The Emirates NBA Cup is in full swing, and the final Cup Nights are coming up. Here is a guide to the six groups, the remaining dates and how teams reach the knockout rounds. For the knockout schedule and the final, see our full format guide.
The six groups
- East Group A: Pistons, Raptors, Magic, Bucks, Nets.
- East Group B: Knicks, Cavaliers, 76ers, Heat, Pacers.
- East Group C: Hawks, Celtics, Bulls, Hornets, Wizards.
- West Group A: Nuggets, Rockets, Suns, Mavericks, Jazz.
- West Group B: Thunder, Timberwolves, Clippers, Pelicans, Grizzlies.
- West Group C: Spurs, Lakers, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Kings.
Group Play dates
Group Play runs from 30 October to 27 November, on seven dates: 30 October, and 6, 13, 20, 24, 25 and 27 November. Cup Nights fall on every Friday, with extra Cup Nights on Tuesday, 24 November and Wednesday, 25 November. The only games played on Cup Nights are Group Play games, and there are 60 in all.
What is still to come
With Friday, 13 November played, the remaining Cup Nights are 20, 24, 25 and 27 November. Each team plays four group games, and every game counts toward the 82-game regular season. The Knicks, for example, opened with a 98-93 loss to the 76ers on the first night.
Who goes through
Eight teams reach the knockout rounds: the six group winners, plus one wild card from each conference. Our guide to the Emirates NBA Cup 2026 format explains how the wild cards are chosen and how the knockout rounds work.
The knockout dates
The quarter-finals are on 4 and 5 December, and the semi-finals follow on 8 and 9 December. The championship is on Friday, 11 December at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. From this season, the higher-seeded team in each conference hosts the semi-finals.
TV and streaming
The Group Play schedule includes 15 national games on Prime Video, NBC and Peacock, and ESPN. The 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 channels and League Pass.
Timings in India
Many Cup Night games start in the early evening in the United States, which means the early hours of the morning in India. India is 10.5 hours ahead of Eastern Time in late November, so a 7:30 pm ET tip-off falls at 6:00 am IST the next day.
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