After a comeback win against the Atlanta Hawks, the Toronto Raptors have improved to 2-0 in NBA Cup group play games with the other win coming against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Halloween. Last night’s win has put Toronto in clear control of their group:
East Group A Standings
- Toronto Raptors 2-0 (+23)
- Cleveland Cavaliers 1-1 (+23)
- Atlanta Hawks 1-1 (+8)
- Indiana Pacers 0-1 (-20)
- Washington Wizards 0-1 (-34)
The Raptors are hoping to make the playoffs this year and a deep run in the NBA Cup could help prepare them for their ultimate goal. They’re in a good place to advance as the six group winners and two wild-card teams move on to the knockout stage. If Toronto reaches that stage, they will have to win three single elimination games to be crowned champions of the tournament.
The inaugural NBA Cup took place in the 2023-24 season and was known as the In-Season Tournament. The tournament was introduced as a way to spice up the early parts of the season, providing teams with extra incentive to compete early in the year. The incentive? Cash prizes to all the players on the team depending on how far they advanced:
Advance to quarterfinals: $50,000
Advance to semifinals: $100,000
Advance to finals: $200,000
Champions: $500,000
While upping the intrigue of the early season, the NBA Cup also provides young, inexperienced teams the opportunity to compete in a playoff-like atmosphere. Teams like the Indiana Pacers in 2023 and Oklahoma City Thunder in 2024 advanced to the Cup finals before making deep playoff runs later the same year. So, there is something to be said for the pressure-cooker environment that the tournament provides. However, both Indiana and Oklahoma City fell short in their pursuit of mid-season glory, losing to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, respectively.
The Raptors will continue their bid for a knockout stage spot when they play host to the Washington Wizards on November 21st, in what will be the first look at Toronto’s NBA Cup court. The Wizards are currently 1-8 on the season, and just lost their first NBA Cup game to the Cavaliers by 34 points.
Toronto’s final group play game will take place on November 26th against the aforementioned Indiana Pacers, who are 1-7 on the season and also lost their first NBA Cup game in a 20-point loss to the Hawks.
While winning one of those games (especially by a large margin, as point differential is the tie-breaker if records are identical) could be enough for the Raptors to get past the group stage, wins in both would guarantee the Raptors advance to their first ever NBA Cup knockout stage, which tips off on December 9th. Before this season, the Raptors have had a combined record of 2-6 in the Cup, but with a 2-0 start over the two better teams in the group, the Raptors are firmly in control of their own fate.
