Lakers open Cup title defense Nov. 15 against Spurs. Thompson returns to Golden State on Nov. 12

NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers’ defense of the NBA Cup title will begin on Nov. 15 in San Antonio against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, and Klay Thompson will be back at Golden State — as a visitor with Dallas — on Nov. 12.

The NBA released the schedule of the group play games on Tuesday, with those contests getting played on a series of Tuesdays and Fridays starting Nov. 12 and ending Dec. 3. Each team was assigned to a five-team group and plays the other four clubs in that group once.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers went 7-0 in the tournament last season — when it was simply called the In-Season Tournament — and beat the Indiana Pacers in the final in Las Vegas. The semifinals and finals return to Las Vegas this year, with the semis on Dec. 14 and the title game on Dec. 17.

The NBA Cup will provide some obvious storylines. Among them: Thompson going back to Golden State, where he helped the Warriors win four titles, after joining the Mavericks this summer. And then the Lakers open defense of the Cup title, it’ll be a game where James and Davis face Wembanyama again after helping the U.S. beat France in the gold-medal game at the Paris Olympics.

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Almost all of the games for the 2024-25 NBA season will be released Thursday. All games in the NBA Cup will count in the regular-season standings except for the title game in Las Vegas; that would be an 83rd game for both of those teams, which doesn’t fit into an 82-game season.

Teams will get schedules Thursday with 80 games on them. Every team will play two more, either in the playoffs of the NBA Cup or in games scheduled between teams that did not make the tournament quarterfinals. And those teams that lose in the quarterfinals will meet for what essentially becomes the 82nd game on their schedule for the coming season.

NBA Cup format

There will be 60 group-stage games in all — eight games on Nov. 12, then 12 on Nov. 15, six on Nov. 19, eight on Nov. 22, five on Nov. 26, 10 on Nov. 29 and the final 11 on Dec. 3.

Each NBA team will play four designated group play games — one game against each opponent in its group, with two games at home and two games on the road. The four group winners will make the quarterfinals, along with one wild-card team from each conference. That wild-card club will be the best second-place team from each conference.

East Group A

Nov. 12: New York at Philadelphia; Charlotte at Orlando.

Nov. 15: Brooklyn at New York; Philadelphia at Orlando.

Nov. 19: Charlotte at Brooklyn.

Nov. 22: Brooklyn at Philadelphia.

Nov. 29: New York at Charlotte; Orlando at Brooklyn.

Dec. 3: Philadelphia at Charlotte; Orlando at New York.

East Group B

Nov. 12: Miami at Detroit; Toronto at Milwaukee.

Nov. 15: Miami at Indiana; Detroit at Toronto.

Nov. 22: Indiana at Milwaukee.

Nov. 26: Milwaukee at Miami.

Nov. 29: Toronto at Miami; Detroit at Indiana.

Dec. 3: Milwaukee at Detroit; Indiana at Toronto.

East Group C

Nov. 12: Atlanta at Boston.

Nov. 15: Chicago at Cleveland; Washington at Atlanta.

Nov. 19: Cleveland at Boston.

Nov. 22: Atlanta at Chicago; Boston at Washington.

Nov. 26: Chicago at Washington.

Nov. 29: Boston at Chicago; Cleveland at Atlanta.

Dec. 3: Washington at Cleveland.

West Group A

Nov. 12: Minnesota at Portland.

Nov. 15: Minnesota at Sacramento; L.A. Clippers at Houston.

Nov. 22: Sacramento at L.A. Clippers; Portland at Houston.

Nov. 26: Houston at Minnesota.

Nov. 29: L.A. Clippers at Minnesota; Sacramento at Portland.

Dec. 3: Houston at Sacramento; Portland at L.A. Clippers.

West Group B

Nov. 12: Phoenix at Utah.

Nov. 15: L.A. Lakers at San Antonio; Phoenix at Oklahoma City.

Nov. 19: Oklahoma City at San Antonio; Utah at L.A. Lakers.

Nov. 26: L.A. Lakers at Phoenix; San Antonio at Utah.

Nov. 29: Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers.

Dec. 3: Utah at Oklahoma City; San Antonio at Phoenix.

West Group C

Nov. 12: Dallas at Golden State.

Nov. 15: Denver at New Orleans; Memphis at Golden State.

Nov. 19: Denver at Memphis; New Orleans at Dallas.

Nov. 22: Dallas at Denver; Golden State at New Orleans.

Nov. 29: New Orleans at Memphis.

Dec. 3: Memphis at Dallas; Golden State at Denver.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA