During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, several scenarios would allow the San Antonio Spurs to qualify for the quarter-finals of the NBA Cup, the famous In-season tournament established since last season.
The playoffs are still far away for the Spurs. But Victor Wembanyama and his gang will taste the intensity of a decisive match this Tuesday evening against the Phoenix Suns (3 a.m. Tuesday to Wednesday night, French time). In Arizona, San Antonio has the opportunity to qualify for the quarter-finals of the NBA Cup, the famous In-season tournament established last season by the American league.
With two victories and one defeat in three games, the Spurs are first in their group (Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz) in the direct confrontation game. The first six groups (six in total, three in the East and three in the West) are qualified for the quarter-finals, to which the two best runners-up will be added.
The standings of Group C of the Western Conference
- San Antonio Spurs, 2 wins-1 loss
- Oklahoma City Thunder, 2 wins-1 loss
- Phoenix Suns, 2 wins-1 loss
- Los Angeles Lakers, 2 wins-2 losses (eliminated)
- Utah Jazz, 0 wins-3 losses (eliminated)
How can Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs advance to the NBA Cup quarterfinals?
A first, very simple scenario would qualify the Spurs: a victory against the Suns. If successful against Phoenix on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, the Texan franchise would be sure to finish first in its group, whatever the other results of the evening.
In the event of a defeat against the Suns, the equation is more complex. If they lose, first place will escape the Spurs and the Texans will therefore have to finish among the two best second places to benefit from a wild card. For that, San Antonio will have to count on simultaneous defeats from Portland, OKC, Dallas and Denver and, at the same time, will have to ensure not to lose by more than 20 points, unless it is after overtime.
The San Antonio Spurs qualified for the NBA quarterfinals if…
- They win against the Phoenix Suns
- They lose by less than 20 points or in overtime AND Portland, OKC, Dallas and Denver lose their games of the night
“It’s going to feel like a playoff game”
For the Spurs, this NBA Cup is a real objective. “When you’re a young team like ours, this kind of challenge can only help you grow,” said Mitch Johnson, who replaces Gregg Popovich as coach during his convalescence.
“It’s going to look like a playoff match,” adds fullback Julian Champagnie.
A sum of 514,970 dollars (489,836 euros) is promised to each player on the victorious team of this NBA Cup, won last year by LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers.
After the quarter-finals, played in one round on December 10 and 11, the four teams still in the running will compete for the title in a Final Four organized in Las Vegas (semi-final on December 14, final on December 17).
