Celtics’ Challenging 2025 NBA Cup Group Opponents Revealed
After revealing their 2025 preseason schedule on Wednesday, the Boston Celtics also found out which teams will be in their NBA Cup group this season.
The Celtics will be in East Group B along with the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.
Given the current state of the Eastern Conference, that’s shaping up to be an interesting group. The Pistons and Magic are both on the rise after making the playoffs last year, while the 76ers are looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued season. The Nets have some young talent that could be ready to take a step forward, while Boston is re-tooling after trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
This year marks the third edition of the NBA Cup, which debuted during the 2023-24 season. The Los Angeles Lakers won the first in-season tournament, followed by the Milwaukee Bucks last year.
While the Celtics have won an NBA-record 18 championships, they’ve yet to win the NBA Cup.
The 2025 NBA Cup is slated to begin on Oct. 31, with group play ending on Nov. 28. The knockout rounds will take place in December, with the championship game scheduled for Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.
Each team plays four games against opponents in its group, with two at home and two away. The six group winners and the best second-place team from each conference advance to the knockout round.
Boston went 11-4 against Group B in last year’s regular season, but its roster already looks considerably different. Not only are Porzingis, Holiday, Luke Kornet (and likely Al Horford) all gone, but Jayson Tatum will likely miss the tournament as well due to his Achilles injury.
Anything can happen during the NBA Cup, but with a diminished roster and a tough group, the odds do not appear to be in the Celtics’ favor.