The San Antonio Spurs held off the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday, Dec. 10 in a 132-119 victory in the final game of the NBA Cup quarterfinals. San Antonio had seven different players reach double figures in scoring, but guard Stephon Castle posted a 30-point double-double with 10 rebounds and 6 assists.

But one thing that hasn't been lost among NBA players is the grand prize. The winner will see each player paid $530K. The runner-up will see each player paid $212K. The semifinal losers will see each player paid $106K.

While the NBA Cup is all about teaching an inexperienced Orlando Magic how to win now that we’ve reached the knockout stages, there’s some coin to be had too. E

A big day awaits in Las Vegas before the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday plus what to know for Friday's slate of games.

"There's a little added juice to it knowing what's at stake. If you win, you move on and try to win something," one player said.

Not only did Tuesday night's 117-108 loss to the Orlando Magic at Kia Center mark the Heat's fourth straight loss and fifth loss in the past six games, but it also ended the Heat's NBA Cup run before it could advance to the in-season tournament's final four in Las Vegas.

The NBA and Nike will host the third edition of the Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic Showcase in Las Vegas as part of the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals and Championship from Dec. 12-14.

The Cup is becoming more popular in its third iteration. The league announced that viewership on Amazon Prime, NBC/Peacock and ESPN broadcasts of this year’s group-play games was up 90 percent from last year. Amazon was primarily the home for primetime NBA Cup action, and it did a great job engaging fans.