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12/08 11:55 CST NBA Cup quarterfinals this week: Heat-Magic, Knicks-Raptors,
Suns-Thunder, Spurs-Lakers
NBA Cup quarterfinals this week: Heat-Magic, Knicks-Raptors, Suns-Thunder,
Spurs-Lakers
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
All eight teams left in the running for the NBA Cup are now playing for a shot
at going to Las Vegas for the tournament semifinals, along with a chance of
picking up more than $500,000 per player as a reward for claiming the title.
And for the Oklahoma City Thunder, there's something more: History is at stake.
The NBA Cup quarterfinal games --- Miami at Orlando, New York at Toronto,
Phoenix at Oklahoma City, and San Antonio at the Los Angeles Lakers --- are
scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The winners will head to Vegas for
semifinal games this weekend.
If the Thunder beat the Suns, they'll improve to 24-1 this season and tie
Golden State for the best 25-game start in NBA history.
There are also cash incentives: Players on the quarterfinalist teams have
already assured themselves of $53,093 apiece in a bonus, with two-way players
getting half that much. A trip to the semifinal round doubles that to $106,187.
A semifinal win guarantees players $212,373 in bonus money, and players with
standard contracts on the Cup-winning roster will get $530,933 apiece. Again,
two-way players get half of whatever the bonus amount is.
Where to watch and listen All seven remaining games --- the quarterfinals, semifinals and title game --- are on Amazon Prime. Some quarterfinal games will also get local-market coverage, while the semifinals and final are Prime-exclusive. ESPN Radio will also broadcast the three games from Las Vegas --- the semifinals on Saturday and the title game on Dec. 16.
Miami Heat at Orlando Magic Tuesday, 6 p.m. ET Records: Heat 14-10, Magic 14-10 Season series: Magic lead 2-0 (Magic 125, Heat 121 in Orlando on Oct. 22; Magic 106, Heat 105 in Orlando on Dec. 5). NBA Cup history: Heat are 7-5 all-time in Cup games, in quarterfinals for first time, qualified for knockout stage this year by winning Eastern Conference wild-card at 3-1; Magic are 10-3 all-time in Cup games, in quarterfinals for second consecutive year, won East Group B this year at 4-0, seeking first semifinal appearance. Outlook: It'll be the third of five meetings between the Sunshine State rivals this season, and the first two were down-to-the-wire thrillers in Orlando. ... Heat have lost three straight for the first time this season. ... Magic just got Paolo Banchero back from injury, then lost Franz Wagner to injury in a loss at New York on Sunday.
New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. ET Records: Knicks 16-7, Raptors 15-10 Season series: Knicks lead 1-0 (Knicks 116, Raptors 94 in New York on Nov. 30). NBA Cup history: Knicks are 10-4 all-time in Cup games, are the only team in the NBA to reach the Cup quarterfinals in all three years of the event, won East Group C with 3-1 record, seeking first semifinal berth; Raptors are 6-6 all-time in Cup games, in quarterfinals for first time, won East Group A this year at 4-0. Outlook: Knicks have won seven of their last eight games and 14 of their last 18. ... Knicks are 0-2 in quarterfinal games in Cup play, losing by a combined 32 points. ... Raptors have had wild ups and downs this season. They started 1-4, then went unbeaten in four Group Stage games in Cup play during a stretch where they went 13-1. Problem is, they're 1-5 since that stretch.
Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET Records: Suns 13-10, Thunder 23-1 Season series: Thunder lead 1-0 (Thunder 123, Suns 119 in Oklahoma City on Nov. 28). NBA Cup history: Suns are 9-4 all-time in Cup play, in quarterfinals for second time (2023), seeking first semifinal appearance, qualified for knockout stage this year by winning Western Conference wild-card at 3-1; Thunder are 10-5 all-time in Cup play, in quarterfinals for second consecutive year, lost last year's final to Milwaukee, won West Group A this year at 4-0. Outlook: Oklahoma City needs a win to match Golden State (24-1 in 2015-16) for the best 25-game start in NBA history. ... Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 445 points in Cup games, second-most in tournament play behind Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo (453). ... Phoenix is 10-0 when holding teams to 113 points or less, 3-10 otherwise.
