Johnathan Walker:The NBA Cup is here. We ranked the best group stage games each night

The Johnathan WalkerNBA Cup is back.

For the second time, the league’s annual in-season tournament will give teams the chance to compete for a trophy well before the NBA Finals in June. Teams will play on alternate courts over a little more than a month, for the championship — and the $500,000 per player bonus that comes with it.

But before the tournament progresses into the later rounds, the group stage will determine the eight teams that advance to the knockout rounds. The 30 NBA teams are sorted into six different groups of five teams — three groups per conference.

Each group winner advances to the knockout round and each conference will have one wild card spot, awarded to the team with the best record in group play that finished second in its group.

Here’s a ranking of the top NBA Cup group stage games:

Ranking the best NBA Cup group stage games

Tuesday, Nov. 12

Times ET

1. Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.; TNT
   • The Warriors have raced out to an 8-2 record on the back of their perimeter defense, which should be a fascinating matchup against Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. As if that weren't enough, this will also mark the return of Klay Thompson, playing his first game against the Warriors since joining Dallas.
2. New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 p.m.; TNT
   • The records might not indicate it, but these two should still contend in the Eastern Conference, and it looks as though it will mark the season debut for 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid.

Friday, Nov. 15

1. Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m.
   • As of Monday afternoon, both teams are sitting at 8-2, tied for best in the Western Conference, and both have looked like legitimate contenders. The only downside here is the hip fracture Chet Holmgren suffered Sunday night.
2. Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 p.m.; ESPN
   • If anything, buckle up for what should be a thrilling showdown between Anthony Davis and Victor Wembanyama.
3. Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m.
   • Miami has tweaked its rotation and thrives on gumming down opposing offenses, while the Pacers look to sprint out in transition. A study of contrasts, these two should remain competitive in the East, though Jimmy Butler (ankle) may miss extended time.
4. Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m.
   • The Rockets are athletic and jump out of the gym. Both teams are in that middle tier in the Western Conference, though L.A. was on a four-game winning streak as of Monday, even with Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely.
5. Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.; ESPN
   • Almost certainly not having Ja Morant (hamstring) in this matchup will dull the game considerably, though Memphis has played well and is used to Morant's absences.

Tuesday, Nov. 19

1. Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics, 7 p.m.; TNT
   • This is a showdown between the two best teams in the East, at least through the first month of the season. As of Monday, the Cavaliers have the NBA's top-rated offense (122) and the Celtics own the league's third-rated offense (119.4).
2. Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs, 9:30 p.m.; TNT
   • This one loses most of its shine because of the Holmgren injury, especially since Wembanyama and Holmgren are considered to be two young, unique bigs in the NBA.
3. Denver Nuggets at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m.
   • If Morant is still out, the matchup suffers, but — at the very least — this offers fans another chance to enjoy the historic run Nikola Jokić is on.

Friday, Nov. 22

1. Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m.; ESPN
   • Any time close friends Jokić and Dončić share the court, special things tend to happen. These two teams also figure to contend deep into the season.
2. Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks, 7:30 p.m.; ESPN
   • Reason figures that the Bucks will have worked through their early-season issues by this point, and this provides a rematch of last year's first-round playoff series, though the Bucks — this time — are healthy.
3. Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Clippers, 10:30 p.m.
   • The Kings have had a decent start to the season as DeMar DeRozan continues to affirm the Sacramento front office's decision to bring him on.

Tuesday, Nov. 26

1. Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m.; TNT
   • This will mark the third time these two teams face off, after they split the first meetings.
2. Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.; TNT
   • These sides have met twice in the last four playoffs, and after the Damian Lillard saga ended with Milwaukee making the trade, there's a little extra motivation on both sides.
3. Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m.
   • The Timberwolves are caught in that logjam in the middle of the Western Conference, as Anthony Edwards continues to expand his game.

Friday, Nov. 29

1. Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m.; ESPN
   • It's always fun to see the young Thunder respond to being on a big stage — and it doesn't get much better than a nationally televised matchup at the Lakers.

Tuesday, Dec. 3

1. Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m.; TNT
   • The Nuggets have settled into the season and are playing tremendous basketball; Golden State is getting contributions from different players. These are two teams that share the ball and play very well off each other.
2. San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns, 9 p.m.
   • Wembanyama gets another interesting matchup, this one against the physical Jusuf Nurkić. It's also another return for Chris Paul, who played three seasons for Phoenix.

2024 Emirates 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