The 2024 NBA Cup tips off Tuesday night with the first eight games on the schedule in the league’s in-season tournament. While the event has a fancy new name (the Emirates NBA Cup) and revamped court designs, the broad concept remains the same: six groups of five teams play each other once apiece.
Next month, the six group winners at two wild-card teams advance to the knockout stage, and after quarterfinals are played in home venues, the final four teams standing move to Vegas to play for the Cup. The final is set for Dec. 17.
So, what’s on the docket for tonight’s round of openers? Most notably, we have two major returns, albeit of different varieties. In the Eastern Conference, Joel Embiid is set to play his first game of the season against the New York Knicks, the team that knocked him and the Philadelphia 76ers out of the playoffs a season ago. Combine last season’s playoff series with Embiid’s testy history with Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns and that game could be heated.
In the late-night window, Klay Thompson makes his return to the Bay Area as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. While Thompson has underplayed the significance of his first game against the Golden State Warriors, it will serve as a chance for the fans in San Francisco to thank their legendary shooting guard for 13 seasons and four championships.
Those are the biggest games on the schedule, but all eight matter. Remember, part of the appeal of last year’s tournament was that it served as a launching pad for Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton as a mainstream star. This year’s breakout star could be anyone, so we’ll keep you in the loop on all of tonight’s results, how they’ll affect the tournament standings, and what the most important takeaways are once the night is through.
Tuesday’s NBA Cup scores, schedule
All times Eastern. Select games are streaming on fuboTV (Try for free).