The Thunder and Rockets will compete for a spot in the Emirates NBA Cup Championship game.

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The Emirates NBA Cup 2024 moves to Las Vegas, where the top four teams will compete to determine the tournament’s second champion. The first NBA Cup in 2023, then called the in-season tournament, was won by the Los Angeles Lakers. This year a new champion will be crowned, with the Western Conference representative facing either the Houston Rockets or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the finals.

These two exciting young teams will face off in a thrilling semi-final showdown on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at the T-Mobile Arena. Earlier in the day, the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta meet in the other semifinal at 4:30 p.m. ET.

It’s that #EmiratesNBACup Semifinals, LIVE FROM VEGAS 🍿🎰

🏆 PPG and APG leaders Giannis (32.7 PPG) and Trae (12.2 APG) lead Hawks vs. Bucks
🏆 The two best teams in the West and the two best defenses in the NBA meet in Rockets vs. Thunder

The Knockout Rounds continue TODAY with the semi-finals… pic.twitter.com/5O4BhmzSRH

– NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2024

The Rockets advanced to the semifinals with a thrilling 91-90 win over the Golden State Warriors in the quarterfinals. Houston got off to an impressive start, but allowed the Warriors to mount a comeback in the second half, giving Golden State a one-point lead after a 32-24 third quarter. However, the Rockets prevailed and secured the win.

Alperen Sengun was Houston’s standout player with 26 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Jalen Green contributed with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Fred VanVleet recorded eight points and seven assists.

Meanwhile, the Thunder secured their spot with a 118-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks, successfully thwarting the Luka duo Dončić and Kyrie Irving. Oklahoma City’s strong starts in the first and second quarters, including a dominant 33-19 third quarter, provided enough margin to seal the victory.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way again, continuing his MVP season with 39 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Jalen Williams posted 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while the defensive efforts of Cason Wallace and Luguentz Dort proved crucial in slowing Dallas’ star duo. Wallace and Dort will likely have their hands full again against Green and VanVleet.

The Rockets are expected to lean on Sengun, who has been their standout player throughout the NBA Cup, averaging 20.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. However, he has to keep up with the physicality of Isaiah Hartenstein and Williams up front. Dillon Brooks was also a key contributor for Houston, averaging 16.8 points per game in the NBA Cup, and could play a crucial defensive role.

The Thunder will lean on Gilgeous-Alexander, who ranks third in NBA scoring with 32.2 points per game, behind only Nikola Jokic and De’Aaron Fox. Defensive play will also be crucial, with Wallace and Dort tasked with slowing down Houston’s backcourt. If they can limit Green and VanVleet, Oklahoma City will be well-positioned to reach the Finals.