The second edition of the in-season tournament, known as the Emirates NBA Cup, tips off Tuesday. All 30 teams will play four group-stage games across the next several weeks for the chance to reach the knockout rounds and ultimately the championship game on Dec. 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Behind the efforts of LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup but their first-round exit in the 2024 playoffs proved that getting hot to win a single-elimination tournament in December is very different from subsequent postseason success.