The Western Conference is shaping up to be a wild race as we head into December, with several teams making strong early statements. From powerhouse contenders to surprising climbers, the standings are already tightening up.

Behind 37 points from the standout wing, the Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 112-109 in a winner-take-all game that decided the Eastern Conference's Group B. With a 4-0 record and +64 score differential, Orlando will have the top seed in the East's knockout round.

The first two NBA Cup quarterfinals are set, with Miami going to Orlando and New York going to Toronto. And the defending Cup champions won’t have a chance to go back-to-back. New York got

By the time the final buzzer sounds on Friday night, we will know the eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, the bracket-style knockout round stage of the tournament.

For the first time since the event started three years ago, the Miami Heat have qualified for the knockout round of the NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament.

The Dallas Mavericks face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025 (11/28/25) in an NBA Cup in-season tournament group play matchup at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The Boston Celtics have won four of their last five games and are above .500 at 9-8. Head coach Joe Mazzulla’s group is still 10th in the clustered Eastern Conference standings entering action Monday though.

The Los Angeles Lakers will use their normal home court for their NBA Cup game against Dallas on Friday after Luka Doncic complained about the condition of their league-issued special tournament court