The NBA Cup knockout round opened with two competitive matchups that clarified which teams are heading to Las Vegas – and what decisions fantasy basketball managers need to make midway through Week 8.
Here’s a full breakdown of Orlando, Miami, New York and Toronto, followed by updated broadcast recommendations for Wednesday’s Cup slate.
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Orlando Magic: 5 double-digit starters help punch their ticket to Las Vegas
Orlando got off to a 15-0 start by Miami and responded with one of its most complete team efforts of the season. Led by Desmond Bane’s 37 points and Jalen Suggs’ tenacity and grit, every Magic starter scored at least 10 points. As a team, they connected on 46% of their 3s to earn a 117-108 victory over the Heat.
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Desmond Bane: 37 points with 6 rebounds, 5 assists and six 3s
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Jalen suggests: 20 points with 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals
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Paolo Banchero: 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block. Also shooting 6 of 7 from the line.
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Wendell Carter Jr.: 14 points with 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block
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Antoine Black: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 stocks
Black got another start with Franz Wagner out, playing 34 minutes. Even on an ineffective night where he shot 5 of 15 from the field, he’s in position in all formats while Wagner stays on the sidelines.
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Fantastic Pickups for Saturday: Tristan da Silva had 11 points and 7 rebounds in 28 minutes coming off the bench, making him a solid streaming option for both games on Saturday. Goga Bitadze also did his job in a few minutes, scoring 7 points with 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Miami Heat: A hot start cooled by a 3-point gap and a slow third quarter
The Heat dominated the first quarter, but the Magic gradually closed the gap in the second and third quarters to finally take control of the game. Miami dominated the paint (60 points) and limited turnovers (8), but shooting 8 of 33 from 3 made the difference.
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Norman Powell: 21 points with 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals
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Tyler Herro: 20 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
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Bam Adébayo: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal
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Andrew Wiggins: 19 points with 2 actions
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David Mitchell: 11 points with 2 rebounds, 9 assists and 1 steal
Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 10 points with 3 rebounds and 3 assists coming off the bench, but the most worrying aspect of the Heat’s performance was Kel’el Ware’s nothing burger. He had 4 points with 6 rebounds and was -15 in 12 minutes of action. It might tend to head into falling territory.
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New York Knicks: Brunson is a problem, but NYK’s supporting cast also shows up
Brunson scored a season-high 26 points in the first half, ultimately finishing with 35 points (13-19 FG) with 3 rebounds, 4 dimes and six 3s. But the secondary players showed up as well. New York posted 25 second-chance points and smothered Toronto on 43 percent shooting in a 117-101 victory.
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Josh Hart: 21 points with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals
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Cities Karl-Anthony: 14 points, 16 rebounds with 3 values
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Mikal Bridges: 15 points with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 actions
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OG Anunoby: 13 points, 6 boards and 4 stocks
Fantastic Pickups for Saturday:
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Mitchell Robinson — If you need charts and defensive stats, he’s an option, but be warned: He’s currently on pace for one of the worst free throw shooting seasons in NBA history.
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Jordan Clarkson — As long as Miles McBride remains out, Clarkson is an option for teams in need of points.
Toronto Raptors: Ingram hit, Shead impressed but depth diminished
The Raptors were outscored, out-rushed and downright dominated beyond a few big efforts from Brandon Ingram and Jamal Shead.
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Brandon Ingram: 31 points with 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals
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Scottie Barnes: 13 points with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals
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Jakob Poeltl: 10 points with 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals
Jamal Shead became the second best Raptor of the night, finishing with 18 points, 8 assists, 4 3s, while replacing Immanuel Quickley.
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Shead is not a streaming option for the remainder of Week 8 (TOR is out of games), but watch for Quickley’s availability before Monday. If Quickley shows up again, Shead becomes a good candidate for Week 9.
NBA Cup Schedule Update
While Orlando and New York advance to Saturday’s semifinal, Miami and Toronto won’t play again until Monday of Week 9.
Fantastic Tips 👉 Remove fringe players from the Raptors and Heat immediately.
Wednesday NBA Cup Streaming Options
There are only two games on Wednesday, so the pickings are pretty slim for streaming options. Here’s how I would play it by each team:
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