The Boston Celtics advanced to the knockout rounds of the NBA In-Season Tournament, and they’ll be a heavy favorite to win the inaugural NBA Cup.
Boston beat the Chicago Bulls by 27 on Tuesday, enough to win its group by point differential. The tiebreaker scenario was a point of contention for Billy Donovan and some across the league, but it provided the entertainment factor the league hoped for. And Joe Mazzulla believed it could help his team keep its focus to prepare for the postseason.
An ESPN panel of insiders Friday agreed the NBA In-Season Tournament largely has been a success, though there are changes that could be implemented for next season.
Dave McMenamin called the Celtics’ quarterfinal matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Monday his most anticipated matchup of the knockout rounds due to Tyrese Haliburton’s rising star power at the start of the season.
The winner of the quarterfinals will move on to the semifinals, which will be played in Las Vegas. McMenamin was the lone insider who did not pick Boston to go to the final; he chose the Los Angeles Lakers to beat the New York Knicks.
Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon and Jamal chose the Celtics to win the NBA Cup over the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and Lakers, respectively. Kendra Andrews chose Boston to make the final, but she predicted Los Angeles to come out on top.
The Celtics are the favorite to win the NBA In-Season Tournament at +310 on FanDuel, and Jayson Tatum is the favorite to be named MVP at +550.
Boston should serve to gain significant value from the In-Season Tournament whether it wins or not, but there is plenty of merit for the Celtics to go for it and get an early accolade.
