We are about to find out how far the Spurs will go in the Emirates NBA Cup. In the upcoming week, San Antonio will attempt to qualify for the Knockout Stage after facing the Trail Blazers and Nuggets on the road
to complete Group Play.
If you are not familiar with the format and the details of how the Cup works, here’s everything you need to know.
What is the Emirates NBA Cup and how does it work?
The league started a midseason tournament in the 2023/24 season. The goal is to create excitement for early-season games by giving them some stakes.
Teams are divided into groups of five and play each other in a round robin format. The wins and losses count towards the regular season, except for the championship game. Point differential in group play is the tiebreaker. Eight teams advance to the knockout stage: the top squad from each group and two wildcards, the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its group.
Those eight teams will play the quarterfinals, with the highest seed hosting, before moving to Las Vegas for the semifinals and the championship game. The winner gets the cup, and the players get a cash prize.
Why should I care about the Cup?
The Cup has not yet captured the imagination of most NBA fans, so it’s understandable not to be too concerned about making it past the group stage. The two past champions, the Lakers and Bucks, didn’t go on to have great seasons after being crowned, which has likely also contributed to the midseason tournament not getting much recognition.
That said, the two other finalists, the Pacers and Thunder, played in the NBA Finals last season, so it’s not like random teams are making it far in the Cup. For a young team like the Spurs featuring few players who’ve participated in high-stakes matchups, it could be a good experience to make it to the knockout round and likely face another good squad in a one-and-done situation.
The semifinals will be played in early to mid-December, so some of the players currently out could be back by then. It would also be an accomplishment to simply make it out of the toughest group. It won’t be a catastrophe if the Spurs don’t make it to the knockout stage, but it could signal a step in the right direction if they do, and it could offer an opportunity for growth as a team.
How are the Spurs doing, and why is this week important?
The Spurs are currently third in their group with a 1-1 record after beating the Rockets and losing to the Warriors. The Nuggets and Trail Blazers both have 2-1 records, but the Nuggets sit at the top because of point differential.
San Antonio will visit Portland on Wednesday, November 26, for a group play matchup. If the Spurs lose, their chances of making it to the knockout stage will dwindle significantly. If they beat the Blazers, they will be one of four teams in their group with a 2-1 record, as the Rockets and Warriors will also face each other the same day. Then they will travel to Denver for the final game of group play, on November 28, where they could secure a spot in the knockout stage.
The Spurs will have major absences, as Victor Wembanyama won’t make the road trip, and Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are not expected back, but their opponents are also dealing with injuries to major contributors. The Blazers are expected to be without Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe. As for the Nuggets, they have lost both Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon to injuries recently, so they will be without two regular starters. San Antonio could pull off two wins and take the group.
I’m in! What are the important dates again?
The Spurs will play the Trail Blazers in Portland on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 9 p.m., and you can watch on the Fanduel Network. Then they will face the Nuggets on Friday, Nov. 28, at 8:30 p.m., and KENS will broadcast the game.
If they make it to the knockout stage, they will play the quarterfinals on either Dec. 9 or 10. If they make the semifinals to be hosted in Las Vegas, they’ll play on Dec. 13. The championship game is on Dec. 16.
