The NBA season is just getting started, but the second edition of the in-season tournament is just around the corner. Kicking off on Tuesday, Nov. 12, the 2024 tournament, now called the Emirates Cup, will unfold over the next month, culminating in the championship game on Dec. 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Last year, the Los Angeles Lakers claimed the first tournament title with a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Both teams advanced to the NBA playoffs, with the Lakers being ousted in the first round by the Denver Nuggets, while the Pacers made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the eventual champions, the Boston Celtics.

This tournament could provide insights into which teams might be surprises later in the season. However, due to several injuries affecting key players, some contenders may not be fully prepared to compete for the NBA Cup right now.

Here’s what you need to know about the NBA’s second-ever in-season tournament:

How Will the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Operate?

In July, the 30 NBA teams were grouped into six clusters of five teams, maintaining the separation between the Eastern and Western Conferences. The groups were established based on last season’s final rankings.

The tournament will feature group stage games each Tuesday from Nov. 12 to Dec. 3, along with Fridays on Nov. 15, 22, and 29. These games will help set the seedings for the knockout rounds starting on Dec. 10. The records from both the group stage and knockout rounds will count toward each team’s overall season record, except for the championship game.

Teams will face off against each other within their group to qualify for the knockout stages. In case of a tie between teams after the group round, the following tiebreakers will be used:

• Head-to-head results within the group
• Point differential in the group
• Total points scored during the group stage
• 2023-24 regular season record
• Random draw

The top team from each group, plus one wild card team from each conference, will proceed to the single-elimination knockout phase.

2024 Emirates NBA Cup Groups

Western Conference

• Group A: Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings
• Group B: Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs
• Group C: Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies

Eastern Conference

• Group A: New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets
• Group B: Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons
• Group C: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards

2024 Emirates NBA Cup Schedule

Group Play Dates

• Tuesday, Nov. 12
• Friday, Nov. 15
• Tuesday, Nov. 19
• Friday, Nov. 22
• Tuesday, Nov. 26
• Friday, Nov. 29
• Tuesday, Dec. 3

Knockout Round Dates

• Quarterfinals: Tuesday, Dec. 10 and Wednesday, Dec. 11
• Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 14
• Finals: Tuesday, Dec. 17 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Prizes for Emirates NBA Cup Champions

Players on the championship team will receive additional monetary rewards. In 2023, each player on the winning team earned $500,000; the runners-up received $200,000 each; players on the third and fourth place teams got $100,000 each; and quarterfinal losers were given $50,000 each.