The NBA’s in-season tournament is back for a fourth year, and the group stage is nearly finished. Here is how the Emirates NBA Cup 2026 works, and when the knockout rounds take place.
How the Emirates NBA Cup works
All 30 teams are split into six groups of five, with three groups in each conference. Each team plays one game against each of the four other teams in its group on special “Cup Nights”. Group Play runs from 30 October to 27 November 2026, and each team has two home games and two road games.
Who reaches the knockout rounds?
Eight teams advance: the six group winners, plus one wild card from each conference. The wild card is the team with the best record in Group Play among the teams that finished second in their group. Tiebreakers are applied within groups before the wild cards are decided.
Knockout dates
- Quarter-finals: Friday 4 and Saturday 5 December, played at home arenas.
- Semi-finals: Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 December, played at home arenas.
- Championship: Friday 11 December at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The final moves this year from Las Vegas to Hinkle Fieldhouse, a historic college arena.
Do the games count in the standings?
Yes. Every game except the championship counts toward the 82-game regular season, which means the quarter-finals and semi-finals also count. A team that reaches the final will play 83 games, but the title game does not count in the standings or in individual statistics.
What happens to the other teams?
The 22 teams that miss the knockout rounds play two regular-season games on the days when the Cup games are not scheduled, one at home and one on the road against another eliminated team.
Prize pool and awards
Players on the teams that reach the knockout rounds share a prize pool, with the amount increasing the further a team goes. A media panel selects the MVP of the competition and the All-Tournament Team after the final.
Where to watch
All knockout games stream on Prime Video in the United States. A broadcaster for India was not confirmed in the sources we found, so check the NBA’s official listings. Games usually fall in the early hours of the morning in India.
Defending champions
The New York Knicks are the defending champions. They also became the first team to win both the NBA Cup and the NBA Finals in the same season. For more basketball coverage, visit our NBA section.