There are still 4 teams left in the NBA Cup, and here are the teams ranked who can win the season tournament

The NBA Cup is in its second year as a midseason tournament, and the league hopes to grow into a coveted secondary trophy. The Los Angeles Lakers won the Cup in their first year, and the competition is at an even higher level this season. The NBA Cup is part of the regular season and all teams in the league are eligible. Group play narrows the field to eight teams, and after an exciting quarterfinal round, the final four teams will be officially decided in Las Vegas.

The Milwaukee Bucks will face the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Houston Rockets in the West Finals. The two winners of Saturday’s match will face off on Tuesday for the championship. The semifinals and finals will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Brackets and match times can be found here.

The NBA Cup matches are already taking on a playoff-like feel, with the final three single-elimination games promising to be thrilling. Let’s rank the four teams that have a chance to win the NBA Cup.

4. Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks were a disaster at the start of the season, but bounced back in a big way once cup play started. Milwaukee is currently 13-11 overall and in the final seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, with injured forward Khris Middleton returning to the lineup. Winning this Cup could be a springboard for the rest of the season for Milwaukee, showing they are still a contender going into the season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing like the No. 2 player in the world. Damian Lillard has been strong offensively over the last 10 games, and role players like Andre Jackson and AJ Green have fueled the Bucks around the two stars. Milwaukee is starting to play good basketball and will advance to the East finals as the favorites to beat Atlanta. So why choose the Hawks?

3. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, winning seven of their last eight games and returning to playoff contention. Atlanta has realized its vision of surrounding Trae Young with long, explosive players who can play defense and move up and down in transition, and the results are very encouraging in head coach Quin Snyder’s second year. It became something.

Atlanta has the talent to match up well with the Bucks. Dyson Daniels is a threat on the perimeter and can suffocate Lillard with ball pressure. There’s no stopping Giannis, but the combination of Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Daniels’ timely doubles could limit his movement a bit. The arrival of DeAndre Hunter gives Atlanta additional firepower off the bench, and Young is expected to recover in terms of shooting. I would love to see Atlanta pull off an upset. That’s because Atlanta’s defense matches Lillard.

2. Houston Rockets

The Rockets’ formula may not be pretty, but it’s certainly effective. Houston began to emerge as a .500 team last season after rebuilding after coach James Harden, just missing out on making the playoffs. This year, they have catapulted into the Western Conference’s elite with their incredible defense and relentless dedication to attacking the glass.

The Rockets can sometimes struggle to score in the half court without the right superstar leading the offense, but their ability to overwhelm teams with their athleticism provides them with ample second-chance points and transition opportunities. It didn’t really matter. Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengan are still Houston’s two best players, but the game really takes off when Armen Thompson and Tali Eason come off the bench. Head coach Ime Udoka has somehow built an incredible defense without a natural rim protector at center, which gives Houston a chance to drag the team into the mud every game. I want the Rockets to win more than either team in the Eastern Conference, but with the Thunder standing in their way, it’s going to take a lot of effort to make it to the finals.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Thunder has it all. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best players in the NBA and will be a strong candidate for MVP until the end of the season. Jaylen Williams continues to develop as a secondary creator who can switch defensively into almost any matchup. Isaiah Hartenstein has proven to be the ultimate injury insurance for Chet Holmgren as a strong defensive big man who can add to the offense with his passing. The depth here is truly incredible, full of young two-way players who continue to develop.

The Thunder have the best defense in the modern history of the game and have maintained that status even while their best defender in Holmgren has been injured. The offense isn’t elite, but it’s still a top-10 unit even though the team’s overall shooting numbers are down from last year. As a young team that has yet to win anything other than a lot of wins in the regular season, OKC is also hell-bent on winning this tournament as proof of concept that its style can be successful at the highest level of the playoffs. We are doing our best.

Houston is a scary matchup simply because they are so good on the glass, and the Thunder could lose even with Hartenstein. Ultimately, the Thunder are too talented and too balanced to struggle long term. OKC is good enough to win the championship this season. The first thing we need to do is win the NBA Cup.