Last month, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse lamented the way his team has performed in the NBA's in-season tournament. A veteran of overseas leagues with similar events, Nurse is passionate about the idea. But so far, it has not translated to any kind of success.
"I don't know what to say about the cup," Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said before the team's first Group Play game on Oct. 31, "because we sure haven't played very well in it... I think it's a great competition, I think it adds to the regular season [some] spice, and it's good. I would like us to play better in it, so no time better than right now."
For the third time in as many years, the Knockout Rounds of the NBA Cup will not include the Sixers. Their loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday has officially eliminated the Sixers from contention to advance to the eight-team, single-elimination bracket, which will culminate in Las Vegas next month.
The Sixers will have two games scheduled for early December against other teams that did not advance to the Knockout Rounds in order to get their slate to the usual 82 games. Each team only had 80 games scheduled because the first two games of the Knockout Rounds count as regular-season contests as well. But the Sixers will not be one of the teams fighting for a trip to Las Vegas and cash prizes.
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