NBA Cup 2026 Schedule: Groups, Games, Bracket and Philippine Times
NBA Cup 2026 news (October 13): The NBA unveiled custom courts for all 30 teams ahead of Group Play beginning October 30. New 2026 designs include team wordmarks, trophy marks and a championship-chase tagline. This is a presentation update, not a change to the verified schedule or standings. Official NBA announcement.
NBA Cup 2026 group-play timeline and standings status
Verified editorial update: October 15, 2026 (PHT). This dated update supplements the original report; archived results, images and previous analysis remain below.
The Emirates NBA Cup 2026 does not begin group play until October 30 in the United States (October 31 for several Philippine-time fixtures). Because games have not started, any group standings currently displayed should be described as pre-tournament / unplayed, not as real win–loss records.
| Milestone | Date (U.S. league calendar) | Editorial status |
|---|---|---|
| Start of group play | October 30, 2026 | Future fixture — no Cup group scores yet |
| End of group play | November 27, 2026 | Future competition checkpoint |
| Quarterfinals | December 4–5, 2026 | Participants not yet determined |
| Semifinals | December 8 and/or 9, 2026 | Participants not yet determined |
| Championship | December 11, 2026 | Finalists not yet determined |
Group-play results will decide bracket qualifiers, so do not prefill playoff teams in this article. The NBA says two regular-season games per team are left unassigned until Cup outcomes settle scheduling. Readers looking for the earlier NBA opening games should use the NBA opening-week schedule rather than mistaking Cup Night fixtures for season-opening games. Keep the existing groups and Philippine-time table below; check each converted tipoff against the official schedule.
Sources checked: NBA schedule and Cup format · NBA key dates. All listed future fixtures remain subject to organizer changes.
Schedule and tournament rules checked against NBA.com on October 12, 2026. All game times are Philippine Standard Time (UTC+8) unless otherwise stated.
The NBA Cup 2026 schedule opens with two exciting matchups: the New York Knicks visiting the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers facing the Golden State Warriors. Both games take place on Saturday, October 31 in Philippine time, beginning a competition in which every group-stage result could influence December's knockout bracket.
For basketball fans following the latest NBA news, match schedules and sports betting online, the Emirates NBA Cup is more than an exhibition tournament. Group-stage games count toward regular-season records, while a separate competition determines which team lifts the NBA Cup trophy.
Quick answer: The NBA Cup 2026 starts October 30 in the United States (October 31 PHT), finishes group play November 27 U.S. time (November 28 PHT), and concludes with the championship on December 11 in Indianapolis.
The NBA has confirmed six groups containing all 30 teams, 60 group-stage games and eight places in the knockout rounds.
NBA Cup 2026 Schedule: Important Dates
The NBA Cup schedule features seven group-stage Cup Nights, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship.
| Tournament stage | Official U.S. date | Philippine viewing note |
|---|---|---|
| Opening group games | October 30 | October 31 morning |
| Group Play Cup Nights | Oct. 30; Nov. 6, 13, 20, 24, 25, 27 | Generally the following morning |
| Group Play concludes | November 27 | November 28 for evening U.S. games |
| NBA Cup quarterfinals | December 4–5 | Local dates depend on tip-offs |
| NBA Cup semifinals | December 8 and/or 9 | Local dates depend on tip-offs |
| NBA Cup championship | December 11 | Exact local start time pending |
The NBA Cup will feature 60 group-stage games. After these matches, the six group winners and two wild-card teams qualify for the knockout rounds.
Unlike an ordinary basketball tournament, most NBA Cup games serve two purposes: they contribute to regular-season results and determine tournament qualification.
The NBA's 2026–27 schedule also leaves two regular-season games per team to be finalized according to Cup outcomes.
NBA Cup 2026 Opening Games: October 31 Philippine Time
The first ten games on the NBA Cup 2026 schedule will be played on October 31 in Philippine time.
Here are all ten confirmed fixtures.
| Matchup | Group | Philippine time |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards | East C | 7:00 AM |
| Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics | East C | 7:30 AM |
| Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets | East A | 7:30 AM |
| New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers | East B | 7:30 AM |
| Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors | East A | 7:30 AM |
| Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat | East B | 8:00 AM |
| Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks | West A | 8:00 AM |
| LA Clippers at Minnesota Timberwolves | West B | 8:00 AM |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors | West C | 10:00 AM |
| Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns | West A | 10:00 AM |
All fixtures above remain scheduled as of October 12, 2026. No 2026 NBA Cup group-stage results have been recorded yet.
