Last night concluded the group-play round of the Emirates NBA Cup. The knockout round matchups are set and scheduled, below is everything you need for the quarterfinal round, including WUFO’s pick for the most anticipated matchup this round.
The group play games began on November 12th and ran through last night. Eleven final round-one games determined what the next cup round would look like, and the packed lineup did not disappoint. The results for all of last night’s games can be found here.
Oklahoma City, Houston, Golden State, Milwaukee, New York, and Atlanta all won their individual groups and will advance to the knockout rounds. The Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks will also advance as the two wild-card teams. These rounds are single-game elimination, with absolutely no room for error. The updated Cup bracket is below.
Don’t let the length of the first round fool you; the tournament is now progressing at a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pace due to the single-game game eliminations. The second, third, and fourth rounds will be played all within a week; starting on December 10th and the final game will be played in Vegas on December 17th.
For those looking for a recap of the Cup’s format from start to finish and what teams are competing for, check out WUFO’s article from earlier in the season here.
Remaining Cup Schedule
Tuesday, December 10th (Quarterfinals)
Magic at Bucks 7 PM
Mavericks at Thunder 9:30 PM
Wednesday, December 11th (Quarterfinals)
Hawks at Knicks 7 PM
Warriors at Rockets 9:30 PM
Saturday, December 14th (Semifinals)
TBD vs TBD 4:30 PM
TBD vs TBD 8:30 PM
Tuesday, December 17th (Final)
TBD vs TBD 8:30 PM
WUFO’s Most Anticipated Quarterfinal Matchup
The incoming round of the cup has plenty of potential action to be excited about, but the author of this article bleeds blue and orange so…
WUFO is calling the Hawks at Knicks game the most anticipated matchup of the quarterfinals, for a rather obvious reason. The Atlanta Hawks and Trae Young specifically, have a recent storied history with New York and Madison Square Garden. In 2021, New York snapped an eight-year playoff drought on the backs of Julius Randle’s Most Improved Player season and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau’s Coach of the Year campaign. Knicks fans remember all too well the excitement that built heading into the first round against Atlanta, especially because the Hawks were New York’s “ideal matchup”.
What followed served as a gut punch to Knick fans, and established Trae Young as a villain in New York.
Young averaged nearly 30 points that round and embraced his villain role, constantly taunting fans on the Hawks’s way to a dominating 4-1 series victory.
The wound inflicted on New York’s fanbase has yet to fully heal, and Trae Young is constantly reminded what they think of him with a signature distasteful Trae Young chant often reverberating through the Garden. (Even when he’s not there) If you know, you know.
However, I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual.
All Knicks and Hawks fans consider this one a rivalry game, and rightfully so; do expect fireworks.
Written by Raven Ullah, a WUFO Intern and salty Knicks fan.
