This is how the NBA Cup 2025 will be: Schedule, hours, favorites, and possible surprises

Diego Jiménez Rubio | Fri, 10/31/2025 - 16:19

Preview of NBA Cup 2025. Photo: gettyimages

A risky invention whose success has solidified in the collective imagination of fans. The NBA Cup 2025 is already here, ready to offer an exciting interest in a stretch of the season where there was usually a certain detachment from the competition. The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks have been the champions. Who will win the third edition?

Perhaps its historical significance has not yet been fully realized and many may overlook, or even forget by the end of the season, who emerged as the champion. This is not helped by the fact that the two previous champions ended the season really poorly, experiencing a competitive slump after their triumph and failing to meet the set objectives. In any case, the NBA Cup 2025 guarantees intense emotions.

NBA Cup 2025 Schedule

Between Friday, October 31, and Tuesday, December 16, a competition will take place featuring a group stage format, with each franchise playing four matches, advancing the leaders of each of the six groups and the two best second-placed teams. They will then face off in quarter-finals scheduled for December 9 and 10, before moving to Las Vegas to compete in the eagerly awaited Final Four, where the champion will be determined.

Groups and Favorites of the NBA Cup 2025

This competition could be a great opportunity for teams lacking what is necessary to compete for the title, leveraging their initial momentum to achieve great success. Such may be the case for the San Antonio Spurs in the West, and the Chicago Bulls in the East. One cannot ignore, however, the favoritism towards the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets; the Colorado team is in the group of death, featuring the Warriors, the Spurs, and the Rockets, while the Lakers, Clippers, and Mavericks are grouped together with an uncertain outcome.

Regarding the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers seem well-positioned to reach the quarter-finals, while Group C will see intense competition among the Heat, Bucks, Bulls, and Knicks. In Group B, the Sixers and the Celtics could battle it out for glory, though the Pistons will have a lot to say.