NBA Cup preview: Which team will bring home the trophy?

The NBA decided to spice up the regular season slate with the introduction of the NBA Cup, and we’re down to the final eight teams. Single-elimination style games means that one bad performance can send a team home, so the stakes are high for everyone involved. We’ll take a look at each quarterfinal matchup, and predict who will win the 2024 NBA Cup. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

This is the first time that the Magic and Bucks will square off during the 2024 season, and it’ll be with a chance to punch a ticket to Las Vegas for the semifinals. Orlando and Milwaukee enter this game on opposite sides of the spectrum.

Statmuse points out that the Magic are 14-7 without Paolo Banchero heading into this game against Milwaukee. Banchero has been sidelined with an oblique injury, and Orlando’s other star, Franz Wagner, will also miss extended time with an oblique injury. Head coach Jamahl Mosley is going to have to get creative with his rotations.

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The Bucks got off to a dreadful start to the season, but they won eight straight games in late November into early December to get themselves back into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Milwaukee is starting to get healthier, as Khris Middleton made his season debut on December 6.

Although the Magic have impressively been able to overcome the loss of Banchero for an elongated period, losing Wagner may be too much to overcome against a hot Bucks squad. Milwaukee should be able to reach Las Vegas to compete in the semifinals of the NBA Cup for a second straight year.

This is a rematch of a second-round playoff series from a year ago, where Dallas advanced in six games. The Thunder are hoping to turn the tables in this high-profile matchup to show that they can defeat a veteran team in an important game.

In addition to their success against Oklahoma City in the postseason, the Mavericks also edged out the Thunder in their first matchup this season, 121-119. Luka Doncic didn’t even play in that game, but Dallas received a huge contribution from P.J. Washington, who scored 27 points. Kyrie Irving poured in 23 points.

Sports Illustrated noted that Washington seems to feel awfully comfortable against Oklahoma City, given his production last playoffs and in their first matchup. They believe that the Thunder should make a concerted effort to slow him down, but that’s easier said than done when most of the defensive attention will be locked in on Doncic and Irving.

This should be a fantastic game, especially considering that both teams know each other so well. With perhaps a slight edge in motivation, the Thunder will want to prove a point that they are ready for primetime, and that could be the difference in this game.

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Trae Young has made a habit of stepping up his play at Madison Square Garden, and he’ll have another opportunity to play the villain role against the Knicks during the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup.

Atlanta reserve big man Onyeka Okongwu told the NBA’s website, “When healthy, I feel like we’re probably one of the better bench units in the NBA.” The Hawks dealt with a rash of injuries early in the season, but have hit their stride in the last few weeks as their roster has rounded out. They haven’t missed a beat when their starters head to the bench.

New York has done a great job of successfully integrating Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges on the offensive end of the floor. Empire Sports Media has called out that the Knicks starting lineup is scoring at a historic pace. The question for them will be how they improve on defense, but the impending return of Mitchell Robinson should help immensely in that area.

Knicks fans won’t hesitate to boo Young every time he touches the ball, which should make for a compelling narrative. While the healthy Hawks are much more formidable than they were to start the year, New York is the better team and should make it out of this game.

This matchup features a team who has accomplished everything in the last decade against a team who is looking to take over the next 10 years in the NBA. The Warriors and Rockets are both off to excellent starts this season.

Many thought the Warriors would be floundering near the bottom of the Western Conference standings this season, but they’ve had a surprisingly strong start. The loss of Klay Thompson seems to have fully opened the door for others to step up, giving Golden State a more well-rounded attack.

Houston has been a team on the rise since Ime Udoka took over as head coach before the 2023-2024 season, and the Rockets have taken off in his second season. They’ve been remarkably consistent for a young team, as the Houston Chronicle noted that the Rockets have only lost consecutive games once in the young season.

This is a difficult contest to predict, given the talent on both sides. We’ll give a slight nod to the Warriors and their experience over the up-and-coming Rockets.

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We’re thinking that the Bucks and Knicks will square off in the East semifinals, and the Thunder and Warriors will do battle in the West semifinals. We’ll take the Knicks and Thunder to make it to the title game, and we’ll give Oklahoma City the nod to win the second-ever NBA Cup.