Thunder you can feel through the screen.
Dominance you must see to believe.
And 1 of the 2 best starts to a season ever.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Loud City: OKC matches NBA’s best 25-game start in explosive fashion to reach Cup Semis
Giant Slayers: Castle, speedy Spurs continue Cup ascent by eliminating Lakers
West Semi Parallels: What the surging Spurs have in common with the defending NBA champs
Quarterfinal Frames: Four snapshots of the four Semifinalists, and what’s next in Vegas
Leaue Pass Spotlight: How the Celtics’ supporting cast has sparked a timely turnaround
BUT FIRST … ⏰
The Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals are set for Saturday in Vegas on Prime, with the Magic taking on the Knicks (5:30 ET) and the Spurs facing the Thunder (9 ET).
The NBA Cup Championship will also be held in Vegas on Tuesday, Dec. 16 (8:30 ET), and it’s not too late to secure your seat. Grab tickets here for both the Semifinals and the Championship.
More Hoops Tonight: Four games tip off tonight on League Pass, including the Celtics seeking a sixth straight win as they face the Bucks (8 ET).
1. OKC WINS BIG, TIES DUBS FOR BEST 25-GAME START EVER
Forty-nine.
So much of OKC’s groundbreaking start to this season lives in unheard-of numbers and statistics.
A 24-1 record, 16 consecutive wins, +17.5 average point differential.
But the loudest number from the Thunder’s NBA Cup Quarterfinal win over the Suns was the 49-point margin of victory.
Thunder 138, Suns 89: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 28 points in under 27 minutes as OKC overwhelmed Phoenix with the largest margin of victory of the season to return to Saturday’s NBA Cup Semifinals and continue pursuing history. | Recap
- Big Picture: OKC is now 24-1 with the win, matching the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors for the best 25-game start in NBA history
- Oklahoma’s Hottest: This marks the Thunder’s 16th straight win, setting a new OKC-era record for most consecutive victories
- Over 82+: A step closer to returning to the NBA Cup Finals, OKC is now 72-10 in the regular season since last year’s Cup Finals loss to the Bucks on Dec. 17
With their rocking home crowd yet to taste defeat this season (12-0) and a trip to Las Vegas on the line, Oklahoma City set the tone from play one, when Cason Wallace stripped Collin Gillespie and streaked away for the slam.
- Runaway Win: OKC never trailed, leading by as many as 53 on the way to the most lopsided win in Cup history
- Fuel The Fire: In their previous matchup on Nov. 28, the Thunder topped these Suns by 4, their narrowest win of this 16-game win streak and in regulation this season. OKC made up for that on Wednesday
- Miles Ahead: The Thunder have now outscored opponents by 437 points so far this season, the largest margin of victory through 25 games in NBA history by 90 points (2nd: 2007-08 Celtics, 347 pts)
But more than just pure scoring, win margins require defensive stops, and OKC’s top-ranked D showed up to hold Phoenix to a season-low 89 points.
- Shai & Co: Gilgeous-Alexander’s 96th consecutive 20-point game led six Thunder scorers in double figures
- Delivering: Chet Holmgren (24 pts, 8 reb, 3 blk, 4 3s) had his own monster night and rejection, while the Suns were led by Dillon Brooks (16 pts)
- All For One: OKC hit 22 3-pointers on 55.0 3P%, as the team’s stellar scoring allowed its ace SGA to sit out the 4th quarter for a 14th time this season
“I can say we’re a little more juiced for these [games],” Holmgren said of OKC’s run to redeem last year’s Cup championship loss. “Obviously, you never like to lose.”
2. SPURS SPEED PAST LUKA, LAKERS AND INTO SEMIS
Under the bright lights of LA among an MVP, scoring champs, All-Stars (and one injured Alien)… it was the reigning Kia Rookie of the Year who stood out.