The opening slate features familiar rivalries alongside teams hoping to make an early impact in their respective groups.
Official source: NBA group-play fixture announcement
Lakers vs Warriors NBA Cup: A Crucial West Group C Opener
Among the opening fixtures, Lakers vs Warriors NBA Cup is one of the most anticipated matchups.
The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors on October 31 at 10:00 AM PHT.
Both teams belong to West Group C, alongside the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.
That makes their opening matchup particularly important.
Each team has only four group-stage games. A victory would provide an immediate advantage, while a defeat would reduce the room for mistakes in the remaining fixtures.
However, winning this game would not automatically guarantee qualification. Both teams would still need to navigate their remaining opponents.
The real storyline is how the Lakers and Warriors perform across all four Cup games.
For additional context about early-season rotations and roster developments, see our NBA preseason 2026 new-look teams coverage.
Knicks vs 76ers NBA Cup: Can New York Defend Its Title?
The New York Knicks open their NBA Cup title defense against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 31 at 7:30 AM PHT.
New York enters the tournament as the defending champion after defeating the San Antonio Spurs 124–113 in the 2025 NBA Cup final.
The Knicks also won the 2025–26 NBA championship, making them the first franchise to capture both titles during the same season.
Their presence adds intrigue to East Group B, which also features Cleveland, Miami and Indiana.
Despite their previous success, the Knicks receive no automatic advantage in the new group-stage standings.
They must earn their place in the knockout rounds again.
Can Philadelphia deliver an opening upset? Could Cleveland or Miami challenge the defending champions for the top spot?
Those questions make East Group B worth monitoring throughout November.
NBA Cup 2026 Groups: All 30 Teams Confirmed
The NBA Cup 2026 groups consist of six pools, with five teams in each group.
Three groups represent the Eastern Conference, while three represent the Western Conference.
Each team plays four designated Cup games, facing every other team in its group once.
Eastern Conference NBA Cup Groups
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| East Group A | Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets |
| East Group B | New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers |
| East Group C | Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards |
Western Conference NBA Cup Groups
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| West Group A | Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz |
| West Group B | Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies |
| West Group C | San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings |
These are the official tournament groups, not the normal Eastern and Western Conference standings.
Teams accumulate group-stage records only through their four designated NBA Cup group play fixtures.
NBA Cup 2026 Upcoming Games in Philippine Time
The opening games are only the beginning.
Throughout November, several matchups could influence the final NBA Cup standings, qualification race and eventual knockout bracket.
Below are selected upcoming games.
| Philippine date | Match | Tip-off |
|---|---|---|
| November 7 | 76ers at Cavaliers | 8:30 AM |
| November 7 | Trail Blazers at Lakers | 11:00 AM |
| November 14 | Knicks at Pacers | 8:00 AM |
| November 14 | Warriors at Spurs | 10:30 AM |
| November 21 | Raptors at Pistons | 8:30 AM |
| November 21 | Rockets at Nuggets | 11:00 AM |
| November 25 | Celtics at Wizards | 9:00 AM |
| November 25 | Mavericks at Nuggets | 11:00 AM |
| November 26 | Heat at 76ers | 6:00 AM |
| November 26 | Spurs at Trail Blazers | 11:00 AM |
| November 28 | Heat at Knicks | 8:00 AM |
| November 28 | Lakers at Spurs | 10:30 AM |
These are selected fixtures, not the complete 60-game schedule. November times account for the U.S. daylight saving time change.
The NBA has designated November 27 in the United States as the final day of group play.
By that point, teams should have completed their four designated Cup games, allowing the league to determine which teams advance.
Three NBA Cup Groups That Could Produce the Biggest Storylines
West Group C: Lakers, Warriors and Spurs
West Group C is particularly interesting because of its combination of the Lakers, Warriors and Spurs.
The Lakers begin their tournament against Golden State and finish their group schedule against San Antonio.
If these teams remain close in the standings, the November 28 Lakers–Spurs game in Philippine time could become an important qualification showdown.
However, Portland and Sacramento should not be overlooked. Every team in the group has the same opportunity to earn a place in the knockout rounds.
The group could also influence the Western Conference wild-card race.
East Group B: The Knicks' Championship Defense
The defending champion Knicks headline East Group B.
But defending champions are not automatically given favorable positions in the NBA Cup standings.
