ATLANTA — With their NBA Cup run officially over, the Cavs (12-8) won’t be packing for Las Vegas, but they did get clarity on what their rearranged schedule will look like next week.
Because every team must reach the 82-game mark, and only eight teams advance to the knockout round, the league plugs the non-qualifiers into a series of regular-season games during the tournament’s quarterfinal window. Early Saturday morning, the NBA finalized that slate, giving the Cavs two additional games to fill the open dates.
Cleveland will now play at Washington on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m., and will host the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 3:30 p.m.
**How to watch the Cavs:** See how to watch the Cavs games with this [handy game-by-game TV schedule](https://www.cleveland.com/tv/cavs-schedule/).
The Dec. 12 matchup sends the Cavs back to the nation’s capital just a month after their dominant win over the Wizards, 148-115 on Nov. 7. Washington is at the bottom of the East standings with just two wins (2-16).
Two days later, the Cavs return home for a Sunday afternoon tilt against Charlotte — a young, athletic team still searching for consistency. For Cleveland, the timing provides a rare weekend matinee at Rocket Arena and an opportunity to regain rhythm against a 5-14 Hornets squad.
Around the league, for teams not advancing to the knockout round, the schedule has been similarly patchworked. Eliminated teams across both conferences were assigned opponents for Dec. 11, 12, 14 and 15 based on both competitive balance and available travel windows.
While these games don’t carry Cup stakes, they do hold real weight in the standings — especially in a wide-open Eastern Conference where separation is minimal.
For the Cavs, the silver lining is rest and opportunity. Instead of the stress and spectacle of Vegas, they get two winnable matchups to fortify their record while working through internal kinks.