Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals: Starting 5 Revealed for Dec. 12th

Hawks. Bucks. Rockets. Thunder. The stage is set for the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals.

 5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

Dec. 12, 2024

Houston’s Dramatic Dub: The Rockets edge out the Warriors to reach the Emirates NBA Cup semis

Atlanta’s Rally: The Hawks storm past the Knicks in the 2nd half for a comeback win

On The Rise: Houston & Atlanta head to Las Vegas, hungry to make a statement

Quarterfinal Frames: Four clinching photos of the four semifinalists, plus what’s next

Tatum Levels Up: Career numbers, MVP buzz and a clash tonight against a rising superstar

 BUT FIRST … ⏰

Three games in Vegas to determine the Emirates NBA Cup champion…

The Emirates NBA Cup semifinals tip off on Saturday in Las Vegas, with the Hawks taking on the Bucks (4:30 ET, TNT) and the Rockets battling the Thunder (8:30 ET, ABC).

The NBA Cup championship will also be held in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Dec. 17, and you can witness it all live. Don’t miss your chance to see the Cup winner crowned — grab tickets here for both the semifinals and the championship!

More Hoops Tonight: Three games get underway Thursday, headlined by a matchup on NBA TV between the Celtics and Pistons (7:30 ET). Meanwhile, on League Pass, the Heat face the Raptors (7:30 ET), and the Pelicans host the Kings (8 ET).

 1. THRILLING WIN OVER GOLDEN STATE SENDS HOUSTON TO SEMIFINALS

Entering Wednesday, 1,756 days had passed since the Rockets had last beaten the Warriors.

Now, the drought is over, and Houston is two wins shy of an NBA Cup title.

Rockets 91, Warriors 90: Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Houston closed the game on a 9-1 run to eliminate Golden State, sending them to Las Vegas to face OKC in Saturday’s semifinals. | Recap | Watch The Final 4th Quarter Run

Streak Snapped: The victory snaps a 15-game losing streak for Houston against Golden State — the longest-active such streak in the NBA — and its first win against the Warriors since Feb. 20, 2020

The Finish: The Warriors controlled the majority of the 4th, building a six-point lead with two minutes to play. But the final seven points belonged to the Rockets.

The Spark: A Fred VanVleet 3 with 1:16 left made it a one-score game. Then, with 27 ticks to play, Sengun cut the deficit to one with a driving layup

The Free Throws: After Steph Curry missed a 3 on the ensuing possession, a loose ball foul was called on Golden State with 3.5 seconds left, and Jalen Green knocked down two go-ahead free throws at the other end

The Final Stop: It was Houston’s first lead of the 4th quarter — and after a Jabari Smith Jr. block on the final possession — its first win over Golden State in nearly five years

In 363 games this season, this was just the 13th in which both teams didn’t reach 100 points. Fittingly, the Rockets won with their defense down the stretch.

Clutch Stands: Houston forced Golden State into the following results on their final five possessions: Shot clock violation, shot clock violation, turnover, turnover and a blocked 3 to seal the win.

“It’s big growth for us,” said Sengun on the late-game performance. “Against a championship team, we finished the game good — that was great.”

Rocket Fuel: It’s Sengun’s sixth game with 25+ points and the Rockets’ seventh time holding a team under 100 this season. Houston has only one loss this year when either condition is met

Golden Warrior: Curry scored 19, while Buddy Hield became the 17th player to hit 2,000 career 3s, doing so in 656 games  — the second-fewest games behind only Curry (597)

2. HAWKS SOAR PAST KNICKS TO PUNCH TICKET TO VEGAS

One of the hottest teams in hoops is heading to the desert in hopes of hoisting the Cup.

