By Eric Nehm, Rebecca Tauber, Tobias Bass, Anthony Slater, Fred Katz and Kelly Iko

The stage is set. The Houston Rockets joined the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks as the fourth team to advance to the NBA Cup semifinals, defeating the Golden State Warriors 91-90 on Wednesday night.

The day before was that thunder knocked off Dallas Mavericks118-104 while the Bucks were on top Orlando Magic, 114-109.

The semifinals take place on Saturday in Las Vegas. Here’s the latest and why every remaining team has a chance.

Rockets 91, Warriors 90

The Warriors and Rockets exchanged blows in Houston on Wednesday It was a hard-fought fourth quarter with the Rockets trailing for most of the period. With tThe Rockets caught up in the comeback 15 games Losing streak against Golden State.

Houston was led by Alperen Şengün, who finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds And five assists. It was his 17th double-double of the season, ranking fifth on the season N.B.A.

Third-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. also scored 15 points, including three three-pointers.

After the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr reversed the decision to call the Warriors a loose-ball foul with 3.5 seconds left, saying it was “unconscionable.”

Steve Kerr called the loose ball foul that tied the game with 3.5 seconds left an “outrageous” whistle and something an “elementary school” official wouldn’t have called.

Here’s his full soundbite pic.twitter.com/E9O8Inurcl

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 12, 2024

How the Rockets could win the NBA Cup

Why not Houston?

As the Rockets showed on Wednesday night, any opponent who steps on the floor with them can expect 48 minutes of pain. Houston forced a whopping 21 turnovers from a Golden State team that normally takes care of the basketball (12th in turnover percentage). Dillon Brooks, as arrogant and unpredictable a defenseman as he may be, is the emotional compass for a franchise that has tremendous length and versatility – and is just the tip of the iceberg. Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Smith Jr. – and Jalen Green, who made the game-winning defensive play – have fully embraced Ime Udoka’s physical, powerful basketball style.

If the Rockets have an Achilles heel, it continues to be their outside shooting. Houston made just six of 27 3s against Golden State and in mid-December remains A bottom 10 Outdoor shooting team. This is part of an ongoing offensive identity crisis and maybe someday pull your head back.

But as long as the Rockets continue to defend at a high level and overwhelm teams in transition, a knockout contest suits their product on the court, even if the number of shots doesn’t decrease evenly. — Kelly Iko, NBA staff writer

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Hawks 108, Knicks 100

The New York Knicks led at halftime, but the Atlanta Hawks outscored them 34-18 in the third period and took a nine-point lead into the fourth period. The Hawks maintained the lead thanks to star guard Trae Young, who led all scorers with 22 points and 11 assists and five rebounds. This was Young’s 18th double-double of the season, tied for fourth in the NBA with Denver’s Nikola Jokić.

Rising star Jalen Johnson also finished the game with a double-double for Atlanta, contributing 21 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.

The Hawks travel to Las Vegas to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.

How the Hawks won the NBA Cup

Why couldn’t the Hawks keep winning?

They have won seven of their last eight. Five of those victories came against winning teams. Two of them outperformed the league’s top team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Another result came from the group they will face in the NBA Cup semifinals, a 119-104 win over the Bucks in Milwaukee.

Especially when the Hawks play like they have lately, this roster makes sense. Young didn’t take any shots all season, but he changed his shooting profile and was one of the game’s best passers. The role players around him can either shoot or defend – or both. Dyson Daniels has become one of the scariest defenders in the world. He consumed Jalen Brunson on Wednesday night.

Their long wings and forewings line the perimeter. It’s not just Daniels. There’s Johnson, who’s a better creator than ever, and De’Andre Hunter, who’s having a career year. There’s No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, who isn’t hitting 3s yet but is already a long-time, active defender.

The Hawks play fast. They chase lobs. Sometimes the offense isn’t as strong as it should be. Their biggest flaw is getting ripped from beyond the 3-point arc. Especially because Young isn’t hitting jumpers this season, the Hawks’ offense can get boring. On the other hand, they allow way too many easy threes.

But this version of the Hawks is on the rise and hopes to get their guys some money in the process. —Fred Katz, NBA national writer

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In Oklahoma City on Tuesday, all five of the Thunder’s starters scored more than 10 points, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s game-high 39 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.

The Mavericks’ stars had quiet nights; Luka Dončić finished the game with 16 points and Kyrie Irving with 17. Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall led Dallas with 19 points each.

There was a moment midway through the fourth quarter where Dallas scored 12 straight points to bring the score to eight, but OKC’s defense and role players finished the job.

The Thunder face the Houston Rockets on Saturday.

How Thunder won the NBA Cup

Midway through the Cup semifinals, the Thunder should be considered slight favorites to win in Las Vegas next week. Of the six remaining teams, OKC has its best season at 19-5. The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are already eliminated from the East, and the Thunder just dismantled a Mavericks team that entered the NBA as the hottest team riding a seven-game winning streak.

The stats for the star guards: Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with 39 points on 15 of 23 shooting. Dončić scored his 16 points on 5 of 15 shots. The Thunder have plenty of defensive options to offer Dončić, ranging from Lu Dort as the primary pit bull to newly signed Alex Caruso off the bench. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault also doubled up Dončić a ton, and Isaiah Hartenstein added an extra layer of protection on the back end, even without the injured Chet Holmgren, who watched from the sidelines with crutches while he rehabilitated a broken hip.

It won’t be an easy road for the Thunder. The Warriors and Rockets handed OKC two of its five losses this season. The Rockets have a stronger wave of athletic defenders to use against Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Warriors employ Steph Curry, who has made a handful of heart-stopping shots for the Thunder franchise in his storied career. — Anthony Slater, senior NBA writer

Dollar 114, Magic 109

In Milwaukee, the Bucks and Magic traded the lead in the fourth quarter and the game came down to the final minute. Damian Lillard hit a 3-pointer to make it 106:106. A layup gave the Bucks the lead, and a foul by Orlando gave Milwaukee possession; a series of free throws followed.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 37 points and had four blocks and seven rebounds. Lillard scored 28 points and Bobby Portis Jr. added 22.

The Magic pushed the Bucks all game, with Jalen Suggs scoring a career-high 32. It is worth remembering that Orlando is missing two of its best players due to injuries: Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero.

But the Bucks will travel to Las Vegas to play the Atlanta Hawks.

How Milwaukee won the NBA Cup

Despite their difficult start to the season, the Bucks are a good team. Since November 1st, a date that marks the loss of their terrible first five games, the Bucks are eighth in offensive rating and 16th in defensive rating, according to Cleaning the Glass.

With Antetokounmpo and Lillard, they have the most dangerous duo in the league. On a choppy night, Antetokounmpo still scored 37 points and seven rebounds. He averages 32.7 points per game and 11.4 rebounds and six assists per game. Lillard hit two key shots to lead the Bucks past the Magic and is averaging 25.8 points and 7.6 assists per game. Additionally, they added Khris Middleton three games ago; He has made an immediate impact when coming off the bench in just 20 minutes per game.

But they’re not perfect. They’ve already lost by double digits to both teams they could face in the semifinals, and the Hawks and Knicks have the guard play that can best stress Milwaukee’s defense. Trae Young and Jalen Brunson are capable of having big nights and sending the Bucks home early. — Eric Nehm, Bucks senior writer

Required reading

(Photo by Alperen Shengun: Logan Riely/Imagn Images)