The 2025 NBA Cup quarterfinals are underway tonight, and these teams will be vying for the right to play in Las Vegas. Many of the remaining squads are considered contenders in their respective conferences, with one of these franchises having won the competition before. Here is everything you need to know as season three of the NBA Cup winds down.
The NBA Cup Quarterfinals Will Take Place Over The Next Two Days
The NBA Cup is an in-season tournament that involves all 30 teams from the league, split into three groups within their respective conferences. Teams play four group-stage games (two at home and two on the road), and the squad with the best record in each group advances to the quarterfinals along with a top Wild Card spot in each conference.
Several tiebreakers separate teams with the same record, regardless of whether it’s for first place in the group or a Wild Card spot.
1) The first tiebreaker is head-to-head results in this competition
2) The second is the point differential across all group-stage games
3) The third is the total points scored in group-stage games
4) The fourth is the team’s regular-season record from the 2024-25 season
5) If all else fails, the fifth tiebreaker is a random drawing.
The quarterfinals take place on the home courts of the top two seeds in each conference after the group stage. In the East, the Miami Heat will travel in-state to take on the Orlando Magic at 6:00 p.m. ET tonight, while the New York Knicks will head north of the border to face the Toronto Raptors at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, out west, the Phoenix Suns will travel to the surging Oklahoma City Thunder as heavy underdogs, and the San Antonio Spurs will meet the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto Arena. These clashes take place tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., respectively. All of these games will be available for viewership on Prime Video.
8 teams remain. Only 4 will advance to Vegas! 🏆
Heat vs. Magic.
Knicks vs. Raptors.
Suns vs. Thunder.
Spurs vs. Lakers.The @emirates NBA Cup Knockout Rounds tip off tonight with the Quarterfinals on Prime. Who ya got? pic.twitter.com/F2fLsMOmBn
— NBA (@NBA) December 9, 2025
The results from the quarterfinal matchups count towards these teams’ regular-season record, and the winners will ultimately qualify for the semifinals in Las Vegas on December 13. The final is subsequently on Tuesday, December 16, at 8:30 p.m. ET and is the only game that does not count toward either participant’s total record.
The prior two champions of this in-season tournament have been the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. Even though the Lakers are still in this competition, all eyes will be on the Thunder, who are off to a historic 23-1 and are looking to claim their first NBA Cup after coming up short in the tournament’s final last season.
