The 2025 NBA Emirates Cup: The Battle for the Trophy Continues
The third edition of the NBA Emirates Cup is underway, with the group stage coming to an end this week and the knockout phase matchups beginning to take shape. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James, won the inaugural trophy in 2023, with James being awarded as the tournament MVP. Last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks raised the NBA Cup banner, but it was the Oklahoma City Thunder who were crowned NBA champions. What team will take the title in Las Vegas this year? Will they be able to maintain the momentum of the tournament in the postseason? Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament, including rule changes for this year, key moments from the week’s most important matches, the schedule, and the results.Featured Results and Upcoming Matches
November 26: Analysis of Wednesday’s matches
Eastern Conferences
The most relevant Eastern Conference matchup on Wednesday took place in Florida, where the Miami Heat secured their sixth consecutive victory, overcoming a late scare against the Milwaukee Bucks to move to 3-1 in Group C. Tyler Herro, in his second game back after offseason ankle surgery, scored 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting, while Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware combined for 28 points and 20 rebounds. At the same time, the New York Knicks enjoyed a convincing victory in Charlotte, advancing to 2-1 in the Cup. Heat, Bucks and Knicks still have chances to win Group C entering the last day of the group stage on Friday. These results also ensure that Group C will end with two teams with a 3-1 record (Heat and the winner of Friday’s Bucks-Knicks game), so all Eastern Conference teams with two losses were eliminated on Wednesday: Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls. In Group B, the Celtics ended the Detroit Pistons’ 13-game winning streak, but the result will not affect Detroit’s path to the knockout rounds: The winner of Friday’s matchup between Detroit and the Orlando Magic will win the group and advance. In Group A, Brandon Ingram scored a mid-range jump shot with 0.6 seconds remaining to beat the Indiana Pacers and complete the Toronto Raptors’ undefeated streak in the group stage. The Raptors secured home-court advantage in the quarterfinals with the victory. If the Magic finish at the top of Group B, Toronto will host the winner of Group C in the next round; if the Pistons win Group B, Toronto will host the Eastern wildcard.Western Conferences
The Oklahoma City Thunder continues its impressive performance. Wednesday’s victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves put Oklahoma City at a record of 18-1 on the season, maintaining its best start since the Golden State Warriors achieved 73 wins a decade ago. The Thunder have a 3-0 record in the NBA Cup, while the Timberwolves were practically eliminated with their second defeat.Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns also improved to 3-0 in Group A. With a 22-point lead at halftime in Sacramento, the Suns couldn’t maintain that large advantage, which could be crucial given the importance of point differential as a tiebreaker. They settled for a 12-point victory over the Kings.
The most important game of the Western Cup of the night saw the Portland Trail Blazers seeking an improbable finish at the top of Group C, receiving the San Antonio Spurs with the opportunity to secure a place in the quarterfinals. Leaving the tournament aside, the rest of the season continues its course.
