Knicks and Bucks advance to NBA Cup knockout stage
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks' scoring
- Published
The Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks eased to victories to advance to the knockout stage of the NBA Cup with clean sweeps of their groups, but reigning NBA champions Boston Celtics were eliminated.
The Knicks recorded an emphatic 121-106 win against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden to finish East Group A unbeaten and secure home-field advantage in the quarter-finals.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, while Josh Hart contributed a triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
Despite defeat, the Magic clinched the East wild card berth on points differential over the Celtics, who also finished the group stage with a 3-1 record.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard starred as the Bucks beat the Detroit Pistons 128-107 to clinch East Group B undefeated.
Antetokounmpo - NBA MVP in 2019 and 2020 - scored 28 points with seven rebounds and eight assists while Lillard scored 27.
The Bucks scored 23 three-pointers during their seventh-consecutive victory and will host the Orlando Magic in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, a 37-point performance from Luka Doncic inspired the Dallas Mavericks to overcome a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 and secure the West wild card spot.
They will travel to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round after they thrashed the Utah Jazz 133-106 to clinch West Group B over the Phoenix Suns.
The Knicks will host the Atlanta Hawks - who won East Group C ahead of the Celtics - on Wednesday.
The Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors will contest the last quarter-final after winning their groups despite final-game losses to the Sacramento Kings and the Denver Nuggets respectively.
The quarter-final victors will advance to semi-finals played on 14 December in Las Vegas, with the final three days later in the city.
In Tuesday's other games, the LA Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 127-105, the Phoenix Suns defeated the San Antonio Spurs 104-93 and the Cleveland Cavaliers thrashed the Washington Wizards 118-87.
The Philadelphia 76ers won on the road at the Charlotte Hornets (110-104) while the Toronto Raptors beat the Indiana Pacers 122-111.