The Magic, Heat, Raptors, Suns and Spurs will round out the mini-tournament. It seems like Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the NBA Cup, but MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be back for Oklahoma City soon.

The Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals and Finals are back for its third season, bringing adrenaline fueled action to Las Vegas.

In 2023, the first year of the Cup, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers to claim the league’s inaugural in-season trophy. The Pacers went on to make an Eastern Conference Finals appearance the following spring, and coming a Tyrese Haliburton Game 7 injury away from a Cinderella ending last season.

The New York Knicks face the Orlando Magic and the San Antonio Spurs battle the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup Semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Closing out a series is the hardest thing to do. The 2024 NBA Finals is nearly the next series faster than expected, and that's due to two teams on the verge of closing out their respective conference finals matchups.

Only a handful of teams in NBA history have ever opened a season with this kind of dominance. Naturally, OKC's run begs a look back at other legendary squads to storm out of the gate, from the Wilt Chamberlain era to the height of the Bulls' dynasty.

The Magic and Knicks square off first in a game that could provide fans a preview of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks and Magic are among the best teams in the East this season, with New York coming into the game on a four-game winning streak.

See how far ahead of the pack the red-hot Thunder sit on the NBA title oddsboard, along with the rest of the field.