Hawks 108, Knicks 100: Trae Young tallied 22 points and 11 assists to fuel a 2nd-half Hawks comeback as they surged past the Knicks, 108-100, at MSG to set up a date with the Bucks in the NBA Cup semifinals. | Recap

Red-Hot Hawks: Atlanta is now 7-1 in its last eight games, and it’s Young’s 18th double-double of points & assists this season, which leads the NBA

Complete Effort: De’Andre Hunter scored a game-high 24 points, while Jalen Johnson (21 pts, 15 reb), Onyeka Okongwu (12 pts, 11 reb) and Clint Capela (11 pts, 13 reb) joined Young with double-doubles

The Rally: After entering the half down seven, Atlanta outscored New York 34-18 in the 3rd quarter, including a closing 29-10 run to take a nine-point lead into the 4th. The Hawks never trailed again.

Trae Time: With 10 points and two assists at the break, Young ignited the Hawks with 12 points and five dimes in the 3rd, accounting for 23 of their 34 points

Defensive Takeover: Atlanta outscored New York 61-46 in the 2nd half, marking the second-fewest 2nd half points the Knicks have scored all season

The Difference: While the Knicks’ starting 5 is averaging a combined 96.3 ppg — which would be the third-highest combined scoring average by a starting 5 since starters were first tracked in 1970-71 — it was Atlanta’s depth that shined on Wednesday.

Double-Double Quartet: The Hawks join the Grizzlies (1x) as the only teams to have four players record double-doubles in the same game this season

This Isn’t New For Atlanta: Of the 12 games where a team has had four players record double-doubles in the last five seasons, the Hawks are responsible for seven of them

Bench Boost: Atlanta’s bench outscored New York’s 43-14. Over their 7-1 stretch, the Hawks have averaged 51.5 bench points compared to their opponents’ 27.4

“We knew what the stakes were coming into this game,” said Young. “We needed everybody to step up, and everybody did. That’s why we got this win.”

KAT Shines For NY: Karl-Anthony Towns (19 pts, 19 reb) recorded his 14th consecutive double-double, marking the longest streak in Knicks history since David Lee notched 24 straight in 2009

3. ON THE RISE: HAWKS & ROCKETS HUNGRY FOR MORE

After missing the 2023 Playoffs, the Pacers put the league on notice last season with a run to the NBA Cup championship. Five months later, they appeared in their first East Finals since 2014.

Last night, two ascending teams — who both missed the 2024 Playoffs — punched their tickets to the NBA Cup semifinals, and they’re looking to make even stronger statements in Las Vegas.

The Hawks have won seven of their last eight games, jumping from the 11th seed to the seventh seed in 14 days

“We all live for these moments,” said Jalen Johnson after Wednesday’s win. “Just to be able to play in an environment like this and come out it with a dub, that’s everything.”

The Rockets, on the other hand, own the second-best record in the West at 17-8 and are 7-3 in their last 10 games

“We’re going to go for a title,” said Alperen Sengun. “I’ve never seen my team this thirsty.”

Hawks & Rockets Rise: Since March 2024, Houston has the second-best record in the West at 33-15, trailing only OKC (35-12).

In that same span, Atlanta has shown its potential by going a combined 10-2 (83.3 win%) against some of the best teams in the East in Boston, Cleveland, Milwaukee and New York. Meanwhile, the rest of the East has gone 35-85 (29.2 win%) against that group.

On Wednesday, both clubs showcased their strengths in the 2nd half, turning the tide to secure hard-fought wins.

Atlanta Team Offense: The Hawks have dished out 25+ assists in 18 straight games, the longest such streak in franchise history

Last night, they dished out 27, including 16 in the 2nd half to rally past New York

Houston Defense: Meanwhile, the Rockets have climbed the standings thanks to their third-ranked scoring defense, which is allowing just 105.9 ppg

Last night, Houston held Golden State to 90 points, tied for their lowest scoring total this season, to earn a trip to Vegas

On Saturday, each squad will look to move one step closer to hardware.

Sengun On Vegas: “We’re going to go over there and fight.”

Johnson: “This is the stuff we dreamed of as a kid.”

4. SATURDAY’S SEMIFINALS & 4 CLINCHING PHOTOS

Sixty-four NBA Cup games down. Three to go. And they’re all going down in Las Vegas.

