The 2024/25 edition of the NBA Cup has reached the semi-final stage and four teams are still dreaming about winning the in-season tournament.
Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks are the bookmakers’ favourites to reach the final and they are fancied to set up a thrilling showdown in Las Vegas.
Read on as we look at the semi-final draw and latest betting for the NBA Cup, before assessing which team will likely emerge victorious on December 17.
NBA Cup 2024/25 semi-finals
December 14
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets
NBA Cup 2024/25 outright betting
The latest odds for the 2024/25 NBA Cup are as follows:
- Oklahoma City Thunder – 11/10
- Milwaukee Bucks – 13/5
- Houston Rockets – 7/2
- Atlanta Hawks – 5/1
NBA Cup 2024/25 preview
Oklahoma City’s 118-104 victory over Dallas Mavericks in the quarter-finals was built on the team’s willingness to work hard defensively.
After watching his team hold Mavericks star Luka Doncic to 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting, head coach Mark Daigneault praised his team’s work ethic.
“We’ve played like this for a good stretch of time now, so this didn’t feel different to me at all,” Daigneault said. “I thought we were pretty primed up with our last week, our west-coach trip.
“We’ve been playing hard and together for a sustained stretch of time right now. And we were able to draw on that tonight, which was very helpful obviously in the game.”
Thunder will now face Houston Rockets, who defeated Golden State Warriors 91-90 to book their place in the semi-finals.
The two sides have split two meetings with each other this season and this should be a tight contest, but Thunder are fancied to get the job done.
The Bucks are their most likely opponents in the final. They continued their excellent recent form with a 114-109 victory over Orlando Magic.
After a stuttering start to the season, the Bucks have improved in recent weeks and are one of the most in-form teams in the NBA.
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who weighed in with 37 points against Magic, says the team are eager to lift the NBA Cup this season.
“I’m very happy that we’re able to go to Vegas,” Antetokounmpo said. “We have unfinished business. We’re going to have fun, we’re going to play good basketball, we’re going to compete.
“We’re not going just to go there – we’re going there to win games.”
The Bucks face the Hawks in the semi-finals following their surprise 108-100 victory over New York Knicks in the last eight.
The Hawks defeated the Bucks 119-104 earlier this month, but may find it difficult to repeat the trick in what promises to be a feisty encounter in Vegas.