The NBA released the groups for the second edition of the NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament, on Friday night.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the inaugural tournament last December, will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference’s Group B. That pits the Lakers against last year’s surprise No. 1 seed of the West as well as star players Kevin Durant of Phoenix and Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio.
West Group C is a star-studded collection, featuring Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets, Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks, Zion Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans, Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors and Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies. That group also pits Klay Thompson against his old friends in Golden State after he was sent to Dallas in a sign-and-trade this offseason.
The reigning NBA champions headline East Group C, while last year’s in-season tournament runners-up, the Indiana Pacers, are in East Group B, with Milwaukee and Miami posing a threat.
The groups were selected based on last year’s final standings. Teams were divided into five “pots” for the draw, much like how the FIFA World Cup groups are determined. All six groups have one team from each pot.
A single round robin will take place across four Tuesdays (Nov. 12, Nov. 19, Nov. 26 and Dec. 3) and three Fridays (Nov. 15, Nov. 22 and Nov. 29). The quarterfinals of the single-elimination knockout bracket will be played Dec. 10 and 11.
Then the tournament will shift from NBA team markets to Las Vegas, where T-Mobile Arena (home of the NHL’s Golden Knights) will host the semifinals on Dec. 14 and the championship game on Dec. 17.
The six groups are as follows:
West Group A: Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers
West Group B: Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs
West Group C: Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies
East Group A: New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets
East Group B: Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons
East Group C: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards
–Field Level Media
