The NBA Cup knockout rounds have arrived, presenting an opportunity for one team to claim some early supremacy in the 2025-26 season. And the field is fascinating, particularly in the West, where three of the Top 5 teams in the conference – including the top two in the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers – will try to win some hardware. And it is those Thunder, winners of 15 consecutive games, who remain on historic pace and have a very real chance to challenge the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors' NBA record for most wins in a season (74). Not every top team is still competing for the NBA Cup, however, including the best team in the Eastern Conference – both in the standings and in USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings, which you can view at the 🔗 in our bio. #NBA #ThunderUp #LakeShow #Detroitbasketball #MileHighBasketball #AllFire