2024 NBA Cup predictions, schedule, format, how to watch info for Nov. 19 games
NBA fans have seen the first week of NBA Cup games come and go. The last set of games for the NBA's in-season tournament took place while a lot of the world was watching Jake Paul box Mike Tyson, but all NBA fans will be back to watching basketball on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
That is the third "Cup Night" of the season, and it is full of fun matchups, albeit only six total games.
Tuesday, Nov. 19 NBA Cup schedule
Cleveland Cavaliers Boston Celtics at 7 p.m. ET
Charlotte Hornets Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 p.m. ET
Denver Nuggets Memphis Grizzlies at 8 p.m. ET
New Orleans Pelicans Dallas Mavericks at 8:30 p.m. ET
Oklahoma City Thunder San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET
Utah Jazz Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET
How to watch NBA Cup games
The first game of the night – the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics matchup – will be nationally televised on TNT, as will the Oklahoma City Thunder's game against the San Antonio Spurs. The other games will be broadcast locally, but you can also catch them on NBA League Pass.
*Watch NBA games live with fuboTV (click for a free trial) *
Eastern Conference storylines
There are only two games taking place between Eastern Conference teams on Nov. 19, but at least one of them will have the entire basketball community captivated. The Celtics are defending their championship from last season, and they are playing a Cavaliers team that is still undefeated.
At 14-0, no one has been able to slow down Cleveland, and they are building on one of the longest unbeaten streaks in NBA history. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have held down the painted area for the Cavaliers defense, but it is the team's offense that has been so potent. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, the latter of which should be well rested after sitting out on Nov. 17, have been scoring at will all season long, and the team's bench has been unconscious from beyond the arc.
The Cavaliers will be tested against the Celtics, though. While the Cavaliers have been the best team through the young NBA season so far, they aren't the favorites to win the championship this year. That honor still belongs to the Celtics. After winning the 18th championship in organization history , Boston hasn't missed a beat, even without Kristaps Porzingis.
Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are still playing elite defense, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still playing at All-NBA levels. The Cavaliers will be motivated to keep their streak alive (although they will have to beat the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 17 first), but their winning streak will have to end at some point.
The other game in the Eastern Conference on Cup Night is between the Hornets and Brooklyn Nets. For the Hornets, LaMelo Ball has been one of the best players in the NBA, as he is averaging 29.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game so far. While Brandon Miller has been solid, he hasn't taken the next step in his development that Charlotte was expecting, though. The Nets, who were expected to be in rebuild this year, started of the season better than expected, but they have looked more like what we expected in their last five games, as they've lost four of those.
Western Conference storylines
There are four Western Conference matchups during the third NBA Cup Night of the season. One of those games is between the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies. At full strength, these are two of the best and most entertaining teams in the NBA. Unfortunately, we aren't 100% sure what the health status of both teams stars will be in this game.
Ja Morant will likely miss the game with a hip injury, and Aaron Gordon should be out because of a calf injury. Nikola Jokic is the biggest question mark, though. The Nuggets are obviously a whole different team when their three-time MVP is active, and he has been playing like he deserves a fourth MVP this season. He missed the Nuggets last game because of personal reasons, and it is unclear when Jokic will be back in the fold.
The Pelicans and Mavericks are also dealing with injuries. Dejounte Murray, Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Hawkins are all out for the Pelicans. Luka Doncic is currently dealing with a concussion for the Mavericks, but he does have a chance to return against the Pelicans. Both teams were expected to be clear playoff teams this year, but injuries have led to both of them disappointing so far.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are another team with injury concerns. Chet Holmgren is out with a hip fracture, which means the skinny center matchup against Victor Wembanyama that everyone loves won't happen on Nov. 19 when the Thunder play the San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder's depth has stepped up since Holmgren got hurt, but the lack of healthy big men in Oklahoma City (Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein are also hurt) means the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama could be in for a big game.
The final game of the night is between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. The Jazz are 3-9 and struggling mightily. Getting on track won't be easy against a team led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Boston Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-120
Brooklyn Nets beat the Charlotte Hornets 123-120
Denver Nuggets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 115-100
Dallas Mavericks beat the New Orleans Pelicans 132-111
San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-106
Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 123-114
