Inside The Wizards

Wizards' NBA Cup Group Sees Massive Matchup

The Washington Wizards will get the popcorn ready to watch a big game.

Jeremy Brener

May 15, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) drives the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) in the third quarter during game five of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
May 15, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) drives the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) in the third quarter during game five of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Washington Wizards are on the sidelines for the Emirates NBA Cup after their opening loss last week against the Atlanta Hawks, but they will be tuning in for arguably the biggest game in the entire league to date this season.

In East Group C, the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Beantown as they take on the Boston Celtics, who are 11-3 on the year.

One of the three losses the Celtics have accumulated over the course of the season came last week in their NBA Cup debut in a loss at home to the Atlanta Hawks. This gives the Celtics no room for error as they look to keep pace in the group, but the Cavs prove to be their toughest opponent yet.

The Cavaliers are one of just four teams in NBA history, joining the 1993-94 Houston Rockets, the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors and the 1948-49 Washington Capitols, to start with 15 consecutive wins. A 16th win would put them in company with only the Warriors as the only teams to start 16-0.

However, facing off against a hungry defending champion in the Celtics could prove to be the Cavs' biggest test yet.

Cleveland also gets the chance to exact revenge on Boston after its elimination in the second round of the playoffs back in May. The Cavs were dismantled in five games by the Celtics, and this is the first meeting between the two teams since the series.

If the Cavs can play the way they have over the course of the season, they should pull off a win. And if they do, the Wizards should take notes and pull some plays out of their playbook to prepare them for when the Celtics come to visit them on Friday for another NBA Cup matchup.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/Washington Wizards News