admin
Falling just short of an NBA Cup, the Oklahoma City Thunder could see future benefits if they once again advance in the in-season tournament. Adam Silver’s brainchild is still in its early era, which means adjustments will be made as needed. The league hopes to spark interest in the early months of the regular season.
The NBA Cup is played in November and December. All 30 teams are divided into six groups of five teams, three for each conference. After completing the group stage, the six group winners and two wildcard teams move on to an eight-team single-elimination tournament.
For the first three seasons, the NBA Cup semifinals and finals were played in Las Vegas. But starting in the 2026-27 regular season, the semifinals will be played at the higher-seed’s arena, earning them an extra home game. The finals will still be played at a neutral site.
That means, if the new upcoming rule had been implemented last season, the Thunder would’ve hosted the Houston Rockets for an NBA Cup semifinals game that also counted towards their regular-season record. Their NBA Cup finals matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks would’ve still been played elsewhere.
An NBA Cup celebration was the one goal the Thunder didn’t accomplish last season. They had a historic 68-14 regular-season record and brought home the Larry O’Brien trophy, but couldn’t beat the Bucks in Las Vegas.
Considering the Thunder signed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to contract extensions this past offseason, they should remain a title contender for the foreseeable future. That means they should also be in the conversation to win an NBA Cup. An extra home game in the semifinals would be a nice gift, too.
#NBA #Cup #change #OKC #Thunder #host #future #semifinals #game
