We're in the final week of the Group Play stage for the 2025 NBA Cup. After a light appetizer Tuesday, we have a full slate of Cup games on Wednesday and Friday to decide which teams will advance to the knockout portion of the Cup. The Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers are the only two teams that have clinched a spot in the knockout stage so far. A few other squads are in prime position to do so, although one slip-up this week could prove costly.
Here's a look at the remaining Cup schedule, the current Cup standings, and a prediction of which teams will wind up clashing in Las Vegas for the prize money.
Remaining NBA Cup Schedule
Wednesday, November 26
- Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics, 5 p.m. ET (East Group B)
- New York Knicks at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m. ET (East Group C)
- Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET (East Group C)
- Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m. ET (East Group A)
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:30 p.m. ET (West Group A)
- Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans, 8 p.m. ET (West Group B)
- Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m. ET (West Group C)
- San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. ET (West Group C)
- Phoenix Suns at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m. ET (West Group A)
Friday, November 28
- Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. ET (East Group A)
- Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET (East Group B)
- Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets, 7:30 p.m. ET (East Group C)
- Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m. ET (East Group B)
- Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers, 7:30 p.m. ET (East Group A)
- Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET (East Group C)
- Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET (West Group A)
- San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets, 9:30 p.m. ET (West Group C)
- Sacramento Kings at Utah Jazz, 9:30 p.m. ET (West Group A)
- Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET (West Group B)
- Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers, 10 p.m. ET (West Group B)
NBA Cup Standings
East Group A
Team | W | L | DIFF |
|---|---|---|---|
Toronto Raptors | 3 | 0 | +53 |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 2 | 1 | +33 |
Atlanta Hawks | 1 | 2 | +11 |
Washington Wizards | 1 | 2 | -44 |
Indiana Pacers | 0 | 2 | -31 |
The Raptors have already clinched Group A. If (when?) they beat the Pacers on Wednesday, they'll be in prime position to secure the overall top seed in the East bracket, which means they would host the wild-card team in the quarterfinals of the knockout round.
The Cavaliers and Hawks have a pivotal game Friday that may help determine which team lands the East's wild card. The Hawks are effectively eliminated from that race after getting spanked by the Wizards on Tuesday. If the Cavs win, they'll be 3-1 and should have a fairly high point differential, although the second-place teams in Groups B and C loom large in the wild-card race as well.
East Group B
Team | W | L | DIFF |
|---|---|---|---|
Orlando Magic | 3 | 0 | +61 |
Detroit Pistons | 2 | 0 | +27 |
Brooklyn Nets | 1 | 2 | -17 |
Boston Celtics | 1 | 2 | -20 |
Philadelphia 76ers | 0 | 3 | -51 |
This group is down to the Pistons and Magic, who play one another on Friday in Detroit. Whichever team wins that game will clinch the group. Even if the Magic lose that game, they should be in favorable position for the East's wild card after annihilating the Sixers on Tuesday. At plus-61, they have the highest point differential of any East team heading into Wednesday's action.
East Group C
Team | W | L | DIFF |
|---|---|---|---|
Milwaukee Bucks | 2 | 0 | +16 |
Miami Heat | 2 | 1 | +46 |
New York Knicks | 1 | 1 | -2 |
Chicago Bulls | 1 | 2 | -42 |
Charlotte Hornets | 0 | 2 | -18 |
The Bucks currently lead this group at 2-0, and Giannis Antetokounmpo has been upgraded to probable ahead of Wednesday's game against the Heat. This is the most wide-open group left in the East, as any of the Heat, Knicks or Bucks could feasibly win it.
The Knicks have the tiebreaker over the Heat since they won their head-to-head matchup, which is bad news for the other two groups. If the Heat beat the Bucks on Wednesday but lose the group, their plus-46 point differential should keep them very live in the wild-card race, depending on what happens in Pistons-Magic and Cavs-Hawks on Friday.
West Group A
Team | W | L | DIFF |
|---|---|---|---|
OKC Thunder | 2 | 0 | +63 |
Phoenix Suns | 2 | 0 | +23 |
Minnesota Timberwolves | 2 | 1 | +53 |
Sacramento Kings | 0 | 2 | -45 |
Utah Jazz | 0 | 3 | -94 |
This group is what the NBA Cup is all about. The Thunder are sitting atop the group at 2-0 with a massive plus-63 point differential, although they still have to face both the Timberwolves and Suns this week. The Suns are also 2-0 and get to take on the flatlining Kings before heading to OKC, while the Timberwolves are 2-1, with their lone loss coming to the Suns.
If the Thunder lose to the Wolves and beat the Suns and Phoenix beats the Kings, all three of the Thunder, Suns and Wolves will finish 3-1. From there, it would come down to point differential. If the Thunder beat the Wolves, Minnesota will be effectively eliminated from the wild-card chase, so Group A would come down to Friday's game in OKC. If the Suns win that game, they would win the group, and OKC would almost certainly win the West's wild card based on point differential.
West Group B
Team | W | L | DIFF |
|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Lakers | 3 | 0 | +36 |
Los Angeles Clippers | 2 | 1 | -15 |
Memphis Grizzlies | 1 | 1 | +9 |
Dallas Mavericks | 1 | 2 | -11 |
New Orleans Pelicans | 0 | 3 | -19 |
This group got decided Tuesday night when Luka Dončić laid waste to the hapless Clippers. The Lakers have now clinched the group courtesy of their head-to-head wins over the Clippers and Grizzlies, but they still have incentive to run up the score against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday in pursuit of the overall No. 1 seed in the West. (Luka legitimately might score 80.)
Hope Nico Harrison is on a nice yacht without TV service that night.
West Group C
Team | W | L | DIFF |
|---|---|---|---|
Portland Trail Blazers | 2 | 1 | -18 |
Denver Nuggets | 2 | 1 | +26 |
San Antonio Spurs | 1 | 1 | +10 |
Houston Rockets | 1 | 2 | +10 |
Golden State Warriors | 1 | 2 | -28 |
The Group of Death ironically might be the one group where a team with a negative point differential wins it all. The Blazers are 2-1 with a head-to-head win over the Nuggets (the only other 2-1 team), but they're a minus-18 thanks to a blowout loss against the Rockets. As long as they beat the Spurs on Wednesday, they'll clinch the group regardless.
The banged-up Nuggets also face the Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs on Friday. If Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle aren't back by then, the Nuggets may have major incentive to run up the score, particularly if OKC is on pace to win Group A.
Predictions
- Raptors clinched East Group A
- Pistons win East Group B
- Heat win East Group C
- Magic win East wild card
- OKC wins West Group A
- Lakers win West Group B
- Blazers win West Group C
- Nuggets win West wild card
Knockout bracket
Quarterfinals
- Magic at Raptors
- Heat at Pistons
- Nuggets at Thunder
- Blazers at Lakers
Semifinals
- Magic vs. Pistons
- Thunder vs. Lakers
Finals
- Pistons vs. Thunder
2025 NBA Cup champion: OKC Thunder