NBA Cup: Bucks and Knicks Advance to Quarterfinals

The NBA Cup knockout stage is set, with the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, and Orlando Magic representing the Eastern Conference, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and Dallas Mavericks advancing from the Western Conference. This year’s tournament field is almost entirely different from last year’s inaugural edition, which saw the Los Angeles Lakers crowned champions. The Lakers were eliminated after losses to the Suns and Thunder.

The Bucks and Knicks, the only two returning teams from last year’s group, secured their spots with decisive victories on Tuesday. Milwaukee cruised past the Detroit Pistons, while New York defeated the Magic 121-106. Despite the loss, Orlando clinched the wild card spot and will face the top-seeded Bucks in the next round.

Next week’s quarterfinal matchups will feature the Magic taking on the Bucks and the Thunder hosting the Mavericks on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Hawks will face the Knicks, and the Warriors will visit the Rockets.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers stated, "They put a tournament in front of us, and we want to win it. We’re 4-0, but there’s still a lot of work to do."

In the Western Conference, the Thunder secured the top seed with a dominant 133-106 win over the Jazz, surpassing the Rockets and Warriors in point differential.