BOSTON -- Just one game into this year's NBA Cup, the Boston Celtics are already facing an uphill battle in their quest to make it to Las Vegas. The Celtics were completely outplayed by the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, and have a lot of work to do to simply make it to the Knockout round of the NBA's second annual in-season tournament.

Facing an undermanned and seemingly overmatched Atlanta team, Boston played one of its sloppiest games of this season, coughing up the ball time and again and struggling to establish any real rhythm.

The Boston Celtics fell to the Atlanta Hawks 117-116 Wednesday night at TD Garden. This was the first game for Boston in the 2024 NBA Cup. Boston will play four total games during Group Play of the tournament,

Devin Booker scored 31 points and Bradley Beal added 24 to help the Phoenix Suns open NBA Cup pool play with a 120-112 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night

Stephen Curry spoiled Klay Thompson's return to San Francisco with a game-high 37 points, including 12 straight during a late flurry that lifted the Golden State Warriors to a 120-117 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in an NBA Cup opener on Tuesday night.