Emirates NBA Cup Tracker: Latest updates, schedule, matchups and explainers

The group play phase of the NBA Cup is completed.

It’s time for the knockout rounds, a Bracket style The showdown begins on December 10th. Here are the eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals.

Teams in knockout rounds

East

• Milwaukee Bucks (East #1, Group B winner)
• New York Knicks (East #2, Group A winner)
• Atlanta Hawks (East #3, Group C winner)
• Orlando magic (East #4, Wild Card)

west

• Oklahoma City Thunder (West #1, Group B winner)
• Houston Rockets (West #2, Group A winner)
• Golden State Warriors (West #3, Group C winner)
• Dallas Mavericks (West #4, Wild Card)

Quarterfinals, schedule

The NBA Cup Knockout Rounds begin on Tuesday, December 10th. The quarterfinals will be played in home markets, while the semifinals and championship will be held in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena.

Orlando magic (East No. 4). Milwaukee Bucks (East #1)
When: Tuesday, December 10 (7 ET, TNT)

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the resurgent Bucks host the equally impressive and resilient Magic team. Orlando found another gear despite the absence of All-Star Paolo Banchero, led by the All-NBA-worthy play of Franz Wagner. The task will be a big challenge against Damian Lillard and “The Greek Freak”, one of the first candidates for NBA Cup MVP.

Atlanta Hawks (East #3) and New York Knicks (East #2)
When: Wed., Dec. 11 (7 ET, ESPN)

Fading postseason memories are revived in this quarterfinal game as Trae Young returns to Madison Square Garden. His new supporting cast, including Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels, will look to upset a new-look Knicks team that is developing to its strengths. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are quickly closing in on All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson.

Dallas Mavericks (West #4) at Oklahoma City Thunder (West #1)
When: Tuesday, December 10 (9:30 a.m. ET, TNT)

Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, two of the top three finishers in last season’s NBA MVP voting, will meet in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. These teams are also fresh off a hard-fought semifinal series in 2024 and both have plenty of supporting talent (Kyrie Irving and Jalen Williams) surrounding their superstars.

Golden State Warriors (West #3) at Houston Rockets (West #2)
When: Wed., Dec. 11 (9:30 a.m., TNT)

When the Warriors and Rockets meet in the knockout rounds, there will be impressive depth. Houston stormed out of the gate behind a bevy of young talent paired with seasoned veterans. The Warriors, meanwhile, have regrouped around Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Curry’s 3-pointers and Jalen Green’s aerial attacks will be the safest highlight bets.

Time to fill out your bracket!

The knockout rounds of the #EmiratesNBACup Starts on Tuesday, December 10th. pic.twitter.com/RTsa5gG2TN

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 4, 2024

Complete Knockout Rounds schedule

Quarterfinals

• Tue, Dec 10 | Magic vs Bucks | 7 p.m. | TNT
• Tue, Dec 10 | Mavericks vs Thunder | 9:30 p.m. | TNT
• Wed, Dec 11 | Hawks vs. Knicks | 7 p.m. | ESPN
• Wed, Dec 11 | Warriors vs. Missiles | 9:30 p.m. | TNT

Semifinals

• Sat, Dec 14 | TBD vs TBD | 4:30 p.m. | TNT
• Sat, Dec 14 | TBD vs TBD | 8:30 p.m. | ABC

championship

• Tue, Dec 17 | TBD vs TBD | 8:30 p.m. | ABC

All times are Eastern Standard Time.

This is how the Knockout Rounds work

All games are single-elimination games. This phase includes three rounds in one week: Quarterfinals > Semifinals > Championship.

The last team standing wins the NBA Cup.

Quarterfinal and semifinal games count as regular season games. The championship is the only NBA Cup game that does not count toward regular season records and statistics.

Would you like to know more? Go deeper.

Group game results

Group games were played on “Cup Nights,” which took place every Tuesday and Friday from November 12th to December 3rd. Tap the links below to view results and standings.

• Emirates NBA Cup standings: Group | Wildcard

NBA Cup Stats Leader

Who will make the All-NBA Cup team? Stay up to date with the top players in the cup games.