The Emirates NBA Cup has officially moved to Las Vegas, which means the semi-finals and championship are upon us.
The two semi-final matches contrast with each other. New York Knicks–Orlando Magic Saturday's game will be the teams' fourth meeting this season and the second time in the past week. Oklahoma City Thunder And San Antonio Spurs met each other for the first time this season.
Both games feature unique intrigue, with the Knicks and Magic vying for supremacy in the wide-open Eastern Conference, while the Thunder and Spurs renew their rivalry in the Western Conference.
How did teams earn a trip to Vegas? Which matches will determine the semi-finals and will Victor Vembanyama return to face his old rival Chet Holmgren?
Our NBA insiders shared their thoughts ahead of Saturday's semifinals.
2:20
Perk: KAT is the most important player on the Knicks.
Kendrick Perkins says Karl-Anthony Towns may not be the best player on the Knicks, but calls him the most important player on the team.
How did they get here?
East
It feels like several worlds have passed since the Knicks started playing in the Cup. Chicago Bulls inflicted their first defeat of the season. He identified two problems: frustration Josh Hartwho was dealing with the effects of a nerve injury in his right finger and the Knicks' inability to win on the road.
The defeat seemed like a harbinger of all the unnecessary things that can plague a team through 82 games, not to mention the early season tournament. But the Knicks find their groove on the road, qualifying for the semifinals with a convincing 117-101 win in Toronto on Tuesday. And Hart, reinserted into the starting lineup after serving as a reserve, was the catalyst in turning the Knicks around.
Karl-Anthony Towns had his best statistical game of the season: 39 points, 11 rebounds and four assists against Miami Heat in the NBA Cup game in mid-November. Towns needed a breakout game to show he can fit into Mike Brown's new offensive system, which focuses more on ball movement rather than the occasional stagnant play that plagued the Knicks last season.
The Knicks take a break from the game. Orlando Magic without Franz Wagnerand there's the benefit of familiarity, considering they've met three times already this season, including Sunday's 106-100 win.
They're getting closer to discovering their true identity, and the Magic may be the best team to figure it out. Jalen Brunson was a constant, and he delivered a masterpiece in Toronto, scoring 20 of his career-high 35 points in the first quarter. He's scored at least 30 goals in the Knicks' last three Cup appearances, and that formula will be on display again Saturday afternoon. — Vincent Goodwill
The Magic made it to Las Vegas despite not being at full strength for most of their NBA Cup run. Despite the absence Paolo Banchero In three of their four Cup group games, the Magic went undefeated in group play, with multiple players appearing at different times. Depth and versatility have been instrumental in the Magic's improvement after a 1-4 start to the season, as six different players have led Orlando in scoring in a game this season.
Desmond Bane was big difference for Orlando. The Magic are 11-4 since beating Portland in a non-bowl game on Nov. 10. He exceeded even the Magic's expectations by trading four unprotected first-round picks, a trade of first-round picks and two players to Memphis. He scored 37 points to help Orlando win its group in a 112-109 win over Detroit on Nov. 28, then dropped another 37 points in a 117-108 win over Miami in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.
Banchero returned three games ago, but Magic will be gone Franz Wagner available in Las Vegas. Wagner, Orlando's most consistent player, is out with On December 8, he suffered a sprain in his left ankle..
Banchero increased his minutes to 32 in the win over Miami, and Orlando will need him and Bane to make big strides to have any chance of winning the Cup. Jalen Suggs will also have to excel on both ends of the court, as he did against Miami with 20 points and active defense, and Wendell Carter Jr..'s presence in the lineup will be crucial in Vegas – he had 14 points and 10 rebounds in the quarterfinal win. Magic hopes Anthony Black'sand Tristan da SilvaVersatility, energy and shooting accuracy will also help compensate for the loss of Wagner. — Ohm Youngmisuk
West
The Thunder punched their ticket to Vegas for the second straight season with the same mixture they used to build a record 24-1 start: hard hitting and a little clutch dominance when needed.
Oklahoma City went 5-0 in Cup play with an average margin of victory of 24.8 points. That point differential was complemented by Wednesday's 49-point win over the Phoenix Suns in the quarterfinals, the most lopsided record in the league this season.
