2025 NBA Cup

2025 NBA Cup
Official promotional poster for the championship game
Tournament information
Location
  • Local NBA cities (group stage and quarterfinals)
  • Las Vegas Strip (semifinals and championship game)
DateOctober 31 – December 16, 2025
Venues
  • Local NBA arenas (group stage and quarterfinals)
  • T-Mobile Arena (semifinals and championship game)
Teams30
PurseSee prize money
Final positions
ChampionsNew York Knicks (1st title)
Runner-upSan Antonio Spurs
MVPJalen Brunson (New York Knicks)

The 2025 NBA Cup (known as the Emirates NBA Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a multi-stage basketball tournament held as part of the 2025–26 NBA season. It was the third edition of the NBA Cup. All 30 teams participated, each playing four regular season games that counted towards the tournament's group stage standings. All games in the knockout round, except for the championship game, also counted towards the regular season standings. The tournament's semifinals and championship game were played at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip.

The Milwaukee Bucks were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the group stage by the New York Knicks, who would go on to beat the San Antonio Spurs in the championship game to win their first NBA Cup.

Format

Main article: NBA Cup § Format

In the group stage, each conference was divided into three groups with five teams each, for a total of six groups. Regular season games played on Tuesdays and Fridays between October 12 and November 28 counted in the regular season standings and the NBA Cup standings.[1] Each team played one game against each of the other teams in its group, for a total of four games (two at home and two on the road).[2]

If two or more teams in a group had equal records upon completion of group play, the following tiebreakers applied in this order:[2]

  1. Head-to-head record in the group stage
  2. Point differential in the group stage (excluding overtime)[3]
  3. Total points scored in the group stage (excluding overtime)
  4. Regular season record from the 2024–25 regular season
  5. Random drawing

Note: Overtime scoring did not count towards the point differential and total points tiebreakers in the Emirates NBA Cup. A team's point differential was "0" in Group Play games that went to overtime, and a team's total points scored excluded points scored in overtime.

Each group's winner then advanced to the knockout stage, and one wild card from each conference—the group runner-up with the best group stage record. The knockout stage was a single-elimination tournament. Quarterfinal games were played in local NBA markets on December 9 and 10, with the teams with the top two group stage records in each conference hosting, and the best team in group-play games hosted the wild-card team. The semifinals were played on December 13, and the championship on December 16. The final two rounds were played at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip.[2]

Quarterfinal and semifinal games counted as regular season games, affecting teams' positions in league standings, but the championship game did not. Statistics from the championship game were also not counted in regular season totals.[2]

To balance the regular season, the teams that did not make the knockout stage played two additional consolation games on December 11 or 12 and 14 or 15, against each other in the same conference, while teams that were eliminated in the quarterfinals played one additional consolation game against each other (from the same conference) on December 14 or 15.[2]

While the knockout stage was played, the 22 teams that did not qualify for the knockout stage each played two additional regular season games, one home and one away, to complete each team's 82 game regular season schedule. Among these 22 total matchups, 20 were intra-conference games, with an attempt by the league to schedule as many pairs of teams that were originally scheduled to only play each other three times during the regular season. The other two matchups were interconference games, as there was an odd number of teams in each conference (11). These two interconference matchups featured four of the six teams that finished last in their respective group.[2]

Prize money

Players on teams advancing to the knockout stage received prize money as follows:[4]

  • Players on teams that lost in the quarterfinals: $51,497 each
  • Players on teams that lost in the semifinals: $102,994 each
  • Players on the tournament runner-up team: $205,988 each
  • Players on the tournament championship team: $514,971 each

Draw

Pots

Teams were allocated into five pots per conference based on the 2024–25 regular season standings. Pot 1 contained the teams with the top three regular season records in each conference, while Pot 2 contained the teams with the fourth- to sixth-best records and so forth, concluding with Pot 5, which contained the teams with the bottom three (thirteenth through fifteenth) records.[2][5]

Draw results

The groups were revealed on July 9, 2025.[6]

Eastern Conference
                 Group A                                   Group B                                   Group C                 
1 Cleveland Cavaliers 2 Boston Celtics 3 New York Knicks
4 Indiana Pacers 6 Detroit Pistons 5 Milwaukee Bucks
8 Atlanta Hawks 7 Orlando Magic 9 Chicago Bulls
11 Toronto Raptors 12 Brooklyn Nets 10 Miami Heat
15 Washington Wizards 13 Philadelphia 76ers 14 Charlotte Hornets
Western Conference
                 Group A                                   Group B                                   Group C                 
1 Oklahoma City Thunder 3 Los Angeles Lakers 2 Houston Rockets
6 Minnesota Timberwolves 5 Los Angeles Clippers 4 Denver Nuggets
9 Sacramento Kings 8 Memphis Grizzlies 7 Golden State Warriors
11 Phoenix Suns 10 Dallas Mavericks 12 Portland Trail Blazers
15 Utah Jazz 14 New Orleans Pelicans 13 San Antonio Spurs

