Emirates NBA Cup 2024: Complete Guide to the In-Season Tournament

The Emirates NBA Cup 2024 marks the second edition of the NBA’s thrilling in-season tournament, offering teams a unique chance to compete for a mid-season title. Tipping off on November 12, this tournament introduces exciting matchups, competitive stages, and the added suspense of knockout games. Here’s a breakdown of the rules, format, and key details for the Emirates NBA Cup.

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2024 Emirates NBA Cup Format Overview

The Emirates NBA Cup is split into two main phases: Group Play and the Knockout Rounds. These stages determine which teams advance through the tournament, leading up to the Semifinals and Championship Game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

• Group Play: 30 NBA teams are divided into groups based on their conference and 2023-24 win-loss records. Each team plays four Group Play games from Nov. 12 to Dec. 3 on “Cup Nights.”
• Knockout Rounds: The top eight teams advance to single-elimination games starting with the Quarterfinals on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11, followed by the Semifinals and Championship on Dec. 14 and Dec. 17 in Las Vegas.

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2024 Emirates NBA Cup Group Play Details

In Group Play, all 30 teams are divided into six groups based on their 2023-24 records. Teams face four intra-group opponents on designated Cup Nights (Tuesdays and Fridays), with two home and two away games. The standings from these games determine who advances to the Knockout Rounds.

Group Allocation:

Teams were placed into groups using a random draw, divided into five pots per conference:

• Pot 1: Top three teams in each conference
• Pot 2-5: Teams ranked by win-loss records from the previous season
• In each conference, one team from each pot was randomly selected into each of the three groups in that conference.

The groups are as follows:

• Western Conference:

  • Group A: Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers
  • Group B: Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs
  • Group C: Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies

• Eastern Conference:

  • Group A: New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets
  • Group B: Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons
  • Group C: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards

Advancing to 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Rounds

The Knockout Rounds begin with eight teams advancing: the team with the best Group Play record in each of the six groups, plus two wild card teams (the best-performing second-place teams in each conference). These eight teams face off in single-elimination matchups:

• Quarterfinals: Hosted by the top teams in each conference on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11.
• Semifinals and Championship: Held in Las Vegas, with the Semifinals on Dec. 14 and the Championship on Dec. 17.

These games, except for the Championship, count toward the regular season standings, with the Championship game serving as a standalone event.

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2024 Emirates NBA Cup Prizes and Honors

The tournament offers a prize pool for the Knockout Rounds teams, with rewards increasing for each advancement. In addition to financial incentives, players have the opportunity to earn recognition as Emirates NBA Cup MVP and All-Tournament Team honors, based on performance throughout the tournament.

2024 Emirates NBA Cup Key Broadcast and Schedule Details

• Broadcast: Fourteen Group Play games (two per Cup Night) and all Knockout Round games will be nationally televised, allowing fans to catch the action live.
• Regular Season Impact: All Emirates NBA Cup games, except the Championship, count as regular-season games. This allows each team to still play a full 82-game season.