The Celtics’ NBA Cup chances take a big hit after the Hawks’ win over the Cavaliers

The Celtics needed to beat the Bulls on Friday to have a shot at the knockout stages of the NBA Cup, but their chances took a big hit due to results elsewhere in the league. The Hawks blew out the Cavaliers 117-101 in Atlanta in an East Group C upset.

The Hawks win means the Celtics can no longer win East Group C. At first, after the Hawks lost to the Bulls last week, it looked like it was a positive for the Celtics. After all, the Cavs have been the best team in the NBA so far, and the C’s had the tiebreaker over Cleveland. But the Cavs’ only two losses this season have now come in NBA Cup games, making the road tougher for the C’s.

Atlanta finishes 3-1 in the group after the win over Cleveland. The best Boston can finish is 3-1 with a win over Chicago on Friday. But if the Hawks and C’s both finish atop East Group C at 3-1, the Hawks will get the tiebreaker thanks to their 117-116 win over the Celtics in Boston back on Nov. 12.

• BET: Check out ours MA sports betting guidewhere you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning to play in Massachusetts.

Here’s a look at the current East Group C standings after the Hawks win and before the Celtics face the Bulls:

Now the Celtics can still win a spot in the knockout phase. But they no longer control their own destiny. Boston’s only path to the quarterfinals is as a wild card, which is the best second-place team in the three Eastern groups. First of all, to even get there, the Celtics have to beat the Bulls later on Friday.

The Wizards (0-3) and Cavs (1-2) are both eliminated from East Group C contention. The Bulls can also progress to the knockout stages and win the group – all they need to do is beat the reigning champions on their home turf. So the Hawks are hoping for a Celtics win in Chicago to get them to the knockout stages. That’s another factor for Friday’s game: the Bulls still have everything to play for in the NBA Cup.

It’s a little early to predict the Celtics’ chances at the wild card spot. Other groups still have more games to play. What you have to remember, though, is that it’s going to come down to a point difference. The Celtics are currently 2-1 with a plus-14 point differential, so they will need to increase those numbers against the Bulls if they can. But the C’s also have a tough stretch of games coming up, and the Bulls are going to be beefed up for Friday’s game, so it won’t be an easy task.

Last year, the Knicks were the wild card team coming out of East Group B. They finished 3-1 in their group with a plus-44 point differential. In the West, the Suns were the wild card team at 3-1 with a difference of plus-34 points. The Celtics don’t necessarily need to get it that high, but every point counts in the NBA Cup. Regardless, the Celtics will need some results to go their way. For now, the only thing they can control is their own game ahead of them, which is set for Friday at 20:00 in Chicago.