NBA Cup Final: Does this game impact Bucks, Thunder regular season records?
By Quinn Everts
The NBA Cup Final has some serious juice to it. When the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks square off for Cup supremacy on Tuesday night, fans should be treated to a pretty high-level content. Oklahoma City has been the most dominant team in the NBA all season and Milwaukee has caught fire after a brutal start.
While plenty will be on the line tonight — namely $500,000 for the winning players and a trophy for the team — this game won't actually impact the NBA standings.
Does the NBA Cup Final count for regular season records?
No. This game does not count toward the 82-game regular season schedule and will not impact the current records of either team. Milwaukee is currently 14-11 and will still be 14-11 after this game. Oklahoma City is 20-5 and will still be 20-5 after this game.
This is a change from the NBA Cup group play stages, quarterfinals and semifinals, which all counted toward teams' regular season records.
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Is the NBA Cup Final an extra game for Oklahoma City and Milwaukee?
Yes. Both teams will still play 82 regular-season games in 2024-25, meaning the Bucks and Thunder will both have 83 non-playoff games under their belts when the playoffs begin.
The NBA wanted the NBA Cup Final to act as a standalone game, sort of assuming that two teams won't mind playing an extra game when a trophy and some cash is on the line. That's not a bad assumption! OKC and Milwaukee are going to play this game like it's a championship — because it is — and that extra game is the last thing on each teams mind right now.