Eight teams made the knockout stage after round-robin group play that involved all 30 NBA teams in the league's second annual in-season tournament. The Magic, Knicks, Mavericks and Warriors were knocked out in the quarterfinals earlier in the week.

When the Milwaukee Bucks clinched their spot in the NBA Cup championship game, plenty of the team’s younger and lesser-paid players were exuberant in the locker room.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo headline the NBA Cup finals. Both MVP candidates can utilize the national platform to boost their MVP cases. While the Thunder have been the league's best team, the Bucks are always a viable title threat and have recently played better.