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The NBA Cup Group Phase is over, and the eight teams in the Knockout Stages have been finalized. Now, losses mean you get sent home, and your chances to win the NBA's in-season tournament are over. With fewer NBA games being played over the next week or two because of the NBA Cup Knockout Stages, you won't want to miss any of the action taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this article, we have you covered with everything you need to know about the NBA Cup going forward.
NBA Cup Knockout Stage bracket
Western Conference
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Golden State Warriors
- Dallas Mavericks
Eastern Conference
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New York Knicks
- Atlanta Hawks
- Orlando Magic
NBA Cup Knockout Stage schedule
Quarterfinals (Tuesday, Dec. 10):
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Orlando Magic at 7 p.m. ET
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks at 9:30 p.m. ET
Quarterfinals (Wednesday, Dec. 11):
New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks at 7 p.m. ET
Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors at 9:30 p.m. ET
Semifinal (Saturday, Dec. 14):
Winner of Bucks-Magic vs. winner of Knicks-Hawks at 4:30 p.m. ET
Winner of Thunder-Mavericks vs. winner of Rockets-Warriors at 8:30 p.m. ET
Championship (Tuesday, Dec. 17):
Western Conference champion vs. Eastern Conference champion at 8:30 p.m. ET
How to watch NBA Cup
Every game of the quarterfinals except for New York vs. Atlanta will be broadcast on TNT. Meanwhile, that Knicks-Hawks game will be on ESPN. The Eastern Conference semifinal game will be on TNT, while ABC will have the semifinal game out West. The championship game will be broadcast on ABC. Excluding TNT games, you can watch the NBA Cup on fuboTV.
*Watch NBA Cup games live with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Quarterfinals storylines
Before the semifinal and championship game take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, the quarterfinals will see the higher seed serve as the home team. That is good news for the Bucks, as they are the top seed, but they are only 3-6 on the road this season. Meanwhile, they are taking on a Magic team that is undefeated at home (9-0). Securing the top seed (for the second year in a row) and home-court advantage was huge for Milwaukee, especially considering the team got off to a slow start this season.
The Bucks have seemingly been extra motivated in NBA Cup games, and that has helped them turn their season around. Giannis Antetokounmpo is again playing like a top-two player in the NBA, and Damian Lillard is looking more like the version of himself that fans know. Now, they are getting Khris Middleton back from injury, too. The Magic might be getting refinements back, too. They've thrived without their best player, Paolo Banchero, but the star forward is nearing a return.
The Thunder are the other number-one seed in the Knockout Stages. Although they are without Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City hasn't missed a beat because of Isaiah Hartenstein's return from injury. The Thunder are taking on a dangerous Mavericks team. They proved that they were NBA Finals caliber with Luka Doncic last season, and they showed off their depth while Doncic was hurt over the last couple of weeks.
Like the Thunder, the Rockets are a young, up-and-coming team that has made noise this year. The NBA Cup provides themselves a chance to really make a name for their team, especially considering their opponent is the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors. The Warriors offense looks just as potent as ever, though, even with Klay Thompson playing for the Mavericks.
The Knicks are the only team that made it to the elimination part of the in-season tournament last year that will be in the Knockout Stages this season. The team will hope for better luck this year, as they lost in the quarterfinals last season. Their matchup is against the Atlanta Hawks. Everyone knows how dangerous Trae Young is, but the Hawks have exceeded expectations because of Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson's development.
Predictions
Orlando Magic beat the Milwaukee Bucks 111-108 in the quarterfinals
Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 129-125 in the quarterfinals
New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 109-108 in the quarterfinals
Houston Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors 122-117 in the quarterfinals
Orlando Magic beat the New York Knicks 115-114 in the semifinal
Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 126-116 in the semifinal
Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic 118-111 in the championship
