The preamble is officially over, and now, we've reached the meat of the NBA Cup. With group play in the books, the knockout stage of the cup is here. No more will games feel quite as baked into the fabric of the regular season.

Milwaukee and New York are back in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, just like they were a year ago. The other six remaining Cup contenders — Oklahoma City, Golden State, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Orlando — are heading there for the first time.

The New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the knockout phase of the NBA Cup with emphatic victories on Tuesday, the Knicks hammering Orlando 121-106 in a blowout that still allowed the Magic to grab a quarter-final berth.

Paul Millsap, 76ers Agree to New Contract Free-agent forward Paul Millsap has agreed to a (contract terms) with the Philadelphia Paul

Four-time All-Star forward Paul Millsap has officially retired, he told ESPN on Tuesday. Millsap earned all his All-Star appearances with the Atlanta Hawks (2013-17) and also was a stalwart for the Utah Jazz (2006-13) during his 16-year career.

Former Hawks and Jazz NBA All-Star Paul Millsap is reportedly retiring from the NBA following a strong career.