What is the NBA Cup?

The NBA Cup, also known as the Emirates NBA Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual National Basketball Association tournament during the regular season. It was debuted during the 2023-2024 season. The tournament was officially announced on July 8, 2023, and the Los Angeles Lakers became the first champion in the 2023-2024 season. At first, the tournament was known as the In-Season Tournament.

According to the official website of the NBA, it provides players and teams the chance to chase another championship and engages fans in a new way. Additionally, it drives interest in the early phase of the regular-season schedule.

Emirates NBA Cup

The Emirates NBA Cup consists of two stages: Group Play and the Knockout Rounds. The total number of teams participating in it is 30, 15 teams per conference.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Los Angeles Clippers
3. Sacramento Kings
4. Houston Rockets
5. Portland Trail Blazers
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
7. Phoenix Suns
8. Los Angeles Lakers
9. Utah Jazz
10. San Antonio Spurs
11. Denver Nuggets
12. Dallas Mavericks
13. New Orleans Pelicans
14. Golden State Warriors
15. Memphis Grizzlies

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. New York Knicks
2. Orlando Magic
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Brooklyn Nets
5. Charlotte Hornets
6. Milwaukee Bucks
7. Indiana Pacers
8. Miami Heat
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Detroit Pistons
11. Boston Celtics
12. Cleveland Cavaliers
13. Chicago Bulls
14. Atlanta Hawks
15. Washington Wizards

In the group play, all 30 teams, based on their win-loss records in the following season, are randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference. Each team plays four designated Group Play games on the Cup Night, one game against each opponent in its group, with two games at home and two on the road. On Cup Nights, the only NBA games scheduled are the Group Play matchups. The results of the four intraconference games determine whether a team advances to the Knockout Rounds.

In the NBA Cup, eight teams advance to the Knockout Rounds. This includes the top-performing team from each of the six groups during Group Play and two "wild card" teams-one from each conference, that achieved the best record in Group Play among teams. The wild card teams are the ones with the best runners-up record in their group The Knockout Rounds, consisting of the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Championship, follow a single-elimination format. Teams compete for a prize pool and the prestigious NBA Cup trophy. Group Play and Knockouts Rounds stages games count towards the following season's regular-season standings, with the exception of the Championship game. Each team still plays a full 82 games in the regular season, including matches incorporated from the tournament.

A total of 14 Group Play games (two per Cup Night) and all seven Knockout Round games are broadcast nationally.

Related: List of NBA Cup champions

Where are the NBA In-Season Tournament finals?

According to the official website of the NBA, the NBA In-Season Tournament Finals, or the Emirates NBA Cup's Semifinals and Championship, will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The tournament started on November 12, 2024, and will end with the championship or finals on December 17, 2024.