Spurs 132, Lakers 119: Stephon Castle’s massive night (season-high 30 pts, 10 reb, 6 ast, 3 3s) with six other double-figure scorers spurred San Antonio past Luka Dončić (35 pts, 5 reb, 8 ast, 3 3s) and the Lakers and into the Cup Semifinals. | Recap
- Game Of Runs: The Spurs separated early using a 19-6 run to close out the 1st quarter, before launching an 8-0 start to the 2nd. They similarly sped off on 10-2 and 10-3 runs to start the 3rd and 4th quarters to sustain their double-digit lead
- Late Life: The Lakers then turned it on late with an 18-4 run in the final frame to get back within single digits, keyed by two of Marcus Smart’s season-high eight 3s
- Castle Controls: But with under 2 minutes to play, Castle grabbed his 10th rebound and hit a dagger 3 with 1:41 left to get to 30 points and seal the Lakers’ Cup elimination
Castle joined Tim Duncan and Victor Wembanyama as the only players in Spurs’ history to record 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a regular season game at age 21 or younger (21yr, 39d).
“We all just want to win,” Castle said postgame. “We don’t care who does it. We have a very versatile team, very deep team, so it’s a lot of guys who can get it done.”
Houston, Denver, and now Los Angeles. The Spurs have defeated three of the four teams ahead of them in the West standings in this Cup tournament, with a chance to complete the set against OKC.
- Deep Indeed: Winners of four of their last five games, the Spurs are getting it done with four different leading scorers in that span
- Cavalry Committee: De’Aaron Fox (20 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 4 3s) also stood out for San Antonio, who generated 48 points from its bench
2nd-seeded L.A.’s first Cup loss this year is a costly one in the Knockout Rounds, despite big nights from Luka and LeBron, and a big return from Smart.
- 30/5/5 Heat: Dončić recorded 30+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists for the 9th straight game, tying himself and Oscar Robertson for the longest such streak in NBA history
- Laker Lights: LeBron (19 pts, 15 reb, 8 ast) filled the stat sheet and brought the building down on Luke Kornet, while Smart (season-high 26 pts) tied the Lakers’ record for most made 3s off the bench (8)
3. REIGNING NBA CHAMPS MEET RISING WEST CHALLENGERS IN CUP SEMIS
They downed Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets in Denver to win West Group C.
They eliminated LeBron, Luka and the Lakers in L.A. to reach the Cup Semifinals.
Now, the Spurs will look to knock off SGA and the Thunder in Vegas with a trip to the Cup Championship on the line.
- “They’re a great team – we know what we’re getting ourselves into,” said Stephon Castle on the showdown. “But at the end of the day, we have supreme confidence in ourselves as well … we’re going to go in there and fight.”
Hidden Parallels: While OKC posted a record +12.9 regular-season point differential en route to last year’s NBA title, San Antonio missed the Playoffs entirely. But look closer, and these two squads share more than a state border.
- They are both led by superstars – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama – two generational talents surrounded by young, dynamic cores that make for two deep teams
- For OKC, that begins with Jalen Williams (24) and Chet Holmgren (23) – both lottery picks from the 2022 Draft, blossoming into stars
- San Antonio has backed Wemby (who could return this weekend from a month absence) with a pair of lottery picks of their own, with Stephon Castle (21) and this year’s No. 2 overall pick, Dylan Harper (19), just scratching the surface of their potential
Proof vs. Promise: The Thunder made their leap last season, transforming upside into a title behind the Kia MVP rise of SGA, an All-Star jump from Williams and Holmgren anchoring a ferocious defense.
Amid this Cup run, San Antonio is flashing similar promise with a young, lively group growing game by game — even with Wembanyama sidelined.
- “I think the sky’s the limit,” said De’Aaron Fox of his squad. “Especially with the talent we have on this team, first guy to the tenth guy…
- “We’re continuing to build, and guys are continuing to learn how to win … I feel like we can beat anybody.”
Now, San Antonio gets a team that almost nobody beats, an OKC squad that hasn’t lost its edge – champs still hungry, still piling up wins and still setting the bar for everyone else.
- “You are only as good as you are in the next challenge,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault when asked about OKC’s record start. “All that’s great, but none of it matters Saturday.”
