The Toronto Raptors are moving on to the knockout stage of the NBA Cup for the first time in the tournament's three-year history. In order to punch a ticket to

The 19-1 Thunder are currently the favorites to win the 2025 NBA Cup (-125 at FanDuel ). The Bucks won the competition last year, and the Lakers won the initial version in 2023. Tuesday, Dec. 9: Heat at Magic, 6 p.m. ET | Knicks at Raptors, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Knicks are beginning to put things together and move up the NBA power rankings. Here is where all 30 teams rank entering December.

The New York Knicks are heading to the NBA Cup quarterfinals. Here's what stood out in their gritty win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the struggling Milwaukee Bucks.

The New York Knicks stayed hot with a 118-109 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, who had Giannis Antetokounmpo back in their lineup. The New York Knicks were led by their own superstar Jalen Brunson, who had a stellar performance.

Ball continued his career trend of running counter to winning. The victory was also part of the NBA Cup competition, assuring the Knicks control their destiny for the final group play game on Black Friday against the Bucks. A win means they’ll advance to the quarterfinals. A loss means they can only advance as a wild card.

The Knicks have not drafted well over the last few years. They’ve had limited, blah draft positioning as of late due to all the trades they’ve made, but some good players were selected after New York was on the board, particularly in the 2024 draft.

Houston’s the rare NBA squad sitting top-five on both ends, and that’s the mark of a legit contender, not a cute early-season story. The defense keeps tightening up, and even with Kevin Durant out, Reed Sheppard stepped in like he’s been there for years.

Despite only scoring 18 points in the second quarter, the Knicks found life again coming out of the break to knock off the visiting Raptors at Madison Square Garden