The NBA Cup final is set! The Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City Thunder will face off for the championship Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.
The top-seeded Bucks (East Group B winners) took down the Atlanta Hawks (East Group C winners) in the semifinals Saturday to advance to the finals.
On the other side of the bracket, the Thunder (West Group B winners) defeated the Houston Rockets (West Group A winners), after the two best defenses in the league went toe-to-toe in the semis.
Here’s what to expect for Tuesday’s championship game:
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Schedule | FAQ
LAS VEGAS — After a pair of fun and physical semifinals in Sin City, the NBA is getting a marquee matchup in its second edition of the NBA Cup:
Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Yes, it is the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder who will be squaring off in Tuesday’s championship game at T-Mobile Arena, but for the stars on both teams, it will be a tremendous opportunity to establish themselves as an early front-runner in the race for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award.
And, for Gilgeous-Alexander in particular, it’s an opportunity to further cement himself as one of the faces of the NBA moving forward.
Antetokounmpo has already claimed all of the league’s top honors: MVP, Finals MVP and, most importantly, a championship — the latter of which came after putting up 50 points and 14 rebounds in Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals in an iconic performance.
Those are the milestones Gilgeous-Alexander, who reached the conference semifinals for the first time last year, hopes to be earning for himself and the young Thunder.
Wednesday’s quarterfinal victory against the Dallas Mavericks and Saturday’s semifinal win over the Houston Rockets are steps in the right direction. Gilgeous-Alexander followed up an exemplary performance against the Mavs, going for 39 points on 15-for-23 shooting, by leading Oklahoma City with 32 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals Saturday to help the Thunder emerge from an absolute rock fight with Houston.
Both teams could be future playoff opponents for the Thunder. And both would love a rematch as the Mavericks took down the Thunder in the second round last season. Houston has emerged as the second-best defense behind the Thunder this season.
Even having that kind of discussion about the Bucks is a far cry from where this team was a month ago, when Milwaukee was 2-8 in early November and it felt like its season was hanging by a thread. But behind some dominant play from Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 32.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 61.4% from the field, the Bucks have won 12 of their past 15 games to not only surge back into the top six in the Eastern Conference standings, but also to the tournament championship game after victories over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday and the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
The challenge will be a far different one Tuesday against a Thunder team that is tied for the league’s second-best record at 20-5, has the league’s best defense and a league-leading plus-12 net rating.
But for as good as Oklahoma City’s defense is, it will still be a challenge to slow Antetokounmpo, who is a singular force in transition and the half court with his combination of size and speed. That challenge will certainly fall to some combination of Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso on the wings, along with center Isaiah Hartenstein inside. Antetokounmpo will also put a ton of pressure on the officials, as he is second in the NBA with over 11 free throw attempts per game — more than half of what Oklahoma City, which ranks 29th with 19.1 per game, averages.
The Thunder will present the Bucks with challenges, particularly with their seemingly never-ending fleet of young, talented wings to throw at Milwaukee’s porous perimeter defense. The Bucks have struggled against quick, athletic guards all season, giving up a career-high 32 points to Jalen Suggs in a win over Orlando and then 35 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists to Trae Young on Saturday.
Trying to slow Gilgeous-Alexander, though, is a far more arduous task — and that’s before dealing with the Thunder’s high volume 3-point attack as they are one of seven teams averaging at least 40 triples attempted a game. Not to mention the offensive presence of rising star Jalen Williams on the wing.
It should be a fun clash in styles, and an entertaining end to this second edition of the league’s in-season tournament — one fronted by two of the league’s biggest stars.
2024 Emirates NBA Cup schedule
All times ET
Quarterfinals, Tuesday
Bucks 114, Magic 109
Thunder 118, Mavericks 104
Quarterfinals, Wednesday
Hawks 108, Knicks 100
Rockets 91, Warriors 90
Semifinals, Saturday
Bucks 110, Hawks 102
Thunder 111, Rockets 96
Championship, Tuesday
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. (ABC)
Previous group stage results
Nov. 12
Hawks 117, Celtics 116
Magic 114, Hornets 89
Pistons 123, Heat 121 (OT)
Knicks 111, 76ers 99
Bucks 99, Raptors 85
Suns 120, Jazz 112
Trail Blazers 122, Timberwolves 108
Warriors 120, Mavericks 117
Nov. 15
Heat 124, Pacers 111
Magic 98, 76ers 86
Pistons 99, Raptors 95
Lakers 120, Spurs 115
Hawks 129, Wizards 117
Cavaliers 144, Bulls 126
Pelicans 101, Nuggets 94
Knicks 124, Nets 122
Rockets 125, Clippers 104
Thunder 99, Suns 83
Timberwolves 130, Kings 126 (OT)
Warriors 123, Grizzlies 118
Nov. 19
Celtics 120, Cavaliers 117
Nets 116, Hornets 115
Nuggets 122, Grizzlies 110
Mavericks 132, Pelicans 91
Spurs 110, Thunder 110
Lakers 124, Jazz 118
Nov. 22
76ers 113, Nets 98
Celtics 108, Wizards 96
Warriors 112, Pelicans 108
Bucks 129, Pacers 117
Bulls 136, Hawks 122
Rockets 116, Trail Blazers 88
Mavericks 123, Nuggets 120
Clippers 108, Kings 88
Nov. 26
Bulls 127, Wizards 108
Bucks 106, Heat 103
Rockets 117, Timberwolves 111 (OT)
Spurs 128, Jazz 115
Suns 127, Lakers 100
Nov. 29
Knicks 99, Hornets 98
Hawks 117, Cavaliers 101
Grizzlies 120, Pelicans 109
Timberwolves 93, Clippers 92
Magic 123, Nets 100
Pistons 130, Pacers 106
Heat 121, Raptors 111
Celtics 138, Bulls 129
Thunder 101, Lakers 93
Trail Blazers 115, Kings 106
Dec. 3
76ers 110, Hornets 104
Cavaliers 118, Wizards 87
Bucks 128, Pistons 107
Knicks 121, Magic 106
Raptors 122, Pacers 111
Thunder 133, Jazz 106.
