Klay Thompson’s highly anticipated return to the Bay Area will mark the first night of the 2024-25 Emirates NBA Cup schedule. Thompson, who inked a three-year, $50 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason, will face his former team, the Golden State Warriors, in San Francisco on November 12. This will be Thompson’s first time back at Chase Center after spending 13 seasons with the Warriors, where he formed one of the most legendary backcourts in NBA history alongside Stephen Curry.
The opening night of the NBA Cup will also feature another marquee matchup, as the New York Knicks travel down Interstate 95 to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Both teams have been busy this offseason, with the Knicks acquiring Mikal Bridges and the 76ers adding Paul George to their roster. This game will serve as the first half of a national doubleheader on TNT.
The excitement continues on Friday, November 15, when LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama, who had a memorable clash in the Olympic gold medal game, will face off once again as the Los Angeles Lakers travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs. Later that night, the Warriors will host Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies in the second game of the doubleheader.
The NBA Cup’s group stage games will be played exclusively on Tuesdays and Fridays, with each team playing four group stage games, facing every other team in their group once. The groups were drawn last month based on last season’s regular-season standings and are as follows:
• East Group A: Knicks, Orlando Magic, 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets
• East Group B: Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons
• East Group C: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards
• West Group A: Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers
• West Group B: Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Lakers, Utah Jazz, Spurs
• West Group C: Denver Nuggets, Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Warriors, Grizzlies
The winners of each of the six groups, along with the top second-place finisher from each conference, will advance to the knockout rounds. Quarterfinals are set for December 10 and 11 at the higher-seeded team’s venue. The semifinals and championship game will take place in Las Vegas on December 14 and 17, respectively.
Other nationally televised games during the group stage include the Pacers vs. Bucks in Milwaukee on November 22, followed by a showdown between Luka Dončić’s Mavericks and Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets in Denver. On Black Friday, November 29, the Clippers will visit Minnesota to face Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder take on LeBron James and the Lakers in Los Angeles. That day will also feature three-afternoon games on NBA TV: Knicks at Hornets, Cavaliers at Hawks, and Pelicans at Grizzlies.
The remaining group stage highlights include a rematch between the Cavaliers and the defending champion Celtics in Boston on November 19, the Thunder facing the Spurs in San Antonio, the Bucks playing the Heat in Miami on November 26, and the Lakers taking on the Suns in Phoenix. The final group stage day will see the Magic facing the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, followed by a clash between the Warriors and Nuggets in Denver.
