NBA Cup Quarterfinals: Full Analysis + Week 8 Fantasy Fallout & Wednesday Streaming Guide
The NBA Cup single-elimination round opened with two competitive matchups that shed light on which teams are trending toward Las Vegas and what decisions fantasy basketball managers need to make midway through Week 8.
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Here’s a full breakdown of Orlando, Miami, New York and Toronto, followed by updated streaming recommendations for Wednesday’s Cup schedule.
Announcement
Orlando Magic: 5 starters in double figures help they punch their ticket to Las Vegas
Orlando shook off a 15-0 start against Miami and responded with one of its most complete team efforts of the season. Led by Desmond Bane’s 37 points and Jalen Suggs’ tenacity and grit, all Magic starters scored at least 10 points. As a team, they connected on 46% of their 3s in a 117-108 win over the Heat.
Desmond Bane: 37 points with 6 rebounds, 5 assists and six triples
Jalen suggests: 20 points with 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals
Paolo Banchero: 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block. He also shot 6 of 7 from the foul line.
Wendell Carter Jr.: 14 points with 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block
Antonio Nero: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 stocks
Black earned another start with Franz Wagner out, playing 34 minutes. Even on an inefficient night in which he shot 5-of-15 from the field, he has a catch in all formats while Wagner remains out.
Announcement
Fantasy retreats for Saturday: Tristan da Silva had 11 points and 7 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench, making him a strong streaming option for Saturday’s two games. Goga Bitadze also did his duty in a few minutes, scoring 7 points with 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Miami Heat: A hot start cooled by a 3-point variance and a slow third quarter
The Heat dominated the first quarter, but the Magic slowly made a dent, closing the gap in the second and third quarters to finally take control of the game. Miami dominated the court (60 points) and limited turnovers (8), but shooting 8 of 33 from 3 made the difference.
Norman Powell: 21 points with 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals
Tyler Herro: 20 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
Bam Adebayo: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal
Andrew Wiggins: 19 points with 2 actions
David Mitchell: 11 points with 2 rebounds, 9 assists and 1 steal
Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 10 points with 3 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench, but the most concerning aspect of the Heat’s performance was Kel’el Ware’s nothing burger. He scored 4 points with 6 rebounds and was -15 in 12 minutes of action. It may have a tendency towards abandoned territory.
Announcement
New York Knicks: Brunson is a problem, but the New York supporting cast also comes out
Brunson scored a season-high 26 points in the first half, ultimately finishing with 35 points (13-19 FG) with 3 rebounds, 4 dimes and six 3s. But the supporting cast also stood out. New York recorded 25 second-chance points and stifled Toronto on 43 percent shooting in a 117-101 victory.
Josh Hart: 21 points with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals
City of Charles Anthony: 14 points, 16 rebounds with 3 stocks
Mikal Bridges: 15 points with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 stocks
OG Anunoby: 13 points, 6 boards and 4 stocks
Fantasy retreats for Saturday:
Mitchel Robinson — If you need boards and defensive stats, he’s an option, but be warned: He’s currently on pace for one of the worst free-throw shooting seasons in NBA history.
Jordan Clarkson — As long as Miles McBride remains out, Clarkson is an option for teams that need points.
Toronto Raptors: Ingram danced, Shead impressed but depth diminished
The Raptors were outmatched, outmatched and outmatched beyond a pair of strong efforts from Brandon Ingram and Jamal Shead.
Brandon Ingram: 31 points with 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals
Scottie Barnes: 13 points with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals
Jakob Poeltl: 10 points with 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals
Jamal Shead established himself as the second-best Raptor of the night, finishing with 18 points, 8 assists, 4 3s, replacing Immanuel Quickley.
Announcement
Shead isn’t a streaming option for the remainder of Week 8 (TOR has no games remaining), but monitor Quickley’s availability through Monday. If Quickley sits again, Shead becomes a strong candidate right away in Week 9.
NBA Cup Schedule Update
As Orlando and New York advance to Saturday’s semifinal, Miami and Toronto won’t play again until Monday of Week 9.
Advice on imagination 👉 Immediately eliminate the fringe players of the Raptors and Heat.
Wednesday’s NBA Cup Streaming Options
There are only two games on Wednesday, so the selection is pretty limited for streaming options. Here’s how I would play for each team:
Announcement