It's time for the NBA Cup quarterfinals as four Eastern Conference teams battle on Tuesday for a spot in the semifinals.
The Orlando Magic will host their in-state rival Miami Heat before the New York Knicks take on the Toronto Raptors on the road.
Orlando is 2-0 on the season against Miami as the two sides boast identical records of 14-10. The Magic will be without their leading scorer, forward Franz Wagner, because of a high left ankle sprain he suffered on Sunday. However, after missing nearly a month with a groin injury, the Magic will have forward Paolo Banchero, who has appeared in the team's past two games.
The Heat are coming off three straight losses -- their longest stretch of the season -- and are led by guard Norman Powell's 24.8 points per game. With a revamped offense, Miami is leading the league in pace (the number of possessions per 48 minutes for a team) with 105.4 after finishing 27th last season with 97.1.
In the latter matchup, the Knicks blew the Raptors out 116-94 in their lone meeting last month. New York has won seven of its past eight and is led by 28 points per game from guard Jalen Brunson, while Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 22.5 points and 11.9 rebounds himself. Under new head coach Mike Brown, the Knicks have the third-best offensive rating (121.7) and fourth-best net rating (+8.2).
After winning nine straight games, Toronto has dropped five of its past six. Forward Brandon Ingram (21.2 points per game) and Scottie Barnes (20.0 points per game) have led the Raptors, while former Knick RJ Barrett -- who will not play because of a knee injury -- has contributed 19.4 points. The other former Knick Immanuel Quickley is averaging 16.5 points per game.
Who will advance to Las Vegas to play for a spot in the NBA Cup finals? Follow along below for live updates and highlights.
