Klay Thompson to return to Golden State in NBA Cup opener

Aug 14, 2024, 8:06 AM

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 16: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors walks off the cou...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Sactown Sports

The first night of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup will feature guard Klay Thompson, now with the Dallas Mavericks, facing the host Golden State Warriors, with whom he spent the past 13 seasons and won four league championships.

The game is the second of a doubleheader on Nov. 12, when the league tips off the second year of its in-season tournament, now branded as the Emirates NBA Cup.

The NBA on Tuesday released its complete game schedule and national television slate for group play, with the full 2024-25 regular-season schedule to be announced on Thursday.

The first Cup Night (TNT) opens with the Philadelphia 76ers hosting the New York Knicks, followed by Mavericks at Warriors.

Klay returns to the Bay on Nov. 12 👀 pic.twitter.com/4Kox7p0X2Q

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 13, 2024

The defending NBA Cup champion Los Angeles Lakers visit the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 15 (ESPN), followed that night by the Memphis Grizzlies at the Warriors.

As with last year’s competition, teams were randomly drawn into six groups of five for a single round robin of two home and two road games. The seeding was based on win-loss records from the 2023-24 regular season.

Group play games will take place across four Tuesdays (Nov. 12, Nov. 19, Nov. 26 and Dec. 3) and three Fridays (Nov. 15, Nov. 22 and Nov. 29).

TNT and ESPN will combine to air 14 games and NBA TV will televise three games in this first stage of the Emirates NBA Cup.

The quarterfinals of the single-elimination knockout bracket will be played Dec. 10 and 11. Then the tournament will shift from NBA team markets to Las Vegas, where T-Mobile Arena (home of the NHL’s Golden Knights) will host the semifinals on Dec. 14 and the championship game on Dec. 17.

The groups are below, with teams listed by seed number:

Western Conference

Group A: 1. Minnesota, 2. Los Angeles Clippers, 3. Sacramento, 4. Houston, 5 Portland

Group B: 1. Oklahoma City, 2. Phoenix, 3. Los Angeles Lakers, 4. Utah, 5. San Antonio

Group C: 1. Denver, 2. Dallas, 3. New Orleans, 4. Golden State, 5. Memphis

Eastern Conference

Group A: 1. New York, 2. Orlando, 3. Philadelphia, 4. Brooklyn, 5. Charlotte

Group B: 1. Milwaukee, 2. Indiana, 3. Miami, 4. Toronto, 5. Detroit

Group C: 1. Boston, 2. Cleveland, 3. Chicago, 4. Atlanta, 5. Washington

–Field Level Media

When is the next Sacramento Kings offseason date of interest?

The dog days of the NBA offseason have arrived.

Sacramento will continue to look to add to its roster before players report for training camp at the end of September. The Kings currently have some open roster spots that general manager Monte McNair will have to fill in the coming weeks and months.

Be sure to stay locked into Sactown Sports for all of your Sacramento Kings news on player signings, trades, game recaps, and more for the upcoming season.