TD Garden will have a different look on Tuesday when the Celtics host the Atlanta Hawks. Instead of the traditional parquet, the court will feature three different shades of green with the NBA Cup logo in the center of the court.

The league’s seasonal tournament will begin, and the Celtics’ bracket, which looked very easy when the matchups were announced, now looks tough with the emergence of the Cavaliers, the league’s only undefeated team.

The Cavaliers will arrive at TD Garden on November 19 and the Celtics will play the Wizards and Bulls later this month on the road. The six teams that win their group and two wild cards (based on wins and point difference) will play in the quarterfinals, with the winners advancing to the semifinals in Las Vegas.

The NBA wanted to add more intrigue to its pre-Christmas schedule and more competition against the NFL, college football and college basketball.

The Celtics reached the quarterfinals in the inaugural tournament last season. losing against the Pacers in a very close away game, and it’s true that they were disappointed because they wanted the opportunity to go to Las Vegas and play on a big stage.

Now they get a second chance with slightly different rules than a normal regular season game. The point difference is important, which means that increasing the score in a blowout will not be frowned upon. If you remember, the Celtics had to beat the Bulls last season by 23 points to advance and coach Joe Mazzulla called intentional fouls on poor free throw shooter Andre Drummond and then hoped his second and third unit players would hold the lead. The Celtics won 124-97.

“I think it’s fun,” Celtics guard Jrue Holiday said of the NBA Cup. “I think we pushed for something more in the middle of the season and being able to win the Cup and get to Las Vegas is something every team should strive for. I feel like that’s something we’re trying to do, obviously win every game, but knowing this is another tournament, another milestone we’re trying to achieve, I think we’re headed toward that.”

The Lakers won the first NBA Cup and celebrated as if they had won an NBA championship, donning special caps, drinking champagne, and even raising a banner in the rafters of the Crypto.com Center. However, it meant little to their long-term success. The Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and coach Darvin Ham was fired at the end of the season.

“I liked it. I thought it absolutely generated interest in our league in the middle of football,” Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said. “People were talking about it. I thought there were teams that attacked him and I thought there were teams that just played on him. I think more teams will attack this year and want to win it.

“All that shit about trophies and banners, I don’t like any of that. “I don’t know what to do with him, but I think he’s good for the league in the long run.”

The Celtics were visibly upset by Indiana’s loss, although they later win the NBA championship. The opportunity to play in Las Vegas in December and the $500,000 prize for each player on the winning team proved to be important incentives.

Even maximum-salary players were motivated by the importance of that money to their teammates on minimum or rookie contracts. The Pacers used their appearance in the tournament final as a springboard to the Eastern Conference Finals.

“I think we’re going to see every team, no matter what their record is, take it a lot more seriously,” Rivers said. “I think they understand it now. I did a lot of interviews (while I was a broadcaster) and I interviewed a lot of guys in Vegas (for the semi-finals) who didn’t get it. They didn’t know how they got there. “I think everyone understands that.”

Teams like the Bucks and 76ers can use the NBA Cub as a springboard, but the Celtics are the favorites to win with the Knicks, Timberwolves and Cavaliers among the contenders.

The Cavaliers played in Chicago on Monday and visited the 76ers, a home rematch with the then-host Bulls, and the Hornets before that matchup with the Celtics. Cleveland could go into the Garden 15-0 with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line.

The first version of the seasonal tournament was a great success because the stakes were high in the regular regular season games. The Celtics didn’t help themselves by losing in Orlando in the group stage last year, forcing them to play the quarterfinal game on the road.

The Celtics have a chance to atone for last year’s tournament disappointment. His first test begins on Tuesday.

Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. follow him @GwashburnGlobe.