But the Thunder, who opened Cup play by defeating the Kings and Jazz on the road by 31 and 32 points, respectively, ran into trouble a couple of times on the way to Vegas.
It brought out only the best in this Oklahoma City team, which has a plus-41.4 net rating in clutch situations, by far the best in the league.
The score was tied with three minutes left when the Minnesota Timberwolves visited Paycom Center on November 26 in a rematch of the Western Conference Finals. Then Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stole the ball from Donte DiVincenzo at half court and converted a layup in transition to give the Thunder the lead for good. OKC's league-leading defense held the Wolves to one field goal in the final few minutes.
A couple of nights later, the Suns cut a 15-point deficit to one in crunch time. Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads the league with 87 clutch points in 53 minutes, slammed the door on the Suns with 10 points in the final 2:40.
There was no tension when the Suns returned to OKC. Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the Thunder's starting lineup exited with 3:32 left in the third quarter, comfortably holding a 41-point lead en route to a second straight trip to the NBA Cup semifinals. — Tim McMahon
The Spurs played half of their NBA Cup group stage games without Victor Vembanyamaentering West Group C with a 3-1 record the day after Thanksgiving on the road in Denver. Adding intrigue to Saturday's semifinal game against Oklahoma City is the potential availability of Wembanyama, who has not played since Nov. 14 with a left calf sprain.
The third-year senior rejoined the team on the road in New Orleans earlier in the week and participated in back-to-back practices on Sunday and Monday before completing two more practices in Los Angeles before the team's NBA Cup quarterfinal victory over the Lakers on Wednesday. Following the win, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Wembanyama could play in Saturday's return match against defending champions Thunder.
“Yes, very much,” Johnson told reporters. “He had a really good day today. “He’s had a very stressful day and we’ll have to see how he reacts or responds.” [on Thursday]”
If Wembanyama can play in Las Vegas, it will be his fifth matchup against the Oklahoma City big man. Chet Holmgrenwhich played a role in limiting him to six points on 1-for-8 shooting the last time the players faced each other in October 2024. Holmgren owns a 3-1 record in the series against Vembanyama in the rivalry dating back to the FIBA Under-19 World Cup final between the United States and France in Riga, Latvia.
Interestingly, Wembanyama and Holmgren first met in the NBA during the first season of the intraseason tournament. Wembanyama scored eight points on 4-for-15 shooting and Holmgren scored nine points on 3-for-10 shooting on a night that Oklahoma City dominated San Antonio 123-87 behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 28 points and seven steals. — Michael S. Wright
1:10
Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Game Highlights
Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Game Highlights
A match worth watching
Orlando Magic vs New York Knicks (5:30 p.m. ET, Prime)
A common theme has emerged in the three meetings Orlando and New York have already taken place this season. In the first two games, both Magic wins, Franz Wagner averaged 32.5 points on 56% shooting and Orlando averaged 128.5 points as a team. However, in Game 3, Wagner suffered a high ankle sprain and played only seven minutes, and Orlando scored just 100 points in the loss.
Can Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bain score enough to compensate for Wagner's absence from the Cup semi-final? Bane led the way with 37 points in the quarterfinals, but it's likely that Banchero, who missed most of the Magic's two wins over New York this year and then shot just 4 of 11 in their loss, will have to step up to lead his team to the finals. — Zach Crum
San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunder (9 p.m. ET, Prime)
The speed of San Antonio's defenders in the match against Oklahoma City looks decisive. The Lakers had no answers for the Spurs trio at the All-Star Game. De'Aaron Fox and recent lottery winnings Stephon Castle And Dylan Harperwho scored 63 points on 24-of-43 shooting Wednesday night for just the second time all three have been healthy this season.
Most teams don't have multiple perimeter defenders to compete with San Antonio's dynamic trio. Alas, the Thunder have proven time and time again that they are not most teams. All four of Oklahoma City's perimeter players are capable defenders and backup players. Alex Caruso maybe even better. — Kevin Pelton
Expert championship selection
Ratings: Oklahoma City over New York
Hug: Oklahoma City over New York
Pelton: Oklahoma City beat Orlando
