Emirates NBA Cup 2026

Group Play schedule for Emirates NBA Cup 2026 revealed

The Group Play phase of the in-season competition features 60 games beginning on Oct. 30 and concluding on Nov. 27.

Brian Martin, for NBA.com

The NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster – which began Tuesday with the unveiling of the American Express NBA Tip-Off and NBA on Christmas Day slates – continues with the reveal of the full Emirates NBA Cup Group Play schedule.

The fourth-annual in-season competition tips off on Oct. 30 with the first of five straight Friday Group Play doubleheaders on Prime Video. Of the 60 total Group Play games, 15 will be broadcast across Prime Video, NBC and ESPN, including a Thanksgiving Eve tripleheader on ESPN, before concluding with a Black Friday doubleheader on Prime.

Fri., Oct. 30: Group Play opener doubleheader on Prime

  • New York at Philadelphia (East Group B) — 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State (West Group C) — 10 p.m. ET

The 2026 Emirates NBA Cup begins with the reigning NBA Cup and NBA champion New York Knicks visiting LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers in a rematch of their season-opening matchup on Oct. 20. In the second half of the doubleheader, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves lead the Lakers into the Bay Area to take on Steph Curry, Draymond Green and the Warriors for the second time in the early season.

Fri., Nov. 6: Cup Night doubleheader on Prime

  • Philadelphia at Cleveland (East Group B) — 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Portland at Los Angeles Lakers (West Group C) — 10 p.m. ET

Group Play continues the following Friday with another Cup Night doubleheader, beginning with James returning to Cleveland for the first time since joining the Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason. James is 20-6 against his former team, including a 9-4 mark at Rocket Arena, where he has averaged 29.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 13 games as a visitor. The doubleheader concludes with the Lakers hosting the new-look Trail Blazers, who will have Ja Morant playing alongside a returning Damian Lillard.

Fri., Nov. 13: Cup Night doubleheader on Prime

  • New York at Indiana (East Group B) — 7 p.m. ET
  • Golden State at San Antonio (West Group C) — 9:30 p.m. ET

The storied rivalry between the Knicks and Pacers — who have clashed nine times in the playoffs, most recently in 2024 and 2025 — will face off in the Emirates NBA Cup for the first time in the opening game of this Cup Night doubleheader on Prime. Then, it is Steph Curry and the Warriors visiting Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, who finished as the NBA Cup runners-up a year ago.

Fri., Nov. 20: Cup Night doubleheader on Prime

  • Toronto at Detroit (East Group A) — 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Houston at Denver (West Group A) — 10 p.m. ET

Last season, the Raptors went unbeaten in Group Play before falling to the eventual Cup champion Knicks in the quarterfinals. As they try to make another run toward the Knockouts, they will face a Pistons squad that finished first in the East last season with their first 60-win campaign in two decades. That matchup is followed by a clash of versatile big men as Houston’s Alperen Sengun squares off with Denver’s Nikola Jokić.

Tue., Nov. 24: NBA Cup doubleheader on NBC

  • Boston at Washington (East Group C) — 8 p.m. ET
  • Dallas at Denver (West Group A) — 10 p.m. ET

The new-look Wizards — with a roster that features three No. 1 overall picks in AJ Dybantsa (2026), Anthony Davis (2012) and Deandre Ayton (2018), along with three more top-six picks in Trae Young, Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson — host Jayson Tatum and the Celtics to tip off NBC’s sole NBA Cup doubleheader. In the nightcap, another No. 1 overall pick — reigning Kia Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg — leads the Mavs into Denver to face arguably the greatest No. 41 pick ever in Jokić.

Wed., Nov. 25: NBA Cup tripleheader on ESPN

  • Miami at Philadelphia (East Group B) — 5 p.m. ET
  • Minnesota at Oklahoma City (West Group B) — 7:30 p.m. ET
  • San Antonio at Portland (West Group C) — 10 p.m. ET

Many of the biggest names to change teams in the offseason — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant — highlight a Thanksgiving Eve feast on ESPN with a tripleheader of Emirates NBA Cup action.

The action begins in Philadelphia with the Heat visiting the Sixers in a matchup of two Play-In teams a season ago that have visions of championship contention after adding some star power to their rosters in the offseason with Antetokounmpo in Miami and James and Brown in Philly.

Each of the final two games of the tripleheader features one team from last year’s Western Conference Finals taking on a new-look squad as the Thunder host Ball, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, followed by the Spurs hosting Morant, Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers.

Fri., Nov. 27: Group Play finale doubleheader on Prime

  • Miami at New York (East Group B) — 7 p.m. ET
  • Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio (West Group C) — 9:30 p.m. ET

The Group Play phase of the tournament closes with a Black Friday doubleheader on Prime Video featuring each of last year’s NBA Cup finalists at home. The action begins with Antetokounmpo leading the Heat into Madison Square Garden to face reigning NBA Cup and NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and the Knicks.

Finally, Dončić leads the Lakers into San Antonio to take on Wembanyama and the Spurs, who are still seeking their first Emirates NBA Cup after finishing as runners-up a year ago.

Dec. 4 – Dec. 11: NBA Cup Knockout Rounds

Eight teams will advance from Group Play to the single-elimination Knockout Rounds. The Quarterfinals (Fri., Dec. 4 and Sat., Dec. 5) and Semifinals (Tues., Dec. 8 and/or Wed., Dec. 9) will take place in NBA team markets before the tournament concludes with the Emirates NBA Cup Championship on Friday, Dec. 11 at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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