Emirates NBA Cup Takes Center Stage In Las Vegas!

The highly anticipated Emirates NBA Cup is set to take over Las Vegas this weekend into next week, bringing together the league's top teams for a thrilling competition.

With some of the best players in the NBA showcasing their skills, the tournament promises high-intensity games, unforgettable moments, and plenty of excitement for fans. Held in one of the world's most iconic sports destinations, the NBA Cup is expected to elevate the city's status as a global sports hub. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual spectator, this event will be a must-watch as the NBA takes center stage in Vegas.

"THE SEMIFINALS ARE SET."

On Wednesday night, the teams heading to Saturday's semifinals were officially set! The NBA shared the exciting news on their Instagram page.

"It’s all going down in Las Vegas... the #EmiratesNBACup Knockout Rounds continue with the Semifinals on Saturday on TNT and ABC!" they wrote in their Instagram caption sharing what teams are advancing.

At 1:30 p.m. PT, the Milwaukee Bucks will be facing the Atlanta Hawks, and at 5:30 p.m. PT, the Houston Rockets will go up against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The winners of those two games will advance to the Finals on Tuesday night.

Basketball fans dropped into the comment section of the NBA's post to share who they are excited to see go to the semifinals and who they hope wins the championship.

"OKC for the win," one fan wrote. Another said, "Rockets and Hawks winning." One other fan added, "Milwaukee Bucks are about to remind everyone that they run the NBA."

For NBA fans who live in Vegas or are visiting for the in-season tournament, there will be a lot to do and see. In addition to the semifinals and championship game, there will also be fan activations, interactive entertainment, live DJs, the NBA Creator Cup game, and more.

"It is really our privilege to be able to bring the NBA Cup back and bring incredible competition. I think everyone saw firsthand last year that these were incredibly competitive games, something that was new for us in the beginning of the season, so fans can expect that for sure," NBA's Executive Vice President of Global Events, Kelly Flatow told The Blast exclusively.

"And in addition to everything that's happening on the court, you have to be there to see it live, we are really excited to bring back some of our fan engagement activations that will be live activations on Toshiba Plaza. We want as many of the fans to come see the games live."

In addition to all the basketball excitement, there will be something new for all the golf fanatics. The NBA Tees & Threes Golf Tournament will be taking place on the Wynn Golf Course on Monday, Dec. 16.

This inaugural event will pair celebrities, golf professionals, and NBA legends with fans in an exclusive one-of-a-kind experience that's available via NBA Experiences. Fans will have the option to watch golf-side or to play. There will also be entertainment, gourmet food and drinks, immersive on-course activations, and photo opportunities.

"We're introducing a celebrity golf tournament on Monday before the Championship game and that's called the NBA Tees & Threes," Flatow told The Blast. "So whether you come out and watch the golfers or are able to score a spot on one of the teams, you'll be able to play with some NBA icons and some pro golfers."

For any fan who missed out on last year's NBA Cup or is confused on the journey to get to the semifinals, Flatow explained how this worked for the 30 NBA teams.

"So each of the teams is split into four groups. Then they will each play those opponents twice. They'll play four games, when you reach the cup standings, you're able to then get to the quarterfinal rounds which is a single elimination knockout, so every game is a game seven as we say," Flatow told The Blast.

"We'll then bring those eight teams to the quarterfinals. Those quarterfinals will be played in home arenas and then the four teams coming out of the quarterfinals will show up for the semifinals."

A video shared by the NBA shows how the court at T-Mobile Arena will look as it was getting ready for all the Vegas NBA excitement.

One thing fans noticed throughout the journey to the semifinals was that each team had a specially designed court for the in-season tournament games.

"We wanted to ensure that everyone watching and everyone who was in the arena had a cue that this was something really special. And a way to do that is to redesign the courts," Flatow told The Blast. "We knew that we wanted it to be really attention-grabbing. And we also wanted to pull in all of the unique characteristics of each team. So it was important that we had 30 distinct courts that all were very colorful, that if you were switching channels, you wouldn't be able to miss that the channel that you've landed on is the Emirates NBA Cup."

Last year for the first year of the in-season tournament, the trial run with unique court designs were a hit, so they knew it had to return and evolve for year two.

"This year, in its second iteration, we wanted to be sure that we continued that but made them even better," Flatow explained. "So we partnered with an artist by the name of Victor Solomon, and he worked with each team to come up with unique courts."