East Group C is headlined by the defending NBA champions Boston Celtics.
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With Group Play in the Emirates NBA Cup 2024 set to tip off in just over a month’s time, we’re breaking down each group as they prepare for opening night, closing with East Group C.
The East Group C field is similar to West Group A in that each only contains two teams that qualified for the 2024 playoffs, but both of those teams finished in the top four of their respective conference.
For East Group C, it is the defending champion Celtics (the No. 1 seed in the East by a 14-game margin) and the Cavaliers (the No. 4 seed). The group is rounded out by two teams that were eliminated in the Play-In Tournament in the Bulls and Hawks, along with the 15-win Wizards.
Here’s a look at how the teams in East Group C fared against one another last season:
| Team | vs. Celtics | vs. Cavs | vs. Hawks | vs. Bulls | vs. Wizards | Total |
| Celtics | x | 2-1 | 2-2 | 3-0 | 4-0 | 11-3 (.786) |
| Cavaliers | 1-2 | x | 3-1 | 3-1 | 4-0 | 11-4 (.733) |
| Hawks | 2-2 | 1-3 | x | 1-2 | 3-1 | 7-8 (.467) |
| Bulls | 0-3 | 1-3 | 2-1 | x | 2-1 | 5-8 (.385) |
| Wizards | 0-4 | 0-4 | 1-3 | 1-2 | x | 2-13 (.133) |
Teams Breakdown
- Boston Celtics: The defending champs are running it back with every key player from last season’s dominant championship squad back to try to repeat. Kristaps Porzingis will not be available to start the season, and likely throughout NBA Cup Group Play.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Coming off their deepest playoff run without LeBron James in 30 years, the Cavs re-signed their core free agents, hired a new coach in Kenny Atkinson and will hope for better health as they look to join the elite in the East.
- Atlanta Hawks: Following their first sub 40-win season in four years, the Hawks were active in the offseason, selecting Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick in the Draft and trading Dejounte Murray to New Orleans for four players and Draft picks.
- Chicago Bulls: Coming off back-to-back exits in the Play-In Tournament, the Bulls began to remake their roster in the offseason to shift toward a younger core, including the additions of Josh Giddey (via trade) and Matas Buzelis (via the Draft).
- Washington Wizards: Coming off a franchise-record 67 losses, the Wizards’ rebuild continues in 2024-25 with four first-round picks in the 2024 Draft, headlined by lottery picks Alex Sarr (No. 2) and Bub Carrington (No. 14).
Five Games To Watch
Hawks at Celtics (Nov. 12, 7 ET, NBA League Pass): Group Play opens with the defending champs hosting the Hawks – one of only four teams to beat Boston twice last season during the Celtics’ 64-win campaign.
Wizards at Hawks (Nov. 15, 7:30 ET, NBA League Pass): Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher and Washington’s Alex Sarr square off in Group Play after making history as the only French duo to be selected with the first two picks in the NBA Draft.
Cavs at Celtics (Nov. 19, 7 ET, TNT): A rematch of the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, which the Celtics won in five games. Cleveland was without Jarrett Allen (ribs) for the series and without Donovan Mitchell (calf) for the final two games. Can a fully healthy Cavs squad get past Boston in Group Play of the Emirates NBA Cup?
Cavs at Hawks (Nov. 29, 2:30 ET, NBA TV): Thanksgiving leftovers and matinee hoops with a clash of All-Star guards Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell makes for a fantastic Friday afternoon as the Hawks host the Cavs in Group Play.
Celtics at Bulls (Nov. 29, 8 ET, NBA League Pass): Last year, the Celtics closed out Group Play with a win over Chicago to clinch the group and advance to the Knockout Round. Can they do so for a second straight in-season competition, or will the Bulls snap a four-game losing streak to the Celtics?
Prediction
The Celtics won the Eastern Conference by 14 games last season and bring back nearly the exact same roster to try to be the first repeat champion since the 2018 Warriors.
The early-season absence of Kristaps Porzingis could make them slightly vulnerable in the Emirates NBA Cup as it hurts their frontline depth, but the talent on this squad is too great to pick against.
Boston edges out Cleveland to win the group, with the Cavs in the hunt for the East Wild Card spot. The Bulls and Hawks definitely have the ability to play spoiler to the top group contenders.
