October 30 opens in Philadelphia, where a retooled 76ers roster gets its first real test against the team that swept it out of last spring. That is how East Group B begins — and if you are trying to keep track of who plays whom, where to watch, and who actually survives a group this loaded, those are the right questions. Five teams, each plays the other four once — two at home, two on the road — between October 30 and November 27. The winner advances; the best runner-up in the East goes through as the wild card.
This is one of the six groups in the 2026 Cup, and the most top-heavy of them: the Knicks defend both the NBA Cup and the NBA title, the 76ers and Heat rebuilt around superstars this summer, Cleveland is coming off an Eastern Conference Finals run, and Indiana finally has Tyrese Haliburton