The 2025 Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals begin on Tuesday after group play concludes on November 28. Four matchups will determine who punches a ticket to the semi-finals on Saturday in Las Vegas.
First of all, Miami Heat to visit orlando magic before Toronto Raptors host the new York KnicksThe winner of each game will represent the East, The Western Conference matchups are on Wednesday, when 23-1 oklahoma city thunder will host phoenix sun and this Los Angeles Lakers will host San Antonio Spurs,
The magic must go on without the star franz wagnerwho left Sunday’s game because of a high ankle sprainHowever, the good news for Magic is paolo banchero has come back from back injury He suffered on 12 November. in the west, luka doncic The Lakers are back after missing two games birth of their daughterand while Lebron James saw his 1,297-game streak When Thursday ends, he and the Lakers have a chance to become the first two-time NBA Cup champions.
Can anyone stop the thunder in the west? And will Wagner’s injury dash Orlando’s hopes of reaching Las Vegas? Our NBA insiders answer the biggest questions ahead of the quarterfinal matchups.
eastern conference
How will Franz Wagner’s injury affect the Magic against the Heat moving forward?
Orlando was finally done – for one game.
The Magic waited 23 days for star Paolo Banchero comeback from groin strain On Friday. Less than 48 hours later, Franz Wagner sustained a left high ankle sprainDramatically changing Tuesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinals. Although the Magic received the best news on Wagner’s injury — an MRI showed no structural damage, sources told ESPN — Orlando will face its in-state rival without its most stable player. Wagner is averaging 22.7 points, a career-high 6.1 rebounds and has increased his 3-point shooting from 29.5% last season to 36.0%, a big reason the Magic were able to go 7-3 without Banchero.
Instead of being able to work his way out, Banchero will need to immediately pick up the offensive load, supplementing with scoring and outside shooting. Desmond Bain And jalen suggs, anthony black Has already played a major role this season, and his versatility will be key for the Magic to survive without Wagner for the next two to four weeks. Wagner had 32 points in a 106-105 win over Miami on Friday, while the returning Banchero added nine points on just eight shots in 20 minutes. After 16 points on 11 shots in 24 minutes during Sunday’s loss to the Knicks, Banchero’s offense is slowly ramping up ahead of the Cup quarters.
Although Orlando will be without one of its top scorers, Miami guard tyler herro (toe) is probable and davian mitchell (Groin) is expected to play. The Heat have lost four of their last five games, but the potential return of Herro and Wagner’s injury could provide the boost Miami needs to reach Vegas. -Om Youngmisuk
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Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic: Game Highlights
Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic: Game Highlights
Should the Knicks bring their fierce attack, and will carl-anthony town Be a part of it?
New York’s offense has been like a machine through the team’s first 23 games – third in the NBA in efficiency and fourth in 3-pointers per game. The Knicks are also running into the Raptors at exactly the right time, as Toronto has dropped five of their last six games following a tough 13-1 run that has left them adrift in the conference standings. To make matters worse, the Raptors will be without a forward RJ BarrettHe has been sidelined for at least another week due to a concussion, the team announced knee sprain,
But for the Knicks, there’s only one problem: it’s the NBA Cup Quarterfinals in Toronto. The Knicks turned in a league average offense away from Madison Square Garden (just 3-6 on the road).
New York also could be without big man Towns, who is questionable with the calf injury that kept him out of Sunday’s win. procurement OG Anunoby RETURNS – After missing nine games, the two-way force played 23 minutes against the Magic on Sunday. hamstring strain – It doesn’t look as good if Towns’ injury turns into more than a game in relief.
Towns hasn’t had the best season so far. All of his offensive numbers are down from last season, his first performance since being traded to New York minnesota timberwolves On the eve of training camp. Perhaps it’s an adjustment to new coach Mike Brown’s attack, with Towns getting the ball in different spots, and others being featured more prominently as playmakers, such as forwards. mikal bridges, –Vincent Goodwill
road to semi finals
Miami and Orlando played a Cup quarterfinal preview just last week, with the Magic winning 106-105 in the first game at home to Banchero after returning from injury. (The Magic also defeated the Heat in a home affair on opening night.)
Both Florida teams were playing poorly last week, but have cooled off since: Orlando went on a 9-2 run before dropping two of its last three games, while Miami went 1-4 to continue its six-game winning streak.