New York faces competition from the 76ers, Cavaliers, Heat and Pacers.
In a short four-game group stage, two defeats could make qualification difficult, depending on the other results.
The final meeting between Miami and New York on November 28 PHT may become especially important if the standings remain close.
West Group A: Nuggets and Rockets Meet in Denver
West Group A features Denver, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas and Utah.
The Rockets are scheduled to visit the Nuggets on November 21 at 11:00 AM PHT.
Because only the group winner qualifies automatically, direct meetings between potential contenders could become decisive.
The final table, though, will depend on the entire four-game record rather than the result of one high-profile matchup.
These are tournament storylines based on the confirmed group draw, not guaranteed predictions of which teams will advance.
NBA Cup Standings 2026: How the Group Rankings Work
The NBA Cup standings differ from regular NBA conference standings.
While ordinary league standings reflect a team's overall season performance, the NBA Cup group tables consider only designated Cup fixtures.
Every team plays four games in its group.
As of October 12, 2026, group play has not started. There are no completed NBA Cup 2026 group-stage results and no officially qualified teams.
| NBA Cup standings category | Current status |
|---|---|
| East Group A | Awaiting first games |
| East Group B | Awaiting first games |
| East Group C | Awaiting first games |
| West Group A | Awaiting first games |
| West Group B | Awaiting first games |
| West Group C | Awaiting first games |
| Wild-card qualifiers | Not determined |
| Knockout bracket | Not determined |
Once games begin, the league will rank clubs by their results, using official tiebreaking rules when teams share the same record.
For verified updates, visit the official NBA Cup standings page.
NBA Cup Tiebreakers: Why Winning by More Points Can Matter
The NBA applies specific rules when teams finish with equal group-stage records.
The first tiebreaker is head-to-head performance.
If that does not settle the ranking, the NBA considers group-play point differential, followed by total points scored. Later criteria include the previous regular-season record and, if necessary, a random drawing.
One rule is especially interesting.
Overtime scoring is excluded from the point-differential and total-points tiebreakers.
A team's point differential for a Cup game that reaches overtime is treated as zero for those calculations, and overtime points do not increase its qualifying points total.
That means a team can win in overtime and still receive no positive point-differential advantage from that particular game.
This is one reason why understanding the NBA Cup standing rules is useful for readers following the qualification race.
A comfortable regulation victory may become important when two or more teams finish with the same record.
NBA Cup Bracket 2026: How Teams Qualify
The NBA Cup bracket will include eight teams once group play finishes.
Six positions go to the winners of the six groups.
The remaining two are wild-card places, awarded to the best second-place team in each conference under the tournament's official ranking rules.
The knockout rounds are single-elimination.
| Knockout stage | Teams competing | U.S. dates |
|---|---|---|
| NBA Cup quarterfinals | 8 | December 4–5 |
| NBA Cup semifinals | 4 | December 8 and/or 9 |
| NBA Cup championship | 2 | December 11 |
The best-performing qualifying teams receive home-court advantages in the applicable quarterfinal and semifinal games.
The championship takes place at a designated venue rather than the home arena of either finalist.
Until group play finishes, specific NBA Cup 2026 bracket matchups remain unconfirmed.
Publishing a completed bracket before qualification would be misleading.
The official pairings will depend on the final group rankings and wild-card calculations.
What Is NBA Cup? Understanding the In-Season Tournament
For readers searching what is NBA Cup, it is the NBA's annual in-season basketball tournament, previously known as the NBA In-Season Tournament.
The Emirates NBA Cup gives all 30 teams an opportunity to compete for an additional trophy during the early portion of the regular season.
The format contains two main phases: group play and knockout rounds.
Each team plays four group matches. The best eight qualifiers then compete in single-elimination games.
The tournament is separate from the NBA Playoffs, which take place after the regular season.
Do NBA Cup Games Count Toward Regular-Season Standings?
Yes, with one important exception.
NBA Cup group games, quarterfinals and semifinals count toward regular-season team records.
The championship game does not.
This means a team can improve its regular-season record while simultaneously moving toward the NBA Cup championship.
However, the tournament trophy and the eventual NBA championship are separate achievements.
For readers seeking normal season fixtures, our NBA 2026–27 opening-week schedule covers the opening games and Philippine tip-off times.
That page focuses on the regular-season opening week, while this article focuses on the NBA Cup schedule, standings and bracket.
NBA Cup Finals 2026: Date, Venue and Championship History
The NBA Cup 2026 championship will be played on December 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The historic venue is located on the Butler University campus.
