The final round of the Emirates NBA Cup group play games takes place tonight, with some teams still aiming to qualify for the knockouts. The Toronto Raptors, inaugural NBA Cup Champions, and the Los Angeles Lakers have already qualified, and six more teams hope to join them. Four games in particular should pique NBA fans’ interest, as a win for these teams will be vital to finish top of their respective groups.
Oklahoma City vs Phoenix Suns
The reigning NBA Champions look unstoppable so far in the 2025/26 NBA season and will be looking to avenge last year’s NBA Cup Final defeat. The Oklahoma City Thunder have lost only one of their 19 games and are in the midst of a 10-game winning streak, the longest of any team. They are also undefeated in the NBA Cup so far; however, qualification is not guaranteed.
Tonight’s fixture against the Phoenix Suns is the only game in which two undefeated teams square off. The winner will qualify automatically for the quarter-finals, whereas the loser will have to hope that other results enable them to be the wildcard. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season; however, the Suns have not beaten OKC since the 2022/23 campaign.
The Paycom Center will be electric as All-Star guard Jalen Williams will make his season debut. The sidekick to the reigning League and Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has been out of action after undergoing off-season surgery on his right wrist. The return will only amplify OKC’s chances of becoming the first team to hold the NBA Cup and Championship at the same time.
The Thunder look to avoid complacency when it comes to qualification, despite an absurd point differential of 71. The only teams that could challenge are the Grizzlies and the Clippers, who both have differentials of 15 and -9, respectively. This effectively means that barring catastrophe, OKC will be in the quarter-finals.
The point differential makes this problematic for the Suns. Despite having 20 points on the Memphis Grizzlies, the Thunder usually blow teams out, which makes winning this game vital for the Suns. The Thunder have won 13 games by double digits, with 10 by at least 17 points. This means if the Suns lose and the Grizzlies win comfortably at the Intuit Dome, then it is unlikely that Jordan Ott’s men will see the next round.
Denver Nuggets vs San Antonio Spurs
This game had the potential to be a classic if Victor Wembanyama were healthy. The two best Centers in the NBA, going head-to-head in a “win and you’re in” situation, would have had NBA fans salivating. The winner of this game will top West Group C and qualify automatically for the knockouts. With the Phoenix Suns already having 3 wins, and the 2-win Grizzlies and Clippers facing off for their third win, the wildcard is impossible for the loser of this game.
Both the Spurs and the Nuggets are in similar form, with only one win separating them in the Western Conference. The three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has been spearheading the 2023 NBA Champions to third in a compact West. The Serbian is currently averaging a triple-double with nearly 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Frenchman Victor Wembanyama would have posed a credible threat to Jokic, with himself being an early MVP frontrunner before being sidelined with a calf injury.
Despite losing Wemby, the Spurs have won four of their last five games, and a win at Ball Arena would signal that the most successful Texas-based team intends to remain competitive without their star. A win would also allow the Spurs to leapfrog the Nuggets in the Western Conference, as both teams would have identical records of 13-5.
Nuggets Coach David Adelman will be without starters Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon, but hopes Jokic will see him through his first game against San Antonio. The last time these two teams met was on April 2, when the Spurs handed then-coach Michael Malone his second straight loss. Malone was ludicrously dismissed six days after that game.
Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons
The surprise Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons made this encounter with the Magic a must-win after their loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. Although the Pistons would top the group if they beat the Magic, a loss would rule them out of the Wildcard race entirely.
The Pistons are currently 15-3, and All-Star Point Guard Cade Cunningham has led his squad above the entire East, which included an incredible 13-game winning streak that started with a win over Orlando. When the two teams met on October 29, the Pistons cruised to a 135-116 win with Cunningham scoring 30 and assisting 10.
For the Magic, a win would help them stay consistent after recovering from a poor start to the season. The team would win its opener against the Miami Heat, but then dropped the next four games. Paolo Banchero suffered a groin injury early in the Magic’s game against the Knicks on November 13; since then, they have gone 5-2 without their star. Banchero is set to miss out on this crucial fixture.
With a point differential of 61, a close loss for the Magic at Little Caesars Arena may be enough to see them through as a Wild Card. However, that will depend on the outcomes of the Cavaliers/Hawks and Knicks/Bucks games. The Magic’s leading scorer, Franz Wagner, will be hoping for a big night if they hope to qualify for the knockout rounds.
New York Knicks vs Milwaukee Bucks
Madison Square Garden will play host to the most intriguing fixture of the NBA Cup’s group play. The Miami Heat who currently sit atop of East Group C have already played their four fixtures, meaning there is nothing they can do but watch. A win for the Knicks implies they will qualify, and the Heat will need to rely on qualification from either a 13-point magic number loss or a 16-point win or less against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
A win for the Bucks makes the Wildcard race interesting. The Knick will be eliminated from contention, but the Bucks would be too unless other results go their way. The reigning NBA Cup holders will need to outscore the Cavaliers by at least 9 points if both teams win. They would also need the Magic to beat the Pistons. The only other way would be if the Pistons hammered the Magic. The Bucks have a point differential of 25, whereas the Magic have 61. A 36-point swing is doable but extremely unlikely.
The Bucks have been disappointing this season and currently sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. They are also experiencing a six-game losing streak, and their 106-103 loss to the Heat on Tuesday has prevented them from winning the group. Despite this, a win against the Knicks is something that Doc Rivers’ men have already achieved this season, and a repeat could give them the chance to become the first two-time NBA Cup Champions.
Jalen Brunson has been in superb form for the Knicks; however, they are only 4th in the East despite being the favourites to make the NBA Finals. The task is simple: win, and you’re in. The Knicks do not have to rely on anyone but themselves to top the group, as their NBA Cup win over the Heat gives them the head-to-head tiebreaker. They will also be looking to avenge their October 29 loss to the Bucks at the Fiserv Forum.
The Bucks’ hopes also hinge on the health of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has missed the last four games with a strained adductor. He is listed as questionable; however, the Bucks will most definitely need him if they stand any chance of advancing.