Six groups begin the race to the December championship
The Emirates NBA Cup returns for its fourth edition with group play beginning on October 30 in the United States, or October 31 in the Philippines. All 30 teams enter the tournament, which ends with a championship game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on December 11, local time.
The competition has six groups of five teams, split evenly between the Eastern and Western conferences. Each team plays four group games, with two at home and two away. The six group winners advance alongside two wild cards, creating an eight-team field for single-elimination quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.
East Group A brings together the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.
East Group B contains the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.
East Group C consists of the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.
West Group A pairs the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz.
West Group B includes the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies.
West Group C features the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings.
Group-play mornings in the Philippines fall on October 31 and November 7, 14, 21, 25, 26 and 28. These correspond to the league’s Friday Cup Nights and its additional Tuesday and Wednesday games during Thanksgiving week in the United States.
The opening Prime Video doubleheader starts with New York at Philadelphia at 7:30 a.m. PHT on October 31, followed by the Lakers at Golden State at 10 a.m. Those tip-offs are 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET on October 30. The broadcast designation refers to the announced U.S. schedule; Philippine access should be checked with the local service.
For time conversions, Manila is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Time on opening Cup Night. The gap increases to 13 hours for the November fixtures after the U.S. returns to standard time. A 7:30 p.m. ET start therefore becomes 8:30 a.m. PHT the next day in November.
Each conference supplies one wild card. That place goes to its best second-place group finisher. The quarterfinals are scheduled for December 4–5, with semifinals on December 8 and/or 9, all U.S. dates. Those rounds will be played in NBA team markets before the final moves to Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler University’s home arena. The championship announcement confirms December 11 in Indianapolis; its Philippine tip-off time remains to be confirmed.
Cup games also affect the regular-season race. Group games, quarterfinals and semifinals count in the standings, while the championship game does not. A group-stage loss therefore has consequences beyond the tournament, even for a team that remains in contention for a knockout place. This guide reflects the schedule and format checked on September 28, 2026.