Knicks Open NBA In-Season Tournament Play vs. Milwaukee (Full Schedule)
Group B of the Eastern Conference edition of the NBA's newly-minted in-season tournament is getting started with a game from the A-list.
The New York Knicks and their brethren were bestowed their slates for the inaugural road to the NBA Cup during the Tuesday afternoon edition of ESPN's "NBA Today." New York will take center stage on the first night of play on Nov. 3 as they'll face the Milwaukee Bucks, the defending Eastern Conference top seed, on the road at 7:30 p.m. ET. It'll be part of a doubleheader on the Worldwide Leader, as the Dallas Mavericks face the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets in a Rocky Mountain nightcap.
In addition to the showdown against the Bucks, the Knicks will also travel to the nation's capital to take on the Washington Wizards in part two on Nov. 17. New York's group stage closes with visits from the Miami Heat on Nov. 24 and the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 28. The Black Friday showdown against the Heat, a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference semifinals during Miami's run to a conference title, will also be aired on ESPN. Those home games will also tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET while the visit to Washington starts at 7 p.m.
The NBA has apparent high hopes for the annual regular season series between the Knicks and Bucks: earlier this month, it was reported that the two sides would get together on Christmas Day.
Said to be inspired by in-season European soccer tournaments, the NBA Cup will incorporate the regular season into its schedule. The winner of each group (three in each conference consisting of five teams each) will gain automatic entry to a knockout round, with two wild cards chosen among the runner-ups.
Quarterfinals will be staged in home areas on Dec. 4-5 before the semifinals (Dec. 7) and championship game (Dec. 9) will move to T-Mobile Arena.
In a release, the NBA also announced that the full 2023-24 regular season schedule will be released on Thursday. As a result of the schedule adjustments brought about by the NBA Cup, teams' opponents during the week of Dec. 4-9 will be listed as to be determined.
The Knicks will look to duplicate the success of their former hardwood sisters, as the New York Liberty are set to partake in the 2023 Commissioner's Cup, the finale of the WNBA's in-season tournament, on Tuesday night against the Las Vegas Aces (9 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video).
Full East Group B Schedule
Friday, November 3
KNICKS @ Milwaukee (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Washington @ Miami (8 p.m. ET)
Friday, November 10
Charlotte @ Washington (7 p.m.ET )
Tuesday, November 14
Miami @ Charlotte (7 p.m. ET)
Friday, November 17
KNICKS @ Washington (7 p.m. ET)
Milwaukee @ Charlotte (7 p.m. ET)
Friday, November 24
Miami @ KNICKS (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Washington @ Milwaukee (8 p.m. ET)
Tuesday, November 28
Charlotte @ KNICKS (7:30 p.m. ET)
Milwaukee @ Miami (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
