NBA Cup 2025: Which Underdog Could Shock the League and Rewrite Tournament History?

The stakes are sky-high as the NBA Cup nears its thrilling crescendo. With just a handful of games left in the group stage, every dribble, every shot means the difference between advancing to the coveted quarterfinals or heading home early. Take Jake LaRavia from the Lakers, for example—he’s no stranger to motivation, and with a $500,000 prize dangling on the line, who’s not going to be fired up? This Tuesday night, the Lakers face off against the Clippers in a heated cross-town bout on NBA Coast 2 Coast, airing on NBC and Peacock—a showdown with playoff implications that’s got everyone buzzing. As we inch closer to the knockout rounds in Las Vegas come mid-December, the tension is palpable, and the quest for glory—and that juicy prize money—has never been more intense. Fancy knowing exactly what’s on the horizon?

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“I think $500,000 will motivate just about anyone.”

If you’re wondering how motivated players are for NBA Cup games, Jake LaRavia of the Lakers spells it out. He and his team are motivated and have a chance to clinch their spot in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup (the final-eight knockout round portion) by beating their cross-town rivals, the Clippers, on NBA Coast 2 Coast this Tuesday night on NBC and Peacock.

Three game days remain in the group stage of the NBA Cup, with games on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday this week. Let’s break down where each group stands heading into the final week, with standings and analysis, but first, a quick reminder about how the NBA Cup works.

What’s the format for the NBA Cup 2025?

All 30 teams were drawn into one of six groups: Three East groups and three West groups, with five teams per group. Each team plays the other teams in its group once — four games total — and those games count double as both regular-season and NBA Cup games.

The six group winners plus a wild card from each conference — determined by Cup games record and point differential in those games — move into the quarterfinals, an eight-team knockout round bracket (East vs. East, West vs. West, similar to the NBA playoffs where the conferences are separate until the Finals). The knockout round games are single-elimination.

The final four teams left standing head to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals on Dec. 13 and the Cup Final on Dec. 16.

NBA CUP STANDINGS, ANALYSIS

Western Conference

West Group A

Oklahoma City Thunder 2-0
Phoenix Suns 2-0
Minnesota Timberwolves 2-1
Sacramento Kings 0-2
Utah Jazz 0-3

Analysis: Oklahoma City made it to the NBA Cup Finals a season ago and controls its own destiny again. It has what is shaping up to be a huge game Wednesday night, hosting Minnesota: If the Thunder win they will be on the verge of making the knockout round, but Minnesota still would a chance to advance as the wild card, because they are currently +53 through three Cup games (3-1 can get them in as a wild card, 2-2 will not).

The other game to watch in this group is Friday: Phoenix at Oklahoma City. The upstart Suns have beaten the Timberwolves in Cup play, and the Thunder and Suns could both be 3-0 and playing for a guaranteed spot in the quarterfinals when they meet Friday (Phoenix would have to beat Sacramento on Wednesday).

West Group B

Los Angeles Lakers 2-0
LA Clippers 2-0
Memphis Grizzlies 1-1
Dallas Mavericks 1-2
New Orleans Pelicans 0-3

Analysis: It’s this simple for the Lakers: beat the Clippers Tuesday, and they are guaranteed group winners and advance to the quarterfinals (the Lakers already beat the Grizzlies). For the Clippers, a win puts them in the driver’s seat, and they would qualify for the quarterfinals if Memphis loses at New Orleans on Wednesday or the Clippers beat Memphis on Friday.

You can watch the Clippers at the Lakers in the second game of Coast 2 Coast on Tuesday on NBC and Peacock.

West Group C

Portland Trail Blazers 2-1
Denver Nuggets 2-1
San Antonio Spurs 1-1
Houston Rockets 1-2
Golden State Warriors 1-2

Analysis: The “group of death” — with five of the top nine teams in the conference — could be decided Wednesday night if Portland can beat San Antonio. The Trail Blazers control their own destiny (despite the -18 point differential in cup games) because they beat the Nuggets. Denver plays San Antonio on Friday, and with a big win to pad their +26 point differential, could advance as the Wild Card in the West (if the Spurs beat the Trail Blazers, then the Nuggets would advance with a win Friday). If the Spurs can win out — without Victor Wembanyama — they would advance out of the group, but that is a big ask.

Eastern Conference

East Group A

Toronto Raptors 3-0
Cleveland Cavaliers 2-1
Atlanta Hawks 1-1
Indiana Pacers 0-2
Washington Wizards 0-2

Analysis: Toronto has already clinched the group win and will advance to the quarterfinals. If Cleveland can handle Atlanta and pad its +26 point differential, it stands a chance of advancing to the next round as a wild card. Atlanta, if it can win out over Washington and Cleveland, stands a chance to advance as the wild card as well.

East Group B

Detroit Pistons 2-0
Orlando Magic 2-0
Brooklyn Nets 1-2
Boston Celtics 1-2
Philadelphia 76ers 0-2

Analysis: This group could come down to a Friday night showdown between Detroit and Orlando, but only if the Magic knock out the 76ers on Tuesday and the Pistons beat the Celtics. For both Detroit and Orlando, it is simple: win out and they advance to the quarterfinals.

East Group C

Milwaukee Bucks 2-0
Miami Heat 2-1
New York Knicks 1-1
Chicago Bulls 1-2
Charlotte Hornets 0-2

Analysis: The Bucks have the Darvin Ham advantage: He was a coach for the first two NBA Cup winners. He was the Lakers’ head coach in 2023 and an assistant with Milwaukee in 2024. He is still on the Bucks staff and is a perfect 16-0 in the NBA Cup games as a coach. Milwaukee controls its own destiny but will have to beat Miami and New York on the road — without the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo — to advance.

If Miami beats Milwaukee on Wednesday, then they will move to the top of the group. However, if New York could win out over Charlotte and Milwaukee, it would win the group (the Knicks beat the Heat in Cup play). Toronto, with a win over Milwaukee, would also be in a great position to pick up the wild card in the East, even if the Knicks win out.

When are the NBA Cup quarterfinals, Finals

Here is the schedule for the quarterfinals and beyond:

Quarterfinals: Dec. 9 and 10
Semifinals: Dec. 13 (Las Vegas)
Championship: Dec. 16 (Las Vegas)

How much money does the champion get?

There is more to the NBA Cup than just money. There is a trophy to win and something for a fan base to celebrate. Plus, giving competitive NBA players something to play for mid-season helps raise the level of play.

However, for the players, it’s about the money.

“I think half a million dollars is still a good amount of money to be able to motivate you to want to win games,” the Lakers’ LaRavia said. “So I mean, they are games at the end of the day, and we want to just win them because we want to win the game. But, obviously, we know we’re also playing for something, and it is cool to just be able to play for something in the middle of the season and be able to get a nice little bonus.”

Players on teams that advance out of the group stage receive bonuses from a league-sponsored prize pool, with teams that advance further receiving more. It breaks down this way:

• Each player on the team that wins the championship: $530,933
• Each player on the team that loses in the championship: $212,373
• Each player on a team that loses in the semifinals: $106,187
• Each player on a team that loses in the quarterfinals: $53,093

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.