NBA Cup 2025: Raptors become first team to clinch knockout round, Cooper Flagg posts career-high 29 points

The 2025 NBA Cup will see eight teams play in the upcoming knockout round. We now know who one of them will be.

The Toronto Raptors became the first team to clinch the next round of NBA Cup play on Friday, via a dominant 140-110 win over the Washington Wizards. The win improved their record in group play to 3-0, with an East-best plus-53 point differential.

Having already beat the second-place Cleveland Cavaliers, who are now 2-1, the Raptors clinched Group A of the East. Every win was by double digits.

Friday’s game saw Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Sandro Mamukelashvili all score between 23 and 24 points against the Wizards, who hold the worst record in the NBA at 1-14. Immanual Quickley also chipped in 17 points and seven assists. 

There basically wasn’t a facet of basketball where the Wizards were better than them during the night. The win is also Toronto’s sixth overall and 10th in their past 11 games, after a 1-4 start.

In the West, the Dallas Mavericks stayed alive with a 118-115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, via a career night from Cooper Flagg.

The 18-year-old posted a career-high 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting, plus 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. It was as comfortable as he’s looked since the beginning of the season, and he did it with the Mavericks still short-handed.

The Mavericks are still a longshot to emerge from group play at 1-2 and score differential, but the team’s bigger goal this season is developing Flagg at this point. Which made Friday a good day for them.

The biggest howler of the night belonged to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were leading the Phoenix Suns by eight points with 50 seconds left in the game. The rest of the night didn’t exactly go their way.

Here are how the next 10 possessions ended:

• Royce O’Neale putback lay-up

• Anthony Edwards turnover

• Jordan Goodwin 3-pointer

• Julius Randle turnover

• Jordan Goodwin layup

• Julius Randle turnover

• Ryan Dunn offensive foul

• Anthony Edwards misses both free throws

• Collin Gillespie jump shot

• Julius Randle misses 3-pointer

It was a brilliant game for Anthony Edwards up to that point, with 41 points, but there’s no redeeming an ending like that.

“We lost out minds. Poor execution,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said after the game. “Just didn’t stay locked in for the last 90 seconds.”

The loss is a costly one for Minnesota tournament-wise. Previously in first place in Group A of the Western Conference, the T-Wolves fell into third place behind the Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder, who took care of business and then some against the Utah Jazz. 

Dunk of the night

Attempted dunk of the night

Assist of the night

NBA Cup Night 4 scoreboard

NBA Cup standings

East Group A

• Toronto Raptors (3-0, +53)

• Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1, +34)

• Atlanta Hawks (1-1, +8)

• Indiana Pacers (0-2, -31)

• Washington Wizards (0-2, -63)

East Group B

• Detroit Pistons (2-0, +27)

• Orlando Magic (2-0, +20)

• Brooklyn Nets (1-2, -17)

• Boston Celtics (1-2, -20)

• Philadelphia 76ers (0-2, -10)

East Group C

• Milwaukee Bucks (2-0, +16)

• Miami Heat (2-1, +46)

• New York Knicks (1-1, -2)

• Chicago Bulls (1-2, -42)

• Charlotte Hornets (0-2, -18)

West Group A

• Oklahoma City Thunder (2-0, +63)

• Phoenix Suns (2-0, +23)

• Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1, +53)

• Sacramento Kings (0-2, -45)

• Utah Jazz (0-3, -94)

West Group B

• Los Angeles Lakers (2-0 +19)

• Los Angeles Clippers (2-0, +2)

• Memphis Grizzlies (1-1, +9)

• Dallas Mavericks (1-2, -13)

• New Orleans Pelicans (0-3, -17)

West Group C

• Denver Nuggets (2-1, +26)

• San Antonio Spurs (1-1, +10)

• Portland Trail Blazers (2-1, -18)

• Golden State Warriors (1-2, -28)

• Houston Rockets (1-2, +10)