Group stage

East group A

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Qualification
1 Toronto Raptors 4 4 0 458 403 +55 Advanced to knockout rounds
2 Atlanta Hawks 4 2 2 468 472 −4
3 Cleveland Cavaliers 4 2 2 492 466 +26
4 Indiana Pacers 4 1 3 431 431 0
5 Washington Wizards 4 1 3 443 520 −77
Source: NBA

East group B

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Qualification
1 Orlando Magic 4 4 0 484 420 +64 Advanced to knockout rounds
2 Boston Celtics 4 2 2 441 458 −17
3 Detroit Pistons 4 2 2 462 441 +21
4 Philadelphia 76ers 4 1 3 431 470 −39
5 Brooklyn Nets 4 1 3 421 450 −29
Source: NBA

East group C

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Qualification
1 New York Knicks 4 3 1 512 477 +35 Advanced to knockout rounds
2 Miami Heat 4 3 1 507 458 +49
3 Milwaukee Bucks 4 2 2 467 463 +4
4 Charlotte Hornets 4 1 3 461 500 −39
5 Chicago Bulls 4 1 3 468 517 −49
Source: NBA

West group A

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Qualification
1 Oklahoma City Thunder 4 4 0 512 437 +75 Advanced to knockout rounds
2 Phoenix Suns 4 3 1 463 432 +31
3 Minnesota Timberwolves 4 2 2 479 434 +45
4 Utah Jazz 4 1 3 433 518 −85
5 Sacramento Kings 4 0 4 430 496 −66
Source: NBA

West group B

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Qualification
1 Los Angeles Lakers 4 4 0 499 453 +46 Advanced to knockout rounds
2 Memphis Grizzlies 4 3 1 464 450 +14
3 Los Angeles Clippers 4 2 2 465 485 −20
4 Dallas Mavericks 4 1 3 455 476 −21
5 New Orleans Pelicans 4 0 4 465 484 −19
Source: NBA

West group C

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Qualification
1 San Antonio Spurs 4 3 1 483 457 +26 Advanced to knockout rounds
2 Denver Nuggets 4 2 2 484 461 +23
3 Houston Rockets 4 2 2 463 449 +14
4 Portland Trail Blazers 4 2 2 454 485 −31
5 Golden State Warriors 4 1 3 436 468 −32
Source: NBA

Ranking of wild card teams

Eastern Conference

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Qualification
1 Miami Heat 4 3 1 507 458 +49 Advanced to knockout rounds
2 Atlanta Hawks 4 2 2 468 472 −4
3 Boston Celtics 4 2 2 441 458 −17
Source: NBA

Western Conference

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Qualification
1 Phoenix Suns 4 3 1 463 432 +31 Advanced to knockout rounds
2 Memphis Grizzlies 4 3 1 464 450 +14
3 Denver Nuggets 4 2 2 484 461 +23
Source: NBA

Knockout rounds

Qualified teams

Bracket

 
QuarterfinalsSemifinalsChampionship game
 
          
 
December 9 – Orlando, FL
 
 
1
Orlando		117
 
December 13 – Las Vegas, NV
 
4
Miami		108
 
1
Orlando		120
 
December 9 – Toronto, ON
 
3
New York		132
 
2
Toronto		101
 
December 16 – Las Vegas, NV
 
3
New York		117
 
3
New York		124
 
December 10 – Oklahoma City, OK
 
3
San Antonio		113
 
1
Oklahoma City		138
 
December 13 – Las Vegas, NV
 
4
Phoenix		89
 
1
Oklahoma City		109
 
December 10 – Los Angeles, CA
 
3
San Antonio		111
 
2
LA Lakers		119
 
 
3
San Antonio		132
 

Quarterfinals

Note: Times are Eastern Standard Time (UTC−5) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
December 9
6:00 p.m.
Miami Heat 108, Orlando Magic 117
Scoring by quarter: 30–17, 27–39, 26–33, 25–28
Pts: Norman Powell (21)
Rebs: Bam Adebayo (8)
Asts: Davion Mitchell (9)		 Pts: Desmond Bane (37)
Rebs: Wendell Carter Jr. (10)
Asts: Anthony Black (7)
Kia Center, Orlando, FL
Attendance: 18,605
Referees: Courtney Kirkland, Tre Maddox, Robert Hussey
December 9
8:30 p.m.
New York Knicks 117, Toronto Raptors 101
Scoring by quarter: 35–39, 34–13, 25–27, 23–22
Pts: Jalen Brunson (35)
Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns (16)
Asts: Bridges, Brunson, Hart, Robinson (4)		 Pts: Brandon Ingram (31)
Rebs: Jakob Pöltl (9)
Asts: Jamal Shead (8)
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Attendance: 17,801
Referees: Josh Tiven, Brandon Adair, Jacyn Goble
December 10
7:30 p.m.
(6:30 p.m. Central)
Phoenix Suns 89, Oklahoma City Thunder 138
Scoring by quarter: 23–38, 25–36, 24–36, 17–28
Pts: Dillon Brooks (16)
Rebs: Ighodaro, Richards, Williams (5)
Asts: Jamaree Bouyea (5)		 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28)
Rebs: Chet Holmgren (8)
Asts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (8)
Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: James Williams, Ray Acosta, Danielle Scott
December 10
10:00 p.m.
(7:00 p.m. Pacific)
San Antonio Spurs 132, Los Angeles Lakers 119
Scoring by quarter: 39–30, 31–28, 34–29, 28–32
Pts: Stephon Castle (30)
Rebs: Stephon Castle (10)
Asts: Stephon Castle (6)		 Pts: Luka Dončić (35)
Rebs: LeBron James (15)
Asts: Dončić, James (8)
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 18,684
Referees: John Goble, John Butler, Brandon Schwab

