Friday night is exactly what Adam Silver dreamed of when he implimented the NBA Cup three years ago. Not only do these games count in the regular season standings but there is still so much to figure out as it relates to who advances to the bracket play and has a right to win the money and the third ever cup trophy.
Look no further than Friday night in Bricktown. The 18-1 Oklahoma City Thunder are playing host to the 12-7 Phoenix Suns with All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams making his season debut and now, the added stakes of the winner punching their ticket to the knockout round.
The winner of tonight’s game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns will clinch Western Conference Group A, giving them an automatic bid to the knockout stage. Then, there is one wild card spot up for grabs between the loser of Thunder-Suns and the winner of Grizzlies-Clippers, which will be decided by point differential.
Given how the current standings shake out, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns will be the leaders in the clubhouse for this lone wild card spot, holding a massive advantage entering Friday in the point differential category. If either side can manage just a narrow loss, they should waltz into the knockout stage and still have a shot at the cup championship and the money.
Let’s take a look at the updated NBA Cup standings and lay out who all still has a chance in advancing to the knockout round.
Nov 26, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; A general view of Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Cup Game court during the first quarter of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
NBA Cup Standings
Western Conference Group A
- Oklahoma City Thunder: 3-0, +71 Point Differential
- Phoenix Suns: 3-0, +35 Point Differential
- Minnesota Timberwolves: 2-2, Eliminated
- Sacramento Kings: 0-3, Eliminated
- Utah Jazz: 0-3, Eliminated
Western Conference Group B
- Los Angeles Lakers: 3-0, Clinched
- Memphis Grizzlies: 2-1, +9 Point Differential
- L.A. Clippers: 2-1, -15 Point Differential
- Dallas Mavericks: 1-2, Eliminated
- New Orleans Pelicans: 0-4, Eliminated
Western Conference Group C
- Denver Nuggets: 2-1, +26 Point Differential
- San Antonio Spurs: 2-1, +23 Point Differential
- Houston Rockets: 2-2, Eliminated
- Portland Trail Blazers: 2-2, Eliminated
- Golden State Warriors, 1-3, Eliminated
Thunder NBA Cup scenarios to advance to knock out stage pic.twitter.com/7ZiYijVExB
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) November 27, 2025
Up next, the Oklahoma City Thunder will battle the Portland Trail Blazers for the third time this month on Sunday in Portland. The Thunder will find out their fate and additional games thrown on their schedule as a result of how the NBA Cup shakes out later tonight.
Stay Tuned to Thunder on SI for complete coverage of the NBA Cup and this entire Oklahoma City Thunder season.
