2024 NBA Emirates Cup: Who Is Advancing Into the Quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament?

The NBA Cup was a welcome addition to the NBA calendar last season, as it created high-stakes games early on in the season – and fans were instantly hooked. Fast forward to this year, and the excitement hasn’t skipped a beat. The group stage delivered jaw-dropping moments and edge-of-your-seat action, setting up a blockbuster quarterfinal lineup. But not without its shocks—some of the league’s biggest names have stunningly fallen short.

The NBA Cup’s quarterfinals may be heating up, but some of the league’s heavyweights are surprisingly missing from the action. Last year’s NBA Cup champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, find themselves on the outside looking in after a mixed group-stage campaign, finishing third with two wins and two losses. Joining them in an early exit are the reigning NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, who might feel a tad hard done by. Despite an impressive 3-1 record, the Celtics lost out to the Atlanta Hawks in their group due to a head-to-head tiebreaker. The shockwaves don’t stop there. Other title challengers like the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Cleveland Cavaliers also fell short. The Cavs’ story is particularly heartbreaking—they’ve been stellar this season with only three losses overall. Unfortunately, two of those came in NBA Cup games, leaving them stranded in third place in their group. 

The NBA Cup knockout stages are set, and this year’s lineup has brought a refreshing twist to the competition. Among the quarterfinalists, only two familiar faces return from last season's knockout rounds: the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks. The rest? A pack of hungry newcomers ready to make their mark. For the first time, the likes of the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, and OKC Thunder are stepping into the NBA Cup’s high-stakes knockout rounds. Each of these teams is eager to seize the moment, knowing the path to silverware begins with this debut on 10th December. 

The NBA Cup quarterfinals are officially set, with thrilling matchups and some intriguing storylines across both conferences. On the Eastern Conference side, Orlando heads to Milwaukee, while Atlanta makes the trip to New York. Over in the Western Conference, Oklahoma City hosts Dallas, and Houston takes on Golden State in what promises to be a fiery clash. Milwaukee (4-0) punched their ticket with a commanding win over Detroit to secure the top spot in East Group B. Meanwhile, New York (4-0) outclassed Orlando (3-1) to take East Group A. Despite the loss, the Magic squeezed into the knockouts as the East’s wildcard, edging Boston on a point-differential tiebreaker. Atlanta (3-1) had already locked up East Group C, thanks to a dramatic one-point win over the Celtics earlier in November—a result that proved pivotal. 

Out west, Oklahoma City secured the West Group B crown with a crucial victory over Utah, joining Houston (West Group A) and Golden State (West Group C) as group winners. Both the Rockets and Warriors had their spots locked up before Tuesday night, leaving just the wildcard spot in question. That was resolved in spectacular fashion as Dallas pulled off a stunning fourth-quarter comeback, overturning a 15-point deficit to beat Memphis and claim the wildcard. The four winners from the quarterfinals will advance into the semifinals, which will be held in Las Vegas on 14th December. And the grand finale is scheduled for 17th December in – you guessed it right – Las Vegas.