Raptors Secure Historic NBA Cup Knockout Spot as Cooper Flagg Shatters Records with 29 Points—What’s Next for the Rising Star?

The drama unfolding in the 2025 NBA Cup just keeps getting juicier, and guess what? We finally have one team punching their ticket to the knockout stage—and it’s none other than the Toronto Raptors. With a commanding 140-110 thrashing of the Washington Wizards, Toronto didn’t just win; they made a statement, dominating their group with a spotless 3-0 record and boasting an East-leading plus-53 point differential. It’s been a wild ride for the Raptors, who’ve flipped the script after a rocky 1-4 start, now riding an impressive winning streak that’s turning heads across the league. Meanwhile, on the West side, the Mavericks are battling to stay alive, buoyed by Cooper Flagg’s breakout performance—a young star carving his path despite the odds. The group standings are shaping up to set the stage for what promises to be a thrilling knockout round with eight teams vying for glory. If you’re hungry for every gritty detail and all the numbers behind this scintillating showdown, well, you’re in the right spot. LEARN MORE

The 2025 NBA Cup will see eight teams play in the upcoming knockout round. We now know who one of them will be.

The Toronto Raptors became the first team to clinch the next round of NBA Cup play on Friday, via a dominant 140-110 win over the Washington Wizards. The win improved their record in group play to 3-0, with an East-best plus-53 point differential.

Having already beat the second-place Cleveland Cavaliers, who are now 2-1, the Raptors clinched Group A of the East. Every win was by double digits.

Friday’s game saw Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Sandro Mamukelashvili all score between 23 and 24 points against the Wizards, who hold the worst record in the NBA at 1-14. Immanual Quickley also chipped in 17 points and seven assists.

There basically wasn’t a facet of basketball where the Wizards were better than them during the night. The win is also Toronto’s sixth overall and 10th in their past 11 games, after a 1-4 start.

In the West, the Dallas Mavericks stayed alive with a 118-115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, via a career night from Cooper Flagg.

The 18-year-old posted a career-high 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting, plus seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. It was as comfortable as he’s looked since the beginning of the season, and he did it with the Mavericks still short-handed.

The Mavericks are still a longshot to emerge from group play at 1-2 and score differential, but the team’s bigger goal this season is developing Flagg at this point. Which made Friday a good day.