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We’ve officially reached the home stretch of the group stage of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers became the first two teams to advance to the knockout stage, and over the course of November, while the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz have all been eliminated from contention. That leaves 22 teams fighting for six spots in the knockout stage, and Friday’s slate of games should go a long way in whittling that field down.
Four marquee games stand out from the pack. The first, due to the holiday weekend, tips off at 2:30 pm ET. The Boston Celtics will travel to Florida to face the Orlando Magic in a game that may ultimately decide East Group C. The Minnesota Timberwolves will host the Sacramento Kings later on in a matchup that has similar implications in West Group C. In both cases, one team (the Celtics and Timberwolves) can clinch their group with a victory. The two other teams would still have some work to do.
And then there’s the mess that is West Group B. All five teams currently have either one or two wins and either one or two losses, so theoretically, any of the five teams involved could potentially win the group. Fortunately, we’ll gain some clarity after Friday’s contests.
Follow along below as CBS Sports provides live updates from across the league as the In-Season Tournament continues.
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