4. FOUR CLINCHING PHOTOS & WHAT’S NEXT IN LAS VEGAS
Sixty-four NBA Cup games down. Three games to go – and one city playing host.
The NBA Cup Semifinals tip off Saturday, with the winner-take-all Championship set for Tuesday – both at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, where you could witness a new Cup champion be crowned. | Tap Here for Tickets
Saturday’s Semifinals on Prime
East | Magic vs. Knicks (5:30 ET): After each bowing out in last year’s Cup Quarterfinals, the Magic and Knicks collide in Saturday’s Semis with a Cup Finals trip up for grabs.
It’s their fourth meeting this season, with the Magic holding a 2-1 edge in the season series, but the Knicks claimed the most recent matchup – a 106-100 win on Sunday.
- Need To Know: Orlando is 5-0 in Cup Play, allowing the third-fewest points per game (105.6 ppg). Scoring the second-most points in Cup Play? The Knicks (125.8 ppg), who have won eight of their last nine outings
West | Thunder vs. Spurs (9 ET): Led by De’Aaron Fox (24 ppg), seven different Spurs are averaging double figures in Group Play, with San Antonio ranking 2nd in total fastbreak points.
That burst now meets OKC’s relentless defense, which is allowing an NBA-best 106.2 ppg and boasts a +24.8 point differential in Cup Play.
- Need To Know: With a victory, OKC would be the first team to reach the NBA Cup Championship in consecutive seasons and extend its win streak to 17 games. Meanwhile, the Spurs will look to slay another giant
Creator Cup Tomorrow: The 2025 PlayStation Creator Cup gets underway in Vegas on Friday (8 PT, NBA YouTube / NBA App). The always-entertaining 5×5 pickup game features your favorite hoops creators, with Lethal Shooter and Agent serving as head coaches.
Quarterfinal Frames: Before we fully turn the page to Cup Weekend, let’s look back at four clinching photos of the four teams who punched their tickets to Vegas.
5. TONIGHT ON LEAGUE PASS: STREAKING CELTICS VISIT BUCKS
Ten wins in 12 games.
Orlando? Outmatched. Detroit? Defeated. Cleveland? Clipped. The Knicks, Lakers and Raptors? Check, check and check.
The Celtics have turned a recent gauntlet into a statement stretch, jumping from 10th to 3rd in the East in just 22 days.
Tonight on League Pass (8 ET), the hottest team in the East travels to Milwaukee, seeking a sixth straight win behind its red-hot offense.
- Deep Connection: After leading the league in 3s in each of the past two seasons, the Celtics have found their stroke again, hitting an NBA-best 17.4 triples over their 10-2 stretch at a 41.2% clip
- Perimeter Punch: Derrick White (20 ppg, 3.7 3pm) and Payton Pritchard (19.6 ppg, 3.6 3pm) have turned up in that stretch, combining for 7 3s a game while shooting a combined 40.4% on 3s
- Inside & Out: While Jaylen Brown’s career year continues as Boston’s No. 1 option (29.1 ppg, 4.9 apg), two other Celtics – Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta – have emerged as interior forces
- Stepping Up: Walsh has scored 17+ in two of the last three games, and Boston’s 10-2 run coincides with him being a starter. In that span, Queta leads the team in DefRtg (min. 10 min/g)
Nuggets at Kings (10 ET): Nikola Jokić, the Kia MVP Ladder leader, is back in action tonight as Denver faces Sacramento for the fourth time this year – closing a season series that has brought out Joker’s best.
- King Aces: Jokić is averaging an absurd 37.7 pts, 11.7 reb and 9.3 ast against Sacramento this year, but Denver is still just one game up on the season series (2-1)
- Tonight’s X-Factor? Jamal Murray, the West Kia Player of the Week, who is averaging 36.3 points in Denver’s last 3 outings, including a season-high 52 last Wednesday
Two more matchups tip off tonight on League Pass, including Kevin Durant’s Rockets hosting James Harden and the Clippers (8 ET).
Plus, rookie Derik Queen eyes an encore after his dominant 30-point triple-double as the Pels face the Blazers (8 ET).
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