NBA Cup 2024 format, in-season tournament rules explained: groups, dates, schedule, odds

With three weeks of basketball now in the books, the league has kicked off its newest regular-season event: the NBA Cup. The league’s second annual seasonal tournament began Tuesday. There are 12 more games in the NBA Cup schedule Friday night. The 30 teams… divided into six groups of five teams — are participating and the tournament will culminate once again with a final four in Las Vegas in December. The Lakers won the first edition of the event in 2023 and will try to defend their title.

So what do you need to know before the action begins? I’m so glad you asked. Below we explain everything you need to know about the NBA Cup to prepare for what the league hopes will become a fall meet in the future.

NBA Cup format

the 30s NBA teams They have been divided into six groups of five. Those six groups feature three groups of Western Conference teams and three groups of Eastern Conference teams. Each team will play each team in its group once, and once pool play concludes, the six group winners along with one wild card team per conference will advance to the knockout stage. All games from this point on are single elimination. The quarterfinals will be played at home. The semi-finals and final will take place in Las Vegas. Sounds simple enough, right?

How do you decide who advances?

In a perfect world, everything would be resolved completely organically with six undefeated group champions and just one 3-1 team in each conference. Realistically, however, there will be ties to break and the league has established tiebreakers that will be used exclusively for the tournament:

• If two teams are tied in the same group, the head-to-head record splits the tie.
• The point difference in pool play is the second tiebreaker.
• The total points scored in pool play is third.
• The record for the 2023-24 season is fourth.
• If all such tiebreakers fail, a random drawing will be used.

While this is not a tiebreaker, it should be noted that the two conferences will remain separate until the finals. Teams will play teams from their own conference in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Who is in each group?

The groups were determined by a combination of random draw and last season’s record. Teams within each conference were placed in one of five pots: one for the teams with the three best records in that conference last season, one for the next three best teams, and so on. Each group has one team from each of the conference’s five pots. Below are the five groups, as revealed by the league over the summer.

When are the games?

Group matches will be played on Tuesdays and Fridays from November 12 to December 6. The quarterfinal matches will be played at home venues on December 10 and 11. The semifinals will be played in Las Vegas on December 14. Finally, the championship will be played on December 17 in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the 22 teams that do not reach the knockout stage will play two more regular-season games against yet-to-be-determined opponents on December 12 or 13 and December 15 or 16, while the four losing teams of quarterfinals will play one more regular season game on one of those dates.

Here is the schedule for Friday’s second night of games.

NBA Cup schedule: November 15

• Pacers vs. Heat, 7 p.m.
• Magic vs. 76ers, 7 p.m.
• Raptors vs. Pistons, 7 p.m.
• Hawks vs. Wizards, 7:30 p.m.
• Cavaliers vs. Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
• Knicks vs. Nets, 7:30 p.m.
• Spurs vs. Lakers, 7:30 p.m.
• Rockets vs. Clippers, 8 p.m.
• Pelicans vs. Nuggets, 8 p.m.
• Thunder vs. Suns, 8 p.m.
• Warriors vs. Grizzlies, 10 p.m.
• Kings against Timberwolves, 10:00 p.m.

What is different this year?

Well, we can start with the name. It is no longer the Season Tournament. It is now officially the Emirates NBA Cup. But, more notably, The courts also received a redesign. Last year’s courts were specially designed to stand out in the tournament, and although the league will again use single courts this year, they will not feature the track in the middle of the court. They will still have the tournament trophy on center court and will all have the home team’s colors, but instead of the court, they will have concentric circles in slightly different shades.

What is the prize?

You will see much of the tournament trophy as it will once again appear on center court for all 30 teams during tournament games. However, players can also earn money based on how far their team advances. Players on the winning team receive a bonus of $500,000. Losing in the championship game nets a $200,000 bonus, while the semifinals ($100,000) and quarterfinals ($50,000) earn a little less from there. Finally, a media vote after the championship game will determine the tournament MVP as well as the all-tournament team.

Who are the favorites?

Below are the odds for all 30 teams to win the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup according to FanDuel:

Some of these probabilities may seem a little off to you. It’s a little strange to see, say, the 2-8 Bucks so far ahead of the 8-2 Suns. Remember, however, that your group means a lot here. The Western Conference is simply deeper than the East and, as such, the best teams in the East have an easier path to the championship than the teams in the West.

Take the Celtics and Cavaliers for example. Sure, they have to play each other in their group, but they also have three much easier opponents: the Hawks, Bulls and Wizards. Before placing any bets or picks in this tournament, check who your opponents are in group play. That’s largely what influences these odds.