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Tips off Fri Oct 30NBA Cup 2026: schedule, standings and how to watch every round
By The Trends Incoming team · Oct 16, 2026
The Emirates NBA Cup is back for year four, and the final has a brand new home: Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the legendary gym from Hoosiers. Group Play starts Friday, October 30, and the trophy gets handed out on Friday, December 11.
🗓️ Key dates
| Group Play (Cup Nights) | Fridays Oct 30, Nov 6, 13, 20 and 27, plus Tue Nov 24 and Wed Nov 25 |
|---|---|
| Quarterfinals | Fri Dec 4 and Sat Dec 5 (home court for the higher seed) |
| Semifinals | Tue Dec 8 and/or Wed Dec 9. Exact date not set yet. |
| Championship | Fri Dec 11, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis. Tickets and travel → |
📺 How to watch
- Group Play: each Friday's headline games are on Prime Video, the rest on NBA League Pass. Tue Nov 24 is on NBC and Peacock. Wed Nov 25 has three ESPN games.
- Quarterfinals, semifinals and the Championship: Prime Video only. No cable, no League Pass.
🏀 Cup Night schedule (times ET)
| Night | Headline games |
|---|---|
| Fri Oct 30 | Knicks at 76ers (7:30 ET) and Lakers at Warriors (10 ET) on Prime. 10 games total. |
| Fri Nov 6 | 76ers at Cavaliers (7:30 ET) and Trail Blazers at Lakers (10 ET) on Prime. 9 games. |
| Fri Nov 13 | Knicks at Pacers (7 ET) and Warriors at Spurs (9:30 ET) on Prime. 9 games. |
| Fri Nov 20 | Raptors at Pistons (7:30 ET) and Rockets at Nuggets (10 ET) on Prime. 9 games. |
| Tue Nov 24 | Celtics at Wizards (8 ET, NBC and Peacock) and Mavericks at Nuggets (10 ET, Peacock). 3 games. |
| Wed Nov 25 | Heat at 76ers (5 ET), Timberwolves at Thunder (7:30 ET) and Spurs at Trail Blazers (10 ET) on ESPN. 9 games. |
| Fri Nov 27 | Heat at Knicks (7 ET) and Lakers at Spurs (9:30 ET) on Prime. 11 games, and the last chance to qualify. |
Full game list on NBA.com. Broadcasters can change, so check the morning of.
📊 Group standings
Updating once the Cup tips off on Oct 30. Everyone is 0-0 until then. We'll refresh after every Cup Night.
East Group A
| Team | W-L |
|---|---|
| Detroit Pistons | 0-0 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 0-0 |
| Orlando Magic | 0-0 |
| Toronto Raptors | 0-0 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 0-0 |
East Group B
| Team | W-L |
|---|---|
| New York Knicks | 0-0 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 0-0 |
| Indiana Pacers | 0-0 |
| Miami Heat | 0-0 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 0-0 |
East Group C
| Team | W-L |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 0-0 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 0-0 |
| Washington Wizards | 0-0 |
| Chicago Bulls | 0-0 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 0-0 |
West Group A
| Team | W-L |
|---|---|
| Houston Rockets | 0-0 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 0-0 |
| Denver Nuggets | 0-0 |
| Phoenix Suns | 0-0 |
| Utah Jazz | 0-0 |
West Group B
| Team | W-L |
|---|---|
| LA Clippers | 0-0 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 0-0 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 0-0 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 0-0 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 0-0 |
West Group C
| Team | W-L |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 0-0 |
| Golden State Warriors | 0-0 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 0-0 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 0-0 |
| Sacramento Kings | 0-0 |
How it works in 30 seconds
Six groups of five. Four group games each. Win your group, or be the best runner-up in your conference, and you're in the final eight. Ties are broken by head-to-head, then point differential. From there it's single elimination all the way to Indy.
Quick answers
When does the NBA Cup 2026 start?
Group Play tips off Friday, October 30, 2026.
How does the NBA Cup work?
All 30 teams are split into six groups of five. Each team plays the other four in its group on Cup Nights. The three group winners in each conference plus one wild card (the best second-place team) reach the eight-team quarterfinals. Group games also count toward the regular season.
Is the NBA Cup on Prime Video?
Yes. Prime Video carries several Group Play games on Cup Nights and is the only place to watch the Knockout Rounds, including the Championship. Other Group Play games are on NBA League Pass, NBC, Peacock and ESPN.
When and where is the NBA Cup final in 2026?
Friday, December 11, 2026, at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler University's campus in Indianapolis. It's the first Cup final held outside Las Vegas.
When are the NBA Cup quarterfinals and semifinals?
Quarterfinals are December 4 and 5. Semifinals are December 8 and/or 9, with the exact date still to be set.
Dig into the conversation
Sources
By The Trends Incoming team · Fact-checked 2026-10-15. Dates change, so double-check with the official source.