.

The Cavaliers’ frontcourt of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley will likely provide a strong test for the Celtics.

The Hawks, Bulls, and Wizards are expected to be below .500 teams this season, making the Cavaliers the top threat in the group to Boston. Here is the full list of teams in each group for the NBA Cup:

– Group A: Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, and Orlando Magic

– Group B: Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and Indiana Pacers

– Group C: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, and Atlanta Hawks

– Group D: Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Utah Jazz

– Group E: Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Clippers

The full NBA regular season schedule will be released soon, but this announcement gives Celtics fans a glimpse of what to expect in the early part of the season.