Mavericks 121, Grizzlies 116
Suns 104, Spurs 93
Nuggets 119, Warriors 115
Kings 120, Rockets 111
Clippers 127, Trail Blazers 105
FAQ (by Tim Bontemps)
The NBA unveiled the six groups for the second edition of its in-season tournament — now called the Emirates NBA Cup. Here’s a look at everything you’ll need to know about the return of the competition.
What is the format?
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has had a long-standing fascination with European soccer. The idea for having an in-season cup competition within the NBA schedule comes from soccer leagues having both a regular-season title, won by the team with the most points over the full year, and a separate tournament (or, in some leagues, multiple tournaments) that runs concurrently with the league season.
In England, for example, there are the various divisions — led by the Premier League — and also the FA Cup competition. But unlike those European leagues, which play their cup competitions outside of their league schedules, the NBA Cup is built into the regular-season slate.
The 30 NBA teams were split into six five-team groups — three featuring Eastern Conference teams, and three comprising teams from the West — with each team then playing one game against the other four in their group. The winner of each group, plus the team with the best record among the nongroup winners, will then advance to the knockout rounds.
How will this impact the regular-season schedule and standings?
Typically, the NBA sends out a full 82-game schedule in mid-August. Now, though, the league sends out only 80 games and leaves a gap for roughly a week to fill in later, depending on how the group stage of the NBA Cup plays out.
The teams that reach the NBA Cup’s finale will actually play 83 games — though the championship game won’t count toward the standings or any statistical markers. Those that lose in the semifinals will have played their full 82-game schedule and won’t need anything added.
The two teams from both the East and West that lose in the quarterfinals will play their 82nd game against one another on one of four dates: Dec. 12, 13, 15 or 16. Meanwhile, the 22 teams that fail to qualify for the knockout rounds will have their final two games scheduled — one at home and one on the road — on Dec. 12 or 13 and 15 or 16 against others eliminated in the group stage.
Why does the NBA Cup include regular-season games?
Before its launch, one of the main questions surrounding the in-season tournament was why any team would be incentivized to compete in it. By making every game part of the season — and, being in-conference, potentially important from a playoff-tiebreaker standpoint — the NBA ensured teams will be motivated.
If this had been set up like the cup tournaments in European soccer, there would have been nothing stopping NBA teams from opting out, literally or figuratively — sitting their top players for extra rest.
What teams make up the groups?
To create the groups, the NBA put all 15 teams in each conference into five pots, separated by their finish in last season’s standings. Pot 1 included the teams that finished 1-3 in regular-season record, teams 4-6 went into Pot 2, teams 7-9 into Pot 3, teams 10-12 into Pot 4 and teams 13-15 into Pot 5.
As a result, the following groups were drawn:
East A: New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets
East B: Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons
East C: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards
West A: Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers
West B: Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs
West C: Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies
Does one group stand out the most from the others?
Yes, there is an obvious one: West Group C, featuring the Nuggets, Mavericks, Pelicans, Warriors and Grizzlies.
Because of how the draw is performed, Golden State and Memphis, which dealt with a combination of suspensions and injuries, are significantly stronger than you would anticipate teams in the bottom two pots to be.
But in addition to featuring the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic and Zion Williamson, the group also could offer the first meeting between Klay Thompson and his former team after the guard signed with Dallas following 13 seasons with Golden State.
What do players get for winning?
Last year, the players on the winning team received $500,000 each, while those on the runners-up got $200,000. The losing players of the semifinals each got $100,000, and those ousted in the quarterfinals each got $50,000.
This year, the prizes will be slightly higher because of negotiated raises year over year to keep pace with increases in the salary cap and basketball related income as part of the most recent collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.
Will anyone earn individual honors for their play in NBA Cup games?
There will be an MVP award, as well as an all-tournament team.
Will this have any impact on the playoffs?
Not beyond the games counting in the regular-season standings (and toward tiebreakers). Though there was debate among league insiders about guaranteeing a playoff berth for winning the tournament, ultimately that idea (or any other to further incentivize teams) was not enacted.
The debate continued after last year’s in-season tournament winner, the Lakers, wound up in the play-in tournament, while the runner-up, the Pacers, narrowly avoided landing in it. But, in the end, the only playoff impact comes from the wins and losses accrued throughout the tournament.
Why is it called the Emirates NBA Cup?
The league struck a sponsorship deal with Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, to sponsor the tournament after its initial run. The NBA said last year that it went with the most basic titles for both the tournament and its trophy — the “in-season tournament” and “NBA Cup” — as a way to introduce the concept to fans.
However, using such nondescript names had another clear advantage: It gave the league a blank slate in case the tournament and cup became properties it ended up selling to a sponsor, and avoided the complications that could arise by naming them after someone (for example, the late NBA commissioner David Stern, one possibility that had been floated before the tournament was officially unveiled).