Emirates NBA Cup semi-finals: Talk to know

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The second ever Emirates NBA Cup is headed to Las Vegas, with the semifinals set for Saturday.

One game features the top two teams in the Western Conference (through Wednesday), while the other features the sixth- and seventh-place teams in the East. But regardless of where they stand collectively, all four have made it to Vegas and have the opportunity to win the NBA Cup.

OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (league position)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (league position)
NetRtg: Point difference per 100 possessions (league position)
Pace: Holdings per 48 minutes (league position)

Here are some numbers to know about each of the semifinalists.

(All statistics are through December 11.)

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East 1. Milwaukee Bucks (13-11 overall, 5-0 in NBA Cup)

OffRtg: 114.0 (10) DefRtg: 112.9 (14) NetRtg: +1.1 (15) Pace: 99.0 (16)

After a 2-8 start, the Bucks have won 11 of their last 14 games. They are the only unbeaten team in the 2024 competition and the only team to reach the NBA Cup semifinals in both years.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo has averaged 18.9 points per game. battle in the restricted area.

That would be the best by any player in the 29 seasons for which we have play-by-play data, topping Antetokounmpo’s record 18.1 ppg in the restricted area last season. As a team, the Bucks average just 33 ppg in the restricted area, so Antetokounmpo accounts for 57% of that.

2. Khris Middleton has 13 assists to Antetokounmpo.

It’s not much, but Middleton and Antetokounmpo have only played 61 minutes together. So that’s 7.7 assists per 36 minutes on the floor combined, more than double the rate at which any other teammate has assisted the league’s leading scorer. Middleton already has as many assists for Antetokounmpo as Taurean Prince, who has played 445 more minutes with him. No one feeds the two-time Kia MVP like the player who has been his teammate throughout his career.

Most assists by Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2024-25

MIN = Minutes on the floor w/ Antetokounmpo
Per 36 = Assists per 36 minutes on the floor together

3. The Bucks have gotten just 21.1% of their total points from fast breaks (11.5%, fourth-lowest) or second chances (9.6%, second-lowest).

It is the lowest rate in the league. Although they have arguably the league’s best weapon in transition, the Bucks are an offensive half-court team. Only the Wolves have taken a lower percentage of their shots in the first six seconds of the shot clock (per second Spectrum Tracking). With their centers mostly shooting jump shots, the Bucks are last in offensive rebounding percentage, so they don’t give themselves many other chances.

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East 3. Atlanta Hawks (14-12, 4-1 in NBA Cup)

OffRtg: 111.3 (20) DefRtg: 113.8 (18) NetRtg: -2.5 (18) Pace: 104.4 (3)

The Hawks have five losses to the Wizards, Bulls and Blazers, but also have six wins over the Cavs (x 2), Celtics, Knicks (x 2) and Bucks.

1. The Hawks are one of three teams with a winning record and a negative point differential.

They are 0-4 in games decided by 20 points or more, but 8-4 in those decided by single digits. And they’ve won their last four games coming within five points in the final five minutes and scored 64 points on 49 clutch possessions. Trae Young leads the league in clutch assists (17) and clutch free throws (25-for-28).

2. Dyson Daniels has averaged 6.3 deflections per game. match and 6.7 deflections per 36 minutes.

Those would be the highest rates in the nine seasons deflections have been tracked, with the number per games is 1.9 more than any other player averages. In his third season and just 21 years old, Daniels is a defensive threat who will likely be tasked with defending Damian Lillard on Saturday. He’s a big reason the Hawks held Milwaukee to just one point per possession (one of the Bucks’ four worst offensive performances of the season) in their first meeting last week.

3. The Hawks are the only team with a better record when trailing at the half (7-6) than leading at the half (6-6).

They were down seven at the half (and trailing by as many as 12) in New York on Wednesday, but the Hawks are the team the halftime score has mattered the least. They have the most losses (they are 11-6) in games they have led by double digits and are tied for the most wins (they are 7-10) in games they have towed with two digits.

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West 1. Oklahoma City Thunder (19-5, 4-1 in NBA Cup)

OffRtg: 115.4 (8) DefRtg: 103.4 (1) NetRtg: +12.0 (1) Pace: 100.4 (10)

The Thunder are the best team in the Western Conference and lead the league in point differential (plus 12 points per game) by a good margin.

1. The Thunder have allowed 9.2 fewer points per game. 100 possessions than the league average (112.6).

That would be the biggest difference in the 29 seasons we have play-by-play data, topping the mark of the 2003-04 San Antonio Spurs (8.3 fewer than average). The Thunder have played a relatively light schedule in terms of opposing offenses, with four more games against teams that rank in the bottom 10 on that end of the floor (nine) than rank in the top 10 (five). But their win over the fourth-ranked Mavs on Tuesday was Dallas’ worst offensive performance of the season (104 points on 100 possessions). Statistically, they are the best defensive team in the play-by-play era.

2. The Thunder have committed 7.4 fewer turnovers per game than their opponent.

That’s by far the best differential of any team in the 48 seasons the turnover has been counted. The second best difference this season is 2.9 less per game. match (Philadelphia). The Thunder lead the league in both turnover rate (11.7 per 100 possessions) and opponent turnover rate (19.1 per 100), the latter being the highest opponent rate of any team in the last 26 seasons.

Best turnover margin since 1977-78

3. They are one of four teams ranked in the bottom 10 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage.

Rebounding continues to be an issue, although Isaiah Hartenstein has helped there. Oklahoma City has grabbed 52.4% of available rebounds with Hartenstein on the floor and just 46.3% of available boards with him off. The team grabbed 79.5% of available defensive board against Dallas on Tuesday, up from 55.3% in their loss to the Mavs (without Hartenstein) a few weeks earlier.

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West 2. Houston Rockets (17-8, 4-1 in NBA Cup)

OffRtg: 111.9 (15) DefRtg: 105.1 (2) NetRtg: +6.8 (5) Pace: 99.5 (14)

For the second consecutive season, the Rockets are one of the most improved teams in the league.

1. The Rockets have allowed 7.7 fewer points per game. 100 possessions than they did last season (112.8, 10th).

That makes them the league’s most improved defensive team. But they were also the most improved defensive team last season, allowing 5.8 per 100 fewer than they did in 2022-23. In two seasons under coach Ime Udoka, they have gone from 29th to 10th to second in defensive efficiency. This season, they have seen the league’s second-largest drop in opponent field goal percentage in the paint (leading the league at 52.1%) and its third-largest drop in opponent free throw percentage.

2. They have averaged 5.5 more shooting opportunities (field goal attempts or trips to the line) than their opponents.

That is the league’s biggest difference. While the Rockets don’t have nearly the turnover differential that the Thunder do (they rank sixth with 1.9 fewer turnovers per game than their opponent), they lead the league in rebounding percentage and have grabbed 3.2 more offensive boards per game. match than their opponents. The Rockets are the opposite of the Bucks, ranking first in the percentage of their points (31.1%) that have come from fast breaks (15.8%, second) or second chances (15.2%, second). They do it in different ways, but both West semifinalists thrive on winning the possession game.

3. Rockets average only 295 passes per game. 24 minutes of possession, according to Second Spectrum tracking.

It is last in the league. The Rockets have balanced scoring, with seven players averaging between 11.2 and 19.2 ppg, but it doesn’t come via a lot of ball movement. They rank last in assist rate (54.5% of field goals have been assisted) with their three leading scorers – Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet – all assisted on less than half of their buckets.

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John Schuhmann is a senior statistical analyst for NBA.com. You can email him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

The views expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.