With Group Play of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup tipping off Oct. 31, we’re breaking down each group as they prepare for opening night, continuing with East Group A.
East Group A features the best team in the conference during the regular season (Cleveland at 64-18) and throughout the playoffs (Indiana came up one win shy of the championship, falling to OKC in seven games).
The group also includes one team that was unable to advance out of the SoFi Play-In Tournament (Atlanta went 0-2) as well as two lottery teams in Toronto and Washington.
The Hawks had the most successful run of any team in this group during last year’s NBA Cup, finishing Group Play at 3-1 to reach the Knockout Stage, where the Hawks defeated the Knicks in the quarterfinals before falling to the eventual Cup champion Bucks in the semifinals.
The other four teams in East Group A – Cleveland (2-2), Indiana (0-4), Toronto (1-3) and Washington (0-4) – went a combined 3-13 in last year’s Group Play phase.
| TEAMS | CLE | IND | ATL | TOR | WAS | TOTAL |
| CLE | x | 1-3 | 1-2 | 4-0 | 4-0 | 10-5 (.667) |
| IND | 3-1 | x | 1-2 | 1-2 | 4-0 | 9-5 (.643) |
| ATL | 2-1 | 2-1 | x | 1-2 | 2-2 | 7-6 (.538) |
| TOR | 0-4 | 2-1 | 2-1 | x | 3-1 | 7-7 (.500) |
| WAS | 0-4 | 0-4 | 2-2 | 1-3 | x | 3-13 (.188) |
When looking at head-to-head matchups from last season between the teams in East Group A, four teams finished .500 or better. While the Cavs (10-5) and Pacers (9-5) posted the top two records in head-to-head matchups, it was the Hawks and Raptors that won the most head-to-head series with three apiece.
That suggests a level of parity within the group that should only add to the drama that comes with only one guaranteed spot in the Knockouts on the line.
East Group A includes the 2025 East Semifinals teams, the Cavaliers and Pacers, with the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year, Evan Mobley in Cleveland.
Teams breakdown
Atlanta Hawks: After competing in the Play-In for the fourth straight year, the Hawks revamped their roster in the offseason – adding Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard – as they look to break into the top six for a guaranteed playoff berth. With a returning young core featuring Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher and led by last year’s assist leader Trae Young, the Hawks are ready to make some noise. Can a run at the NBA Cup be an early statement?
Cleveland Cavaliers: After a historic regular season – a franchise-best 15-0 start, three separate 12+ game win streaks, and an East-best 64 wins – the Cavs were eliminated in the East Semis for the second straight season. Cleveland returns the bulk of its core – they lost Ty Jerome in free agency and traded Isaac Okoro to Chicago for Lonzo Ball – with eyes on a deeper playoff run. Injuries will force Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (knee) to miss the start of the season; how much will that impact a Cavs run at the Cup?
Indiana Pacers: Indiana’s magical 2025 playoff run ended in heartbreaking fashion with a Game 7 loss to OKC and the loss of star guard Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles tear during that game. Not only will the Pacers not have Haliburton for the entire season, they also lost Myles Turner in free agency and will be without TJ McConnell for at least a month, which could impact their hopes in the NBA Cup and beyond. But if last season taught us anything, it is not to count out the Pacers no matter the odds stacked against them.
Toronto Raptors: Since winning their first NBA title in 2019, the Raptors have won just one playoff series, missing the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. At last year’s trade deadline, the Raptors acquired Brandon Ingram, who has recovered from last season’s ankle injury and is ready to make his Raptors debut and help lift the franchise back into playoff contention. Will he also be able to help Toronto improve on its 1-3 record in Group Play in each of the past two years?
Washington Wizards: The Wizards enter the season with a roster mixed with established veterans like CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton alongside young talent like Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and rookie Tre Johnson. The continued development of the young core is key for Washington this season, but having vets like McCollum and Middleton will keep the Wizards competitive each night.
Luke Kennard, Kristaps Porziņģis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker join the new-look Atlanta Hawks in East Group A play.
Five games to watch
Hawks at Pacers (Friday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m. ET, League Pass): The opening game of Group Play for both teams gives us an early glimpse at the new-look lineups for both the Hawks and Pacers. Last season, Atlanta won the season series, 2-1, but all three games were decided by six points or less. Will that streak of close games continue in 2025-26?
Cavaliers at Wizards (Friday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. ET, League Pass): These teams finished on polar opposites last season – the 64-18 Cavs were first in the East, while the 18-64 Wizards were 15th. Cleveland has won 12 straight head-to-head matchups, with Washington’s last win coming on Dec. 30, 2021. Can the Wizards snap that streak and pick up an early statement win over the top team in the East last season?
Pacers at Cavaliers, (Friday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m. ET, Prime): In their run to 64 wins during the regular season, only one team beat the Cavs three times – the Pacers. Indiana followed that up by ousting the Cavs in the East Semis with a 4-1 series win, giving the Pacers a 7-2 combined record against the Cavs last season. In their first meeting since that playoff series, can the Cavs solve the Pacers or will Indy continue its dominance?
Pacers at Raptors, (Wednesday, Nov. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET, League Pass): Pascal Siakam played his first seven-plus seasons in Toronto before being traded to Indiana in January 2024. After helping the Raptors capture their first title in franchise history in 2019, he helped the Pacers reach the Finals for the first time in 25 years. Siakam returns to where his NBA career began, looking to improve on a 2-2 record in the North as a Pacer.
Cavaliers at Hawks, (Friday, Nov. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET, League Pass): Last November, the Cavs were 17-1 when they entered into a home-and-home set with the Hawks. In the span of three days, Atlanta tripled Cleveland’s loss total by winning both games by 10+ points to send the Cavs back to Cleveland at 17-3. The Hawks were one of only four teams to finish with a winning record over the Cavs last season and will look to repeat that success in this new campaign.
Prediction
The Cavaliers edge out the Hawks to win the group, with Atlanta in the mix for reaching the Knockouts via the wild card.
While Cleveland will miss Garland and Strus early in Group Play, the Cavs still have All-Stars on the roster in Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen as well as a full season with De’Andre Hunter, who was acquired at last year’s trade deadline, to keep them in competition.
Atlanta’s hopes to win the group – or reach the Knockouts via the wild card – will depend highly on how quickly they incorporate their new players and build on-court chemistry.
Meanwhile, the Pacers, Raptors and Wizards will try to make a run, but could end up playing spoiler by knocking off some of the top contenders in Group Play.