Hosting the championship there gives the tournament a distinctive setting, connecting a professional basketball competition with one of American college basketball's historic venues.
The NBA has announced Prime Video as the championship streaming provider. Availability for viewers outside the United States should be checked against local broadcast rights.
An exact Philippine tip-off time for the championship has not yet been confirmed.
Source: NBA championship venue announcement
Past NBA Cup Champions and MVPs
The NBA Cup champions from the first three editions are:
| Year | Champion | Final result | NBA Cup MVP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Los Angeles Lakers | Beat Pacers 123–109 | LeBron James |
| 2024 | Milwaukee Bucks | Beat Thunder 97–81 | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
| 2025 | New York Knicks | Beat Spurs 124–113 | Jalen Brunson |
| 2026 | Not yet decided | Pending | Pending |
The NBA Cup MVP recognizes an outstanding performer from the tournament, with selections made after the competition.
This history shows how different franchises have succeeded in the short-format event.
However, previous championships do not guarantee future qualification or success.
The 2026 champion will only be known after the December final.
Where to Follow NBA Cup Games Today and Results
Once the competition begins, fans searching for NBA Cup games today should check whether a particular fixture belongs to one of the designated Cup Nights.
Not every NBA game is a tournament match.
For accurate NBA Cup 2026 results, readers should rely on the league's official schedule, box scores and tournament standings.
The NBA official schedule provides fixture information, while the NBA Cup standings focus on the tournament rankings.
Fans can also visit our NBA live scores page for broader NBA coverage.
For those following basketball odds, remember that regular-season games and tournament qualification markets can involve different conditions. Always examine how a market is settled before interpreting its prices.
NBA Cup 2026: Frequently Asked Questions
When does the NBA Cup 2026 start in the Philippines?
The first group-stage games take place on Saturday, October 31, 2026, beginning at 7:00 AM Philippine time.
What time is Lakers vs Warriors in the NBA Cup?
The Lakers visit the Warriors on October 31 at 10:00 AM PHT.
How many NBA Cup groups are there?
There are six groups containing five teams each, divided equally between the Eastern and Western Conferences.
Are NBA Cup standings available now?
As of October 12, 2026, the group stage has not started. There are no completed 2026 tournament results. Updated rankings will become available once matches begin.
How many teams qualify for the NBA Cup bracket?
Eight teams qualify: six group winners and two wild-card teams, one from each conference.
When are the NBA Cup quarterfinals?
The quarterfinals are scheduled for December 4–5, 2026, using U.S. dates.
When are the NBA Cup semifinals?
The semifinals are scheduled for December 8 and/or December 9 in U.S. time.
Who won the 2025 NBA Cup?
The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 124–113 in the 2025 championship game.
Do NBA Cup games count toward NBA standings?
Yes. Group play, quarterfinals and semifinals count toward regular-season records. The championship does not.
What happens when teams finish tied in group play?
The NBA applies tiebreakers involving head-to-head results, point differential and total points scored, with further criteria if needed. Overtime scoring is excluded from specified point-differential and scoring calculations.
Where will the NBA Cup 2026 final take place?
The championship will be held at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on December 11, 2026, in U.S. time.
What Happens Next in the NBA Cup 2026?
The NBA Cup 2026 schedule begins with high-profile matchups, but the most important storylines will develop as the six groups progress toward their final fixtures.
Can the Knicks defend their trophy? Will the Lakers or Warriors emerge from West Group C? Could a close tiebreaker determine one of the wild-card places?
Those questions will be answered by actual results rather than early predictions.
As group play continues, the most useful information will be verified scores, updated NBA Cup standings, qualification scenarios and the eventual knockout bracket.
Next planned update: After the October 31 PHT opening games, add confirmed results and group records. Continue updating the article after subsequent Cup Nights and replace pending bracket information once official qualifiers are announced.
Official NBA Sources
- NBA Cup 2026 — Official dates and full group-play schedule
- NBA Cup 2026 — All six confirmed groups
- NBA Cup 2026 — Group-play fixture announcement
- NBA Cup 101 — Tournament format and tiebreakers
- NBA Cup Championship — Hinkle Fieldhouse announcement
- NBA 2026–27 — Official regular-season schedule announcement
Responsible Sports Information
This article provides factual sports schedules and tournament information. It does not promise sports betting winnings, and readers should check official NBA updates for changes to scheduled fixtures.