For the first time since the NBA Cup’s inception in 2023, the Toronto Raptors have advanced to the quarterfinals of the in-season tournament.
Thanks to a 140-110 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday night, combined with an Indiana Pacers loss, the Raptors clinched East Group A and secured their spot in the knockout rounds.
Toronto is the first team to clinch an NBA Cup quarterfinals berth this season after improving to 3-0 during group play.
This is uncharted territory for the franchise after back-to-back seasons of 1-3 records during NBA Cup group play — both of those years included early losses, leaving Toronto on the outside looking in almost immediately.
Fast forward to Friday and the Raptors punctuated the NBA Cup milestone with a sixth consecutive win overall — bringing the squad to 11-5 on the year — good for second in the Eastern Conference. Now the Raptors prepare for their first taste of elimination-style basketball since their 2023 Play-In loss.
Each of the six group winners advances to the knockout rounds along with one Wild Card from each conference (the two teams with the best records that finished second in their groups). The second phase of the NBA Cup will consist of single-elimination games in the quarterfinals (Dec. 9-10), semifinals (Dec. 13) and championship (Dec. 16). Quarterfinal games will be hosted by the two teams in each conference with the best record during group play, with the top record-holder taking on the Wild Card. The semifinal and final will be played in Las Vegas.
