Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Defending NBA Cup champions Milwaukee will be up against New York, Chicago, Charlotte, and Miami in the group stage of the next in-season tournament, the league announced on Wednesday. The NBA unveiled the six groups for the third edition of its in-season competition, which will tip off on October 31 with group stage games that will be played on designated “Cup nights” and count as part of the regular season — as will the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Group winners plus one “wild card” team from each conference will advance to the quarter-finals on December 9 and 10. The semi-finals will be played on December 13 in Las Vegas, where the title game will be held December 16.
All 30 teams were randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on win-loss records from the 2024-25 regular season. The draw offered some intrigue in the West, where the Los Angeles Lakers will battle the Los Angeles Clippers in a group that also includes the Dallas Mavericks — who sensationally sent Slovenian star Luka Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis last February. The Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans round out that group.
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The NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, and Utah Jazz in group play. The Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs comprise the other Western Conference group.
Elsewhere in the East, the Boston Celtics are grouped with the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Orlando Magic. The Cleveland Cavaliers are grouped with the Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards.
Every team will have two home games and two road games in group play. Those that don’t advance to the knockout stage will have contests added to their schedule so that every team plays an 82-game regular season. The NBA Cup was introduced during the 2023-24 season after years of discussion of an in-season tournament to add interest to the early months of the season. The Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural edition, beating the Indiana Pacers in the championship game. Last season, the Bucks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the title game — but the Thunder went on to claim the NBA title.
© 2024 AFP