Semifinals

December 13
5:30 PM (2:30 PM Pacific)
New York Knicks 132, Orlando Magic 120
Scoring by quarter: 33–36, 38–28, 29–28, 32–28
Pts: Jalen Brunson (40)
Rebs: Mitchell Robinson (9)
Asts: Jalen Brunson (8)		 Pts: Jalen Suggs (26)
Rebs: Banchero, Black (8)
Asts: Bane, Suggs (7)
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Attendance: 16,697
Referees: Kevin Scott, Sean Corbin, Andy Nagy
December 13
9:00 PM (6:00 PM Pacific)
San Antonio Spurs 111, Oklahoma City Thunder 109
Scoring by quarter: 20–31, 26–18, 32–28, 33–32
Pts: Devin Vassell (23)
Rebs: Victor Wembanyama (9)
Asts: Harrison Barnes (5)		 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (29)
Rebs: Caruso, Hartenstein (8)
Asts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (5)
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Attendance: 18,519
Referees: Sean Wright, Brian Forte, Jason Goldenberg

Championship game

December 16
8:30 PM (5:30 PM Pacific)
New York Knicks 124, San Antonio Spurs 113
Scoring by quarter: 28–30, 31–31, 30–33, 35–19
Pts: OG Anunoby (28)
Rebs: Mitchell Robinson (15)
Asts: Jalen Brunson (8)		 Pts: Dylan Harper (21)
Rebs: Castle, Harper (7)
Asts: Stephon Castle (12)
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Attendance: 18,609
Referees: Marc Davis, Brent Barnaky, Nate Green

Awards and aftermath

The Knicks won their first NBA Cup title, and Jalen Brunson was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the tournament after the championship game on December 16. Each player on the Knicks roster received $530,000 in prize money, while Spurs players received $212,000 each. In contrast with the past two Cup champions, the Knicks decided not to raise a championship banner to commemorate their Cup victory.[7]

On December 18, the NBA announced the All-Tournament Team:[8]

All-NBA Cup Tournament Team[8]
Pos. Player Team
G Jalen Brunson (MVP) New York Knicks
G Luka Dončić Los Angeles Lakers
G De'Aaron Fox San Antonio Spurs
G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Oklahoma City Thunder
C Karl-Anthony Towns New York Knicks

Media coverage

With games primarily on Friday evenings, Prime Video aired the majority of group play games. A limited number of Tuesday night games aired on NBC and Peacock, while a limited number of Wednesday night games aired on ESPN.[9] All knockout round games, including the final, aired on Prime Video.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Emirates NBA Cup: Key dates & schedule". NBA.com. August 14, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Emirates NBA Cup: Rules, format and how it works". NBA.com. July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  3. ^ Reynolds, Tim (July 17, 2024). "NBA moves a big step closer to finalizing new 11-year media rights deals". AP News. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  4. ^ East, Tony (November 6, 2024). "NBA Cup Prize Money Has Varying Appeal To NBA Players: 'A Nice Bonus'". Forbes. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  5. ^ Bontemps, Tim (July 8, 2023). "NBA officially unveils format, groups for new in-season tournament". ESPN. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  6. ^ "2025 NBA Cup Group Draw Results". NBA.com. July 9, 2025. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  7. ^ Goodwill, Vincent. "Sources: Knicks decide against hanging NBA Cup banner at MSG". ESPN. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Emirates NBA Cup: Jalen Brunson, Luka Dončić headline All-Tournament Team". NBA.com. December 18, 2025.
  9. ^ Martin, Brian (August 12, 2025). "2025-26 Opening Night, Christmas Day and MLK Day schedules unveiled". National Basketball Association. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  10. ^ "Amazon Prime Video and the NBA Announce Landmark 11-Year Global Media Rights Agreement Beginning in 2025". Amazon MGM Studios (Press release). July 24, 2024.
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