Adam Silver’s brainchild is back in its element for the third straight year, returning to its fitting home with just four teams left standing from the original 30. Las Vegas is once again the stop before the final climb, setting the stage for a win-or-go-home showdown ahead of the championship.

The Emirates NBA Cup semifinals are finally here, bringing two very different stories to the same floor.

In the East, the Knicks and Magic arrive with familiarity and form. Orlando has navigated one of the conference’s tougher early schedules and still sits in the top four, despite Paolo Banchero missing most of their NBA Cup group games and Franz Wagner now sidelined by a high ankle sprain. The Magic are unbeaten in NBA Cup play and have already taken two of three meetings against New York.

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