The NBA Cup semifinals take place on Saturday, Dec. 14, before the winner-take-all championship on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at T-Mobile Arena, where you could witness a new Cup champion be crowned (tap here for tickets).

Saturday’s Semifinals

East: (1) Bucks vs. (3) Hawks (4:30pm ET, TNT)

West: (1) Thunder vs. (2) Rockets (8:30pm ET, ABC)

Tuesday’s Championship

East Winner vs. West Winner (8:30 ET, ABC)

Before we preview both semifinal matchups later this week, let’s look back at four clinching photos of the four teams who punched their tickets to Vegas.

The action in Vegas doesn’t stop there. 

The third NBA Creator Cup game tips off at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, Dec. 15 (7:30 ET, YouTube / NBA App). The always-entertaining 5×5 pickup game features your favorite hoops creators, including the Professor, Lethal Shooter, Jesser, Tristan Jass and more.

Be in the building for all the hoops, half-court shootouts, showtime slams and for a chance to meet the players — grab your tickets here.

Plus, as part of the NBA’s Future Starts Now initiative, the EYBL Scholastic Showcase — featuring six of the top high school programs in the country — begins today and runs through Monday in Vegas as part of the NBA Cup semifinals and championship.

5. TATUM TAKING HIS GAME TO NEW HEIGHTS

Six months after delivering Boston its first NBA title since 2008, Jayson Tatum isn’t just keeping pace — he’s raising the bar.

“He continues to grow as a player,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said on Tatum last week. “To play at the level that he plays at while being on a great team and finding that balance says a lot about him.”

Last season, Tatum averaged a team-high 26.9 ppg, while earning All-NBA First Team honors on his way to hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

This season, he’s been even better, posting career numbers while propelling the defending champs to a 19-5 record, tied for the second-best mark in the NBA.

All-Around Excellence: Tatum is averaging a career-high in assists (5.7), rebounds (8.9) and made 3s (3.8), while recording the second-most points (28.2) and steals (1.2) of his career

Tatum & Jokić: Tatum is one of two players to lead his team in total points, rebounds and assists, joining Kia NBA MVP Ladder leader Nikola Jokić

JT’s Impact: Through 23 games, Tatum has registered seven 30-point double-doubles, the third-most in a single season in his career. In those games, the Celtics are 7-0

Scoring Arsenal: Tatum’s a threat from anywhere, ranking second in the NBA in pull-up 3s (59), and third in both coast-to-coast points (28) and points created off isolations (173)

“Being a top-five player like he is, he makes it look pretty easy,” Celtics’ Jrue Holiday said on Tatum. “We just kind of follow suit. He makes the game so much easier for everybody.”

On Thursday, Tatum — ranked third on the MVP Ladder — will look to lead Boston to a bounce-back win after falling to the Grizzlies on Saturday, as the C’s host Cade Cunningham and the Pistons (7:30 ET, NBA TV).

Rematch: Last Wednesday, Cunningham dropped 27 points and a then career-high 14 assists in a 130-120 loss to Boston

Cade’s Career Week: One game later, Cunningham topped it with 15 dimes along with 29 points in a win over the Knicks

Cade’s Career Year: Cunningham (23.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 9.4 apg — all career-highs) is on pace to orchestrate the 18th season in NBA history with averages of 23+ points, 7+ rebounds and 9+ assists per game

Boston went 14-4 following a loss last season and is 4-0 in such instances this year. Will they be able to respond again tonight, or will Detroit hand them their first back-to-back loss since April 11?

Two more games tip off tonight on League Pass, as the Heat seek their fourth straight win in a matchup against the Raptors (7:30 ET), while the Kings look for their third straight W visiting the Pelicans (8 ET).

NBA Play Trivia Time: Rank these players by their rookie season PPG: Bam Adebayo, RJ Barrett, Jaylen Brown, CJ McCollum, Domantas Sabonis.

Stay sharp — test your hoops knowledge daily with more basketball brain teasers on NBA Play.