For the second consecutive season, the NBA will hold an in-season tournament, now called the NBA Cup. In last year's inaugural tournament, the Indiana Pacers made it all the way to the final round before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.
This year, the tournament will begin on November 12 with the Finals taking place on December 17.
What is the NBA Cup?
The NBA Cup is an in-season tournament that will count towards regular season games. In essence, it is meant to add a bit of fun to a traditional regular season game. Throughout the NBA Cup, only games played on Tuesdays and Fridays count as games played for the tournament.
There are three groups for each conference and each NBA team is placed in a group where they will each go head-to-head once during the tournament. This year, the Pacers were placed in East Group B, along with the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons.
While each NBA Cup game counts as a regular season game until the Finals, each team has a separate record specifically for the tournament. The team with the best NBA Cup record per group, along with one other team in each conference, will advance to the Knockout Rounds, which acts as a one-game playoff matchup until one team remains.
Pacers' 2024 NBA Cup schedule
Although the Pacers already knew which teams they would face in this year's NBA Cup, it was unknown what their exact schedule would be. However, a little over three months before the start of the tournament, the Pacers now know exactly when they will face each team in their group.
Date and Time | Opponent |
|---|---|
Friday, November 15, 2024 @ 7 PM EST | vs. Miami Heat |
Friday, November 22, 2024 @ 7:30 PM EST | at Milwaukee Bucks |
Friday, November 29, 2024 @ 8 PM EST | vs. Detroit Pistons |
Tuesday, December 3, 2024 @ 7:30 PM EST | at Toronto Raptors |
What does the winner of the NBA Cup receive?
The players on the team that wins this year's NBA Cup will win a prize of $500,000 each. Additionally, they will receive a trophy, aptly called "the NBA Cup." However, the winning team is not the only participant of the NBA Cup to receive a prize.
Additionally, the runner-up, which the Pacers were last year, will receive $200,000 each. Furthermore, teams that reach the semi-finals receive $100,000 each, and teams that reach the quarter-finals receive $50,000 each.