The Boston Celtics' pursuit of the NBA Cup will have to wait until next year.
The Celtics were eliminated from the league's second annual in-season tournament Tuesday night when they fell short of an Eastern Conference wild card spot. The C's finished second in Group C of the 2024 NBA Cup with a 3-1 record and a +23 point differential, but the Orlando Magic advanced as the East wild card by winning the point differential tiebreaker at +45.
So, what happens now for Boston? Every team that doesn't reach the NBA Cup knockout rounds gets two games added to its regular-season schedule -- one home and one away. Here are those two games for the Celtics (both of which will air on NBC Sports Boston):
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- Thursday, Dec. 12: Celtics vs. Pistons, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Sunday, Dec. 15: Celtics at Wizards at 6 p.m. ET
If you're looking for silver linings, the Celtics not advancing in the NBA Cup means they'll get a decent amount of rest over the next two weeks after a grueling stretch of five games in seven days that began with a back-to-back against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat this past Sunday and Monday.
Here's a look at Boston's schedule through Dec. 19 (all games on NBC Sports Boston):
- Wednesday, Dec. 4: Celtics vs. Pistons, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Friday, Dec. 6: Celtics vs. Bucks, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Saturday, Dec. 7: Celtics vs. Grizzlies, 8 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Dec. 12: Celtics vs. Pistons, 7:30 p.m. ET*
- Sunday, Dec. 15: Celtics at Wizards at 6 p.m. ET*
- Thursday, Dec. 19: Celtics vs. Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET
*Games added due to NBA Cup elimination.
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The Celtics play just three games a span of 12 days, with four days off after a Saturday night showdown with Marcus Smart and the Grizzlies, then two days off before visiting the Wizards, then three more days off before hosting the Bulls. Five of their next six games are at home, as well.
The C's undoubtedly would like to be playing for higher stakes in the NBA Cup knockout rounds, which begin with quarterfinal games on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 before shifting to Las Vegas for the semifinals (Dec. 14) and finals (Dec. 17). But the next two weeks will give them a rare early-season opportunity to recharge.