Six of the eight teams that advanced to the NBA Cup quarterfinals are in the knockout round of the tournament for the first time.

Only the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks made it back to the final eight from last year's set of quarterfinalists.

The Knicks will see an old foe in Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks in the quarterfinals, while the Bucks will take on the Orlando Magic.

Over in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are matched up with the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors visit the Houston Rockets.

The quarterfinals take place on December 10 and 11. The four winners will advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas on December 14. The championship game is in Las Vegas on December 17.

New NBA Cup Winner to Be Crowned

Both of the 2023 NBA Cup finalists did not make it out of the group stage in 2024.

The Los Angeles Lakers went 2-2 in West Group B, while the Indiana Pacers finished last in East Group B with an 0-4 mark.

Milwaukee and New York are the only teams to repeat as quarterfinal participants. The Bucks beat the Knicks 146-122 in the quarterfinal round last season.

The Bucks ended up losing to the Pacers in the semifinals, but they are officially the only team left in the field with experience past the final eight.

Of course, there's plenty of playoff-winning experience in the field in both conferences, but this isn't a best-of-seven series, it's a set of one-off games to determine the NBA Cup champion.

Trae Young Renews Rivalry with Knicks

Trae Young leads the Hawks into Madison Square Garden for the quarterfinal with the most history between teams.

Young had three 30-point performances inside MSG during the 2021 NBA Playoffs to knock the Knicks out in the first round.

Young averages 25.6 points per game in his career against the Knicks. He'll need another massive performance to take down New York on its home floor in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.

Atlanta was the surprise of the group stage in the Eastern Conference, as it beat Boston without Young and then defeated Cleveland to clinch its group title.

The Hawks are the clear underdog in their matchup with the Knicks, but they are also in the most fascinating matchup of the four because of Young's history with New York.

The Knicks will be expected to advance to Las Vegas, especially after they crushed the Magic on Tuesday to claim first place in East Group A.

Can Warriors Bank on Championship DNA to Reach Final?

Golden State has the clear advantage in championship experience among the West quarterfinalists.

The Warriors' top stars may be older, but the team has reloaded with young talent. The combination of old and young makes them a top threat to win the NBA Cup.

Golden State relied on its experience to take down the Mavericks in its West Group C opener, which turned out to be the difference-making win to capture first place.

Stephen Curry is still one of the best game-winners in the NBA. A case could be made that Curry at his best is better than any of the stars in the West knockout bracket.

Curry will definitely have the individual edge in the matchup with the Rockets. The Mavs-Thunder quarterfinal is expected to be a tight battle with the stars available on both rosters.

A run to the NBA Cup for Golden State would be a signal to the rest of the league that the Warriors might have one more championship run in them with Curry and Draymond Green at the helm.

Top 3 Teams in West All Vying for NBA Cup Title

The Warriors are a great story, but they are the worst team in the Western Conference standings among the four quarterfinals from the conference.

Oklahoma City, Houston and Dallas are first through third in the West and could be the favorites to advance to the NBA Finals by the time April rolls around.

OKC's stay at the top is even more impressive when you consider its done this without the injured Chet Holmgren.

The Thunder took down the Phoenix Suns and Lakers to finish atop West Group B without Holmgren.

Houston is the surprise of the season with the second-best record in the West, while Dallas is lingering in third after its NBA Finals appearance last season.

All three teams are capable of winning NBA Cup, and if any of them do, it will send another message to the Warriors, Nuggets, Suns and others that the West may belong to OKC, Houston or Dallas this season.