NBA Cup QF: Heat-Magic, Knicks-Raptors, Suns-Thunder & Spurs-Lakers/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The 2025 NBA Cup quarterfinal matchups are set: Miami faces Orlando, New York visits Toronto, Phoenix rematches Oklahoma City, and San Antonio challenges the Lakers. Defending champions Milwaukee were eliminated after a loss to the Knicks. Quarterfinal winners head to Las Vegas for semifinals, with a $500K prize awaiting the champions.
NBA Cup Quarterfinal Field Finalized: Quick Looks
- Eastern matchups: Heat at Magic, Knicks at Raptors
- Western matchups: Suns at Thunder, Spurs at Lakers
- Milwaukee Bucks eliminated after loss to New York
- Knicks clinch East Group C with 3–1 record, win tiebreaker over Miami
- Orlando, Toronto both go 4–0 in group play
- Oklahoma City (19–1) wins West Group A, beats Phoenix
- San Antonio stuns Denver to claim West Group C
- Suns earn West wild-card with 3–1 group record
- Quarterfinals count as regular-season games
- Winning players receive $530,933 each; losers still earn bonuses
Deep Look: NBA Cup Quarterfinal Matchups Set — Knicks and Spurs Clinch Final Spots, Bucks Eliminated
The NBA Cup quarterfinal matchups are locked in, and some familiar faces — and notable omissions — shape a bracket filled with rivalries, rematches, and playoff-like stakes.
The Eastern Conference quarterfinals will feature the Miami Heat visiting the Orlando Magic, while the New York Knicks head north to face the Toronto Raptors. On the Western side, the Phoenix Suns get a rematch with the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder, and the San Antonio Spurs travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers, the tournament’s inaugural champions from 2023.
Milwaukee Bucks Out, Knicks Claim Final East Spot
The New York Knicks clinched the final Eastern Conference quarterfinal berth with a statement 118–109 victory over the defending Cup champion Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. The win secured the Knicks a 3–1 group record and gave them the tiebreaker edge over Miami, who also finished 3–1.
Knicks coach Mike Brown praised his team’s fight: “I told the guys they did a heck of a job finding a way.”
The Bucks’ loss eliminates them from the 2025 NBA Cup and ends their hopes of a repeat title in Las Vegas.
Group Winners and Wild Cards
- East Group A: Toronto Raptors (4–0)
- East Group B: Orlando Magic (4–0)
- East Group C: New York Knicks (3–1, tiebreaker over Miami)
- East Wild Card: Miami Heat (3–1)
- West Group A: Oklahoma City Thunder (4–0, 19–1 season record)
- West Group C: San Antonio Spurs (win over Denver on Friday)
- West Wild Card: Phoenix Suns (3–1)
- West Group B: Los Angeles Lakers (clinched early)
Spurs Win Wild One, Suns Earn Rematch
The San Antonio Spurs edged out Denver in a tense final Group C game to punch their ticket to the knockout round. It’s a significant achievement for a young Spurs team still finding its identity.
Coach Mitch Johnson kept it simple: “I don’t know much about [the format], but I know we beat some really good teams to get here.”
The Phoenix Suns, meanwhile, earned the West wild-card slot despite Friday’s loss to Oklahoma City, setting up an immediate rematch with the Thunder, who are now a staggering 19–1 on the season.
“They’re feisty as hell,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, giving Phoenix full credit for their intensity.
Orlando, Toronto Finish Perfect in Group Play
The Orlando Magic clinched home-court advantage with a nail-biting 112–109 win over Detroit, completing a 4–0 run in East Group B. The result secures their position as the top seed in the East bracket.
“We’re building something special,” said Magic star Desmond Bane. “To do it in front of our home fans means everything.”
Toronto, also undefeated in group play, will host the Knicks in a battle of two high-energy squads with championship aspirations.
NBA Cup Quarterfinal Schedule
(All games televised on Amazon Prime, EST)
Tuesday, Dec. 9
- Miami Heat at Orlando Magic — 6:00 p.m.
- New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors — 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 10
- Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder — 7:30 p.m.
- San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers — 10:00 p.m.
What Happens Next?
- Quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas on Dec. 13 (games count toward regular-season standings).
- Championship game is set for Dec. 16 in Las Vegas (does NOT count in standings).
- Quarterfinal losers will play additional regular-season games on Dec. 14 or 15.
Meanwhile, the 22 teams not in the quarterfinals have been scheduled two regular-season games to round out the standard 82-game season.
Additional Regular-Season Games for Non-Qualifiers
Dec. 11:
- L.A. Clippers at Houston
- Boston at Milwaukee
- Portland at New Orleans
- Denver at Sacramento
Dec. 12:
- Chicago at Charlotte
- Atlanta at Detroit
- Indiana at Philadelphia
- Cleveland at Washington
- Utah at Memphis
- Brooklyn at Dallas
- Minnesota at Golden State
Dec. 14:
- Washington at Indiana
- Philadelphia at Atlanta
- Charlotte at Cleveland
- Milwaukee at Brooklyn
- Sacramento at Minnesota
- Golden State at Portland
Dec. 15:
- Detroit at Boston
- New Orleans at Chicago
- Dallas at Utah
- Houston at Denver
- Memphis at L.A. Clippers
NBA Cup Prize Payouts
- Quarterfinal appearance: $53,903 per player
- Semifinals: $106,187
- Finals: $212,373
- Champions: $530,933 per player
- Two-way players receive half the listed amounts
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