The Emirates NBA Cup 2025: The Battle Continues
The third edition of the Emirates NBA Cup is underway, with the group stage coming to an end this week and the knockout phase matchups beginning to take shape. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were the inaugural tournament champions in 2023, with James taking home the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. Last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks lifted the NBA Cup trophy over the eventual NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. But, which team will take home the trophy in Las Vegas this year and be able to maintain the momentum of the tournament in the postseason? Here’s what you need to know about the ongoing tournament, including rule changes for this year, highlights from the week’s most important matches, the schedule, and the results.Results from November 25th:
Los Angeles Lakers 135, LA Clippers 118 Two years ago, the Lakers became the first team to win the NBA Cup. On Tuesday night, they officially secured the opportunity to become the first team to win it for a second time. With another sensational performance by Luka Doncic (43 points, 9 rebounds and 13 assists, including a 32-point explosion in the first half), plus 31 points from Austin Reaves and 25 points from LeBron James, the Lakers finally overcame the LA Clippers, becoming the first team in the Western Conference to secure a spot in the NBA Cup playoffs. The game was close for the first three quarters, then tempers flared at the end of the fourth quarter after a foul by Kris Dunn on Doncic, which led to an altercation between Dunn and Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, resulting in Dunn’s ejection. However, that was only part of a night in which the Lakers continued their brilliant start to the season, improving to 13-4 and tying the Denver Nuggets for the second-best record in the Western Conference. Of short-term importance, however, was securing one of the four playoff spots in the Cup in the West Conference section of the bracket. Doing so means that the Lakers, if they win on Friday at home against the Dallas Mavericks, will guarantee themselves a home game in the quarterfinals of the tournament, placing them on a favorable path to return to Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference presented a couple of beatdowns, including one of the most surprising results of the entire season. The Washington Wizards, who started Tuesday with a 1-15 record and a staggering negative net rating of 15.5, defeated the Atlanta Hawks, winning 132-113 in a game they led by as many as 29 points to earn their first NBA Cup victory. To show how much of an exception that victory was: it improved the Wizards’ net rating for the entire season by two full points per 100 possessions in a single night. Atlanta had entered the game with the opportunity to be the Eastern wildcard team. Instead, the Hawks are virtually eliminated heading into Friday’s final group stage game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Orlando Magic, on the other hand, crushed the depleted Philadelphia 76ers, winning 144-103 to move to 3-0 in the Eastern Group B, setting up a game in Detroit on Friday against the Pistons, leaders of the East. Because the Magic won this game by such a ridiculous margin, they now have a point differential of over 61 points, the highest of any team in the Eastern Conference and second only to the Oklahoma City Thunder (plus 63) in the NBA. Here’s a look at how things stand in both conferences in Cup action heading into the penultimate day of the group stage on Wednesday:Teams that have secured a playoff spot:
- East: Toronto Raptors (Group A winner)
- West: Los Angeles Lakers (Group B winner)
What’s at stake on Wednesday
Eastern Group A:
The Raptors have secured the group and play their last home game against the Indiana Pacers, who are at the bottom of the table. With a point difference of more than 53, it seemed that Toronto would be the clear favorite to have the best point difference of any team in the East, and potentially any team in the league, heading into the knockout rounds before the big night in Orlando. However, a big win over Indiana could still put the Raptors in pole position to get the best ranking.Eastern Group B:
No matter what happens in Pistons-Celtics on Wednesday in Boston, the winner of Friday’s game in Detroit between the Magic and the Pistons will be the winner of this group. However, if the Pistons can win a fourteenth consecutive game, which would be a franchise record, it would give them the opportunity to be the team with the best overall ranking, although with a point difference of more than 27, they have a lot of work to do to catch up to Toronto. A Pistons victory would also mean that only six teams would be alive to fill the last three spots: Orlando, Detroit, Cleveland, the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks.Eastern C Group:
It could be said that the all-night game across the Association on Wednesday is in Miami, where Giannis Antetokounmpo has been upgraded to questionable with his groin strain for the Bucks, who are looking to advance to the Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season. A Bucks win would eliminate the Heat and secure the group for Milwaukee if it also combines with a Knicks loss in Charlotte on Wednesday or a Bucks win at Madison Square Garden on Friday. A Miami victory would also secure the group for the Heat with a Knicks loss, either against Charlotte on Wednesday or against the Bucks on Friday. Already with a point difference of more than 46, Miami would also have a great opportunity to get a wildcard spot if they can beat Milwaukee on Wednesday. For the Knicks, the other team, besides the Bucks, to reach the playoffs in each of the first two seasons of this event, although unlike Milwaukee, the Knicks failed to reach Las Vegas in either of those first two trips, their destiny this week is completely in their hands. Because the Knicks previously beat Miami, victories over Charlotte on Wednesday and Milwaukee on Friday will guarantee that they win the group, no matter what else happens.West Group A:
With less than a minute to go on Friday in Phoenix, it seemed like Wednesday’s game between the Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves would be a high point for this group. But then Minnesota had a catastrophic collapse and lost to the Suns and is now almost certainly eliminated from advancing if they lose in OKC, despite currently having a striking point difference of more than 53. Meanwhile, the Thunder are virtually assured of being the first seed in the West with wins over the Timberwolves on Wednesday and the Suns on Friday. Phoenix will improve to 3-0 and will have a great opportunity to at least be the wildcard with a win against Sacramento on Wednesday.West Group B:
The Lakers secured this group with a win on Tuesday night. But if Memphis can defeat the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday and the Clippers on Friday, the Grizzlies will be 3-1 and will have the opportunity to get the wildcard.West Group C:
If the Portland Trail Blazers beat the San Antonio Spurs at home on Wednesday, they will secure this group. However, if San Antonio wins, then the winner of Friday’s game in Denver between the Spurs and the Nuggets will win the group.Results from November 25th:
Wizards 132, Hawks 113 76ers 136, Magic 124 Lakers 135, Clippers 118Upcoming matches on November 26th:
Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics, 5 p.m. (ESPN) New York Knicks at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m. Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m. Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m. Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans, 8 p.m. Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m. (ESPN) San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. Phoenix Suns at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m.Matches on November 28th:
Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets, 7:30 p.m. Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. (Prime) Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m. Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers, 7:30 p.m. Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m. Sacramento Kings at Utah Jazz, 9:30 p.m. San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets, 9:30 p.m. Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. (Prime) Memphis Grizzlies at LA Clippers, 10 p.m.Elimination Phase:
December 9th and 10th: Quarter-finals TBD vs. TBD, (Prime) TBD vs. TBD, (Prime) TBD vs. TBD, (Prime) TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)December 13: Semifinals
TBD vs. TBD, (Prime) TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)December 16: Final
TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)
