NBA Cup 2025 Top Storylines for Tuesday's Quarterfinals Bracket

The quarterfinals of the 2025 NBA Cup take place Tuesday night, with the unstoppable Oklahoma City Thunder and star-studded Los Angeles Lakers among the teams vying to advance to the semifinals for a chance to hoist the hardware on Tuesday, December 16.

Ahead of the four games slated for this round of competition, what are some of the top storylines to track?

Find out with this preview of the action.

Can LeBron Win His Second NBA Cup?

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LeBron James missed the early part of this season while dealing with sciatica but the face of the NBA has a chance to make history with the Los Angeles Lakers by becoming the first team to win the NBA Cup twice.

James and Co. won the inaugural tournament in 2023 and with the current incarnation of the Lakers among the hottest teams in the league and second in the Western Conference, they have the potential to emerge form the tournament with the hardware.

Since his return, James has averaged 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.6 assists and in Sunday's 112-108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the future Hall of Famer fired off 10 points down the stretch to win the game.

Their opponents in the quarterfinals, the San Antonio Spurs, are the underdogs of the tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals despite the absence of star big man Victor Wembanyama. The team has won three of its last four but momentum or not, it will be difficult for them to overcome the offensive the Lakers are likely to present.

They had no answer for Luka Dončić in their first meeting as he finished the game with 35 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds. The Lakers did not have James available for that game.

While it remains to be unseen if the Lakers can earn their second cup, they should advance to the semifinals, where one of the most dominant teams in NBA history could be waiting for them.

Oklahoma City's Historic Dominance

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The Oklahoma City Thunder are off to a 23-1 start and are knocking on the door of history, just one win away from tying the 2015-16 Golden State Warrior's unprecedented start through 25 games.

The team has been so dominant that defending league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has sat in more fourth quarters than he has played and it is winning despite a number of stars missing time due to injury.

The Canadian-born point guard is averaging 32.8 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.4 assists.

The Thunder have steamrolled the league thus far and look like the favorite to win the NBA title, becoming the first team to repeat since the Warriors in 2018.

The Phoenix Suns await the Thunder and, despite strong play from Devin Booker (25 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists) and Dillon Brooks (22.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists), the outcome feels almost inevitable.

An upset would be massive and cut the Thunder's momentum off, all while announcing to the world that the Suns, at 14-10 are a player in the West.

While that scenario is unlikely, that is why they play the games.

Raptors Playing Meaningful Ball

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The Toronto Raptors, at a surprising 15-10 through the early part of the season, have the opportunity to play meaningful, high-stakes basketball for the first time in three seasons Tuesday night in their quarterfinal match-up against the New York Knicks.

The one-two punch of Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes has the team performing well above expectations, with an opportunity to shock the world with a win over the Knicks, who entered the season as a favorite in the Eastern Conference.

Ingram and Barnes average over 20 points a night while the latter leads the team in rebounds (8), steals (1.4), and assists (1.6). RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are also we heavy contributors, averaging 30 minutes a game in 2025.

The team benefits from facing a Knicks team that has gone 3-6 on the road and may be without Karl-Anthony Towns for the match-up. New York does get back OG Anunoby, though, and the 28-year-old is all too familiar with the Raptors.

The Raptors have limped into the quarterfinals, losing three straight. Still, this is the team's highest-profile game in years and a chance to establish the type of team it is going to be in 2025.