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday, 10 p.m. ET Records: Spurs 15-7, Lakers 17-6 Season series: Lakers 1-0 (Lakers 118, Spurs 116 in Los Angeles on Nov. 5). NBA Cup history: Spurs are 5-7 all-time in Cup games, are in quarterfinals for first time and won West Group B this season at 3-1; Lakers are NBA-best 13-2 in Cup games, are in quarterfinals for second time, won West Group C this season at 4-0 and won the inaugural title when the event was called the In-Season Tournament in 2023. Outlook: Lakers guard Austin Reaves is having a breakout season and looking very much like an All-NBA player, plus has appeared in more Cup game wins (13 wins in 15 contests) than anyone still in this year's tournament. ... LeBron James is coming off a season-high 29 points in Lakers' win at Philadelphia on Sunday. ... Spurs are 8-4 with Victor Wembanyama in the lineup --- and have more than held it down since he strained his calf, going 7-3 in his absence. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Where to watch and listen All seven remaining games --- the quarterfinals, semifinals and title game --- are on Amazon Prime. Some quarterfinal games will also get local-market coverage, while the semifinals and final are Prime-exclusive. ESPN Radio will also broadcast the three games from Las Vegas --- the semifinals on Saturday and the title game on Dec. 16.
Miami Heat at Orlando Magic Tuesday, 6 p.m. ET Records: Heat 14-10, Magic 14-10 Season series: Magic lead 2-0 (Magic 125, Heat 121 in Orlando on Oct. 22; Magic 106, Heat 105 in Orlando on Dec. 5). NBA Cup history: Heat are 7-5 all-time in Cup games, in quarterfinals for first time, qualified for knockout stage this year by winning Eastern Conference wild-card at 3-1; Magic are 10-3 all-time in Cup games, in quarterfinals for second consecutive year, won East Group B this year at 4-0, seeking first semifinal appearance. Outlook: It'll be the third of five meetings between the Sunshine State rivals this season, and the first two were down-to-the-wire thrillers in Orlando. ... Heat have lost three straight for the first time this season. ... Magic just got Paolo Banchero back from injury, then lost Franz Wagner to injury in a loss at New York on Sunday.
New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. ET Records: Knicks 16-7, Raptors 15-10 Season series: Knicks lead 1-0 (Knicks 116, Raptors 94 in New York on Nov. 30). NBA Cup history: Knicks are 10-4 all-time in Cup games, are the only team in the NBA to reach the Cup quarterfinals in all three years of the event, won East Group C with 3-1 record, seeking first semifinal berth; Raptors are 6-6 all-time in Cup games, in quarterfinals for first time, won East Group A this year at 4-0. Outlook: Knicks have won seven of their last eight games and 14 of their last 18. ... Knicks are 0-2 in quarterfinal games in Cup play, losing by a combined 32 points. ... Raptors have had wild ups and downs this season. They started 1-4, then went unbeaten in four Group Stage games in Cup play during a stretch where they went 13-1. Problem is, they're 1-5 since that stretch.
Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET Records: Suns 13-10, Thunder 23-1 Season series: Thunder lead 1-0 (Thunder 123, Suns 119 in Oklahoma City on Nov. 28). NBA Cup history: Suns are 9-4 all-time in Cup play, in quarterfinals for second time (2023), seeking first semifinal appearance, qualified for knockout stage this year by winning Western Conference wild-card at 3-1; Thunder are 10-5 all-time in Cup play, in quarterfinals for second consecutive year, lost last year's final to Milwaukee, won West Group A this year at 4-0. Outlook: Oklahoma City needs a win to match Golden State (24-1 in 2015-16) for the best 25-game start in NBA history. ... Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 445 points in Cup games, second-most in tournament play behind Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo (453). ... Phoenix is 10-0 when holding teams to 113 points or less, 3-10 otherwise.
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday, 10 p.m. ET Records: Spurs 15-7, Lakers 17-6 Season series: Lakers 1-0 (Lakers 118, Spurs 116 in Los Angeles on Nov. 5). NBA Cup history: Spurs are 5-7 all-time in Cup games, are in quarterfinals for first time and won West Group B this season at 3-1; Lakers are NBA-best 13-2 in Cup games, are in quarterfinals for second time, won West Group C this season at 4-0 and won the inaugural title when the event was called the In-Season Tournament in 2023. Outlook: Lakers guard Austin Reaves is having a breakout season and looking very much like an All-NBA player, plus has appeared in more Cup game wins (13 wins in 15 contests) than anyone still in this year's tournament. ... LeBron James is coming off a season-high 29 points in Lakers' win at Philadelphia on Sunday. ... Spurs are 8-4 with Victor Wembanyama in the lineup --- and have more than held it down since he strained his calf, going 7-3 in his absence. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
