Here's everything to know heading into the knockout rounds: Miami Heat at Orlando Magic, 6 p.m. ET New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors, 8:30 p.m. ET Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:30 p.m. ET San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET

According to NBA.com's John Schuhmann, the Rockets have the easiest schedule in December.

The field is set for the NBA Cup's eight-team tournament. Among the competitors is the OKC Thunder, which won Group A of the Western Conference with a perfect record of 4-0 in group play. It'll host the Phoenix Suns in the quarterfinals at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 10.

The Rockets have the league’s easiest December schedule regarding cumulative opponent winning percentage (.405), though it includes two games against Denver. They were the only team that, prior to Sunday, hadn’t played a back-to-back. Their first was a Nov. 30-Dec. 1 back-to-back in Utah, and their first rest-disadvantage game isn’t until Jan. 16.

Dec. 9 How they got here: Orlando clinched East Group B and the No. 1 overall seed with a win over Detroit on Friday. That Pistons loss, plus a Cavaliers loss, opened the door and Miami walked through it to advance as the Wild Card with a 3-1 record.

For the first time since the event started three years ago, the Heat have qualified for the knockout round of the NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament.

The NBA knows you can't get too much of a good thing. Shortly after the Pacers beat the Washington Wizards 119-86 in a matchup of the teams with the two worst records in the league, it was announced the teams will play again in Indianapolis on Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.

NBA Black Friday matchup schedules for all games. Here is all the information you must know to enjoy all the nail-biting games.

WASHINGTON – The Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers blocks from the White House last week served with CIA-backed "zero units" in Afghanistan, paramilitary groups that carried out secret raids against suspected terrorists and U.S. enemies as part of the CIA's counterterrorism program.