Toronto is also stumbling in the cup quarterfinals, losing five of its last six games after a nine-game winning streak. But the Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season, with the help of a favorable schedule, entering the week on a 7-1 run. Five of the Knicks’ last seven wins have come against teams with losing records; The only exceptions are Orlando and Toronto, whom the Knicks defeated 116–94 on November 30.
These two former quarterfinals are also potential playoff previews. The conference standings are likely to change several times between now and the end of the regular season, but ESPN’s Basketball Power Index projections now show Orlando as Miami’s most likely first-round opponent and New York as Toronto’s most likely foe. – Zack Cram
western conference
Will the Thunder ever lose again?
That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but Oklahoma City is a juggernaut of historic proportions. The Thunder, despite ranking second in the league in games missed due to injury, are the third team in NBA history to win at least 23 of their first 24 games, joining in 2015–16. Golden State Warriors and the 1969–70 New York Knicks. Oklahoma City’s average point differential is plus-16.1 points, on pace to break its own record of plus-12.9 set last season. The Thunder have won 15 consecutive games since their only loss of the season, which occurred on November 5 in Portland, when the Trail Blazers rallied from a 22-point deficit to beat an Oklahoma City team that was without several key players for the second consecutive night.
Phoenix gave OKC as much of a scare as any opponent after that loss, cutting a 15-point deficit to one in the final minutes of the Nov. 28 Cup group stage final at Paycom Center. Then Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scored 10 of his game-high 37 points in the final 2:40.
Playing the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter is a feat Gilgeous-Alexander has done only 11 times this season. But keeping it close only brings out the best in the Thunder, whose plus-41.4 net rating in clutch situations (scoring within five points in the final five minutes or overtime) is by far the best in the league. –Tim McMahon
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SGA leads Thunder to 19-1 record with 37-point game
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points and 8 assists in the Thunder’s win over the Suns.
Can Spurs handle it? luka doncic And without the Lakers Victor Wembanyama,
It is possible, but it will not be easy. Despite San Antonio playing with a healthy Wembanyama, Doncic nearly triple-doubled the Spurs’ defense. Stephen Castle Taking upon themselves most of the responsibility for his safety. Despite the Lakers finishing on a 21–0 run, San Antonio still had a chance to tie the score with 0.2 seconds remaining – but Julian Champagnie Missed two free throws. Second-chance scoring featured prominently in the first matchup between the teams, with Los Angeles outshooting San Antonio 28–11 in that department.
lakers big man deandre ayton Made 9 of 13 shots for 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, while Vembanyama spent most of the game in foul trouble and eventually fouled out. The Frenchman is not expected to take part in this matchup as he recovers a stressed calfexperienced big man luke cornetHe averaged 2.1 blocks with a game-saving swat in Orlando on Dec. 3, and will probably form the backbone of San Antonio’s defense. Kornet, a free agent addition who has helped the Spurs post a 7-2 record without Wembanyama, should have a flat-out battle in the paint and perform well against Ayton.
San Antonio likely won’t have another answer for Doncic and will have to choose between allowing him to score or facilitate. It’s a task made even more difficult Lebron JamesThose who were sidelined during the teams’ first match are back in the lineup. –Michael C. Wright
road to semi finals
After losing in the 2024 NBA Cup Finals milwaukee bucksThe Thunder are clear favorites this time around amid a 23-1 start to the season.
We can see a playoff preview in the West bracket. ESPN BPI projections currently show Phoenix as the Thunder’s most likely first-round opponent and suggest the Lakers or Spurs as possible second-round matchups.
Although a Suns win would be a major upset, the semi-finals in Vegas could provide a major challenge for the Thunder. The Lakers will be the de facto home team on neutral courts, and the Spurs’ successful campaign led by a budding superstar is reminiscent of where Oklahoma City was two years ago.
The Lakers handed the Thunder their biggest loss during the 2024-25 regular season, winning 126-99 behind 30 points from Doncic in Oklahoma City in April. The Thunder responded with a comfortable win over LA two days later, but Doncic’s size and skill have always made him a tough matchup for Oklahoma City (and everyone else).
Spurs-Thunder matchup would potentially renew rivalry between Chet Holmgren and Vembanyama, which is dated 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup FinalIf the latter is returned left calf strain This has kept him out since November 17. Due to injuries, the two skilled young centers have met only once since their rookie seasons. Vembanyama struggled in that game and scored six points on 1 of 5 shooting in October 2024. –Kevin Pelton
