The NBA Cup continues Wednesday night with the last two spots in the final four on the line. The Knicks and Hawks meet at Madison Square Garden, where Trae Young will try to pull off an upset in front of the New York crowd before the Rockets and Warriors battle for a trip to Las Vegas.
The NBA Cup knockout stage began Tuesday night with the Bucks and the Thunder punching their tickets to the semifinals.
Here’s what to know about Wednesday’s games, including best bets for each quarterfinal matchup.
Knicks vs. Hawks
- Where: Madison Square Garden; New York
- When: Wednesday, Dec. 11; 7:00 p.m. ET
- TV channel/live stream: ESPN/fubo (Try for free)
- Betting line: Knicks -7; O/U 236.5
The Nuggets just ran the Hawks off of the floor. Losses like that aren’t exactly uncommon for Atlanta, who have lost four games by at least 20 points this season, but think about their big-game resume. They are the only team this season to beat both the Celtics and Cavaliers, and they’ve beaten Cleveland twice. They beat Milwaukee a week ago, and sure enough, they beat the Knicks in their first matchup back in November. For whatever reason, the Hawks rise to the occasion against top Eastern Conference competition, and I’m not betting against that now. The Pick: Hawks +7
Rockets vs. Warriors
- Where: Toyota Center; Houston
- When: Wednesday, Dec. 11; 9:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: TNT
- Betting line: Rockets -2.5; O/U 221.5
The Warriors have beaten the Rockets twice this season, but it’s hard to take too much from either game as Stephen Curry played in neither of them. The simple leap from there is that if the Warriors could beat the Rockets without Curry then surely they can do so with him, but basketball obviously isn’t that simple and this is a tiny sample. In a slightly bigger one: the Warriors are 2-6 in their last eight games with a -5.2 net rating. The Rockets have been consistently good without any real dips across nearly two months now. This is a good matchup for them with both Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks to throw at Curry. And, if you’re looking for an analogue to Indiana last season, Houston feels like the safest pick. This tournament is a chance for the Rockets to announce their presence as a real contender to the rest of the league. It’s not unreasonable to assume they will take this game a bit more seriously than the Warriors do. The Pick: Rockets -2.5
