Decoding the NBA Cup knockout stage fixtures
What's the story
The NBA Cup quarter-finals is all set to bring excitement with games on December 11 and 12.
Only Milwaukee Bucks remain from last year's Las Vegas teams, ensuring a new champion.
Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets aim to replicate Indiana's playoff momentum, while Orlando Magic, NY Knicks, and Oklahoma City Thunder seize the spotlight.
Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee, and Dallas lean on experience.
Western Conference
Dallas (3-1) vs Oklahoma City (3-1)
The Mavericks secured a quarter-final spot by beating Denver without Luka Dončić, despite an earlier loss to the Warriors.
OKC's top-ranked defense tightened further in Group Play but struggled against Dallas on Nov. 17, losing 54-29 on the boards.
Meanwhile, Dončić leads the Cup scoring (31.3), while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander follows closely.
However, Kyrie Irving's 17.3 average might be a concern for the Mavericks.
Western Conference
Golden State (3-1) vs Houston (3-1)
The Warriors secured their spot early, beating Dallas in their Group Play opener despite a later loss to Denver.
Houston clinched its berth by defeating Minnesota on Nov. 26.
In a preview of their Wednesday rematch, Golden State edged Houston despite missing Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
Jonathan Kuminga's 33 points broke the Warriors' skid, while Houston thrive at home (9-3).
Eastern Conference
Orlando (3-1) vs Milwaukee (4-0)
Orlando narrowly secured the East's wild-card berth, surviving a 15-point loss to the Knicks thanks to a tiebreaker cushion.
Franz Wagner (25.8 ppg) has stepped up in Paolo Banchero's absence, but will it be enough against the Bucks?
Meanwhile, Milwaukee, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard (29.3 ppg each), boast a dominant offense (82.9 ppg from top four scorers) and thrive on 3-pointers.
Eastern Conference
Atlanta (3-1) vs New York (4-0)
The Hawks clinched their group with key wins over Boston and Cleveland, but now face New York's top-ranked offense.
The Knicks, 8-2 at MSG with a +17.2 home point differential, boast Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and a balanced attack.
Atlanta's Trae Young leads with 12.0 assists per game, but their road struggles and New York's improved defense (now ninth in Cup play) pose challenges.
Teams
A look at the eight quarter-finalists
Western Conference: The Mavericks come in with a 3-1 record same as the Thunder who too have a 3-1 record.
The other two teams from the WC are the Golden State Warriors (3-1) and the Houston Rockets (3-1).
Eastern Conference: Two teams from the EC have an unbeaten record - Bucks and Knicks.
Meanwhile, Magic and the Hawks round up the eight QF teams.