The NBA Cup is held in Las Vegas, with four teams competing for the title and the prize money that comes with it. In the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks will compete for a spot in the finals. In the West Division, the Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Houston Rockets. Both games will be held on Saturday, December 14th at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Final Four is the culmination of a thrilling quarterfinal round in which the higher-seeded teams host games in their home arenas. The Hawks extended their Cinderella run in cup competition with a dramatic victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. After the game, Trae Young rolled the dice on center court.
The Bucks are back in the final four of the NBA Cup for the second year in a row. Milwaukee got off to a disappointing start to the season, but has improved recently, with Giannis Antetokounmpo once again emerging as a serious MVP candidate. The Bucks ran away in the quarterfinals to an Orlando Magic team that was missing two of its best players. Milwaukee is a close favorite in the semifinals against Atlanta, and will be looking to prove in the cup game that they remain a strong contender even in the playoffs.
The Thunder enter Las Vegas as clearly the strongest team in this field. Oklahoma City is currently the top seed in the West and looks like a powerhouse even without injured star center Chet Holmgren. The Thunder's defense is performing at a historic level, and they will be facing off against the other elite defensive team in the league, the Rockets. Houston picked up a stunning second win over the Golden State Warriors in the quarterfinals, cementing their status as not only one of the best young teams in the league, but one of the best overall. I'm trying to.
NBA Cup 2024 Qualification
NBA Cup Semifinals Schedule, Matchups, Dates, Times, Scores
Saturday, December 14th
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks, (4:30 pm/8:30 pm), TNT
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets, (4:30 p.m./8:30 p.m.), TNT
NBA Cup Finals Date, Time, TV
Tuesday, December 17th
Champion of the East vs Champion of the West
NBA Cup Quarterfinal Score
NBA Cup Quarterfinal Score
Milwaukee Bucks 114, Orlando Magic 109
Oklahoma City Thunder 118, Dallas Mavericks 104
Atlanta Hawks 108, New York Knicks Knicks 100
Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets, 8:30 p.m., TNT
NBA Cup prize money and player wallets
The NBA Cup pays out cash to all players on teams that reach the quarterfinals, and the purses grow as teams advance through the bracket. Player payments for the 2024 NBA Cup are as follows:
- Players on teams eliminated in the quarterfinals: $51,497.
- Players on the losing team in the semifinals: $102,994.
- Players on teams that lost in the NBA Cup Finals: $205,988.
- Player on NBA Cup Finals winning team: $514,970.
