The Los Angeles Lakers finished group play of the Emirates NBA Cup on a high note, beating the Dallas Mavericks 129-119.
The Lakers had already clinched West Group B with their win against the L.A. Clippers earlier in the week, but their win against the Mavericks locked them into the No. 2 seed of the West bracket of the Knockout Rounds. Both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Lakers finished with perfect 4-0 records, but the former snagged the No. 1 seed by virtue of their +75 point differential.
With group play over, the knockout round is scheduled to start in December. The Thunder will host the Phoenix Suns, who claimed the Wild Card spot, while the Lakers will host the San Antonio Spurs. Both the Suns and Spurs finished with 3-1 records and will be tough outs.
In the East bracket, the Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors won their respective groups with perfect 4-0 records, while the New York Knicks and Miami Heat will join them in the next round. The Magic earned the No. 1 seed and will host the Heat while the Raptors enter as the No. 2 seed and will host the Knicks.
For Los Angeles, they might catch a break hosting San Antonio as Victory Wembanyama has been out of the lineup due to a calf injury. While the Spurs have managed well enough in his absence, the Lakers would figure to be favored if the superstar big man is unable to return. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City will be massive favorites to win out against Phoenix due to their collective star power and defense.
In the East, Orlando has been surging though Miami shouldn’t be counted out after Tyler Herro returned. Lastly, Toronto’s been the surprise of the Eastern Conference and has a good chance of advancing despite New York’s experience.
The Emirates NBA Cup should be considered a success as teams have taken a liking to the extra competition. The prize money for each player also doesn’t hurt, but the biggest takeaway is that fans are resonating with the event and it should be exciting to see all eight teams face off once the knockout rounds begin.
The quarterfinals will be played in home arenas on Dec. 9 and 10 before the tournament shifts to Las Vegas for the semifinals and finals on Dec. 13 and 15, respectively. Considering the Lakers’ NBA Cup court was slippery and they didn’t use it on Friday against the Mavericks, it will be interesting to see if it’s ready to go by Dec. 10 or if they again use their normal court.
Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Round bracket
Eastern Conference Bracket
(4) Miami Heat vs. (1) Orlando Magic, Tuesday Dec. 9, 3 p.m. PT
(3) New York Knicks vs. (2) Toronto Raptors, Tuesday Dec. 9, 5:30 p.m. PT
Western Conference Bracket
(4) Phoenix Suns vs. (1) Oklahoma City Thunder, Wednesday Dec. 10, 4:30 p.m. PT
(3) San Antonio Spurs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m. PT
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
