OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – NOVEMBER 28: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder slaps hands with teammate Chet Holmgren #7 and Jalen Williams #8 after a play during the first quarter [P at Paycom Center on November 28, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by William Purnell/Getty Images)
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The Oklahoma City Thunder put together a 4-0 run in the group stage of the NBA Cup, winning Group A and securing home court to open the knockout round. Friday night’s win over the Phoenix Suns sealed that perfect record.
And interestingly enough, Phoenix was below OKC in Group A standings and still slipped into the knockout round as a wildcard thanks to point differential and a 3-1 finish. So just as we saw on Friday, Oklahoma City will once again host the Suns to start the knockout round on Dec, 10 at 6:30 p.m. CT in OKC.
With group play complete, the entire bracket is now set. If Oklahoma City can get past Phoenix in the quarterfinals on Dec. 10, the Thunder will head to Las Vegas for the semifinals as one of only two Western Conference teams and one of four teams remaining in the league-wide field.
Should the team advance, the Thunder would face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers versus San Antonio Spurs matchup for a spot in the championship game. On the other side of the bracket, the four Eastern Conference teams still alive are the Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks and Miami Heat.
This stretch marks another significant test for the Thunder, especially following the over-analysis of their allegedly easy early season schedule. Reaching the knockout round of the NBA Cup ensures a steady slate of quality opponents from this point forward. The Suns, despite losing to Oklahoma City on Friday, have been one of the hottest teams in the West for the past couple of weeks. The Lakers are currently the number two seed in the conference and the Spurs, even without Victor Wembanyama, have been playing great basketball and just took down the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. No matter the matchup, it’s a high-caliber path. And if the Thunder makes it to the title game, all four teams remaining in the East are playing exceptional basketball right now.
For obvious reasons, the stakes are high. Oklahoma City lost in the NBA Cup Championship last season to the Milwaukee Bucks and would love to avenge that defeat. There’s also significant prize money at each stage and the winning team walks away with the largest pool. Beyond that, from an organizational standpoint, the Thunder value games of consequence. They prioritize new situations, high-pressure experiences and reps in meaningful settings to accelerate development. If there’s any franchise that treats the NBA Cup with real purpose, it’s Oklahoma City.
Now with a 4-0 start secured and a knockout berth locked in, the Thunder will open the next round at home as the West’s top seed. From there, Las Vegas awaits for what would essentially be a Final Four environment leading into the championship.
Oklahoma City enters this portion of the tournament with a 19-1 record, momentum on its side and Jalen Williams back in the lineup after making his season debut on Friday in the group stage finale. This team is ready for another stretch of high-level competition, and there’s every reason to expect the Thunder will look to continue showing greatness on the NBA Cup stage.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholascrain/2025/11/29/nba-cup-okc-thunder-earn-no-1-seed-in-western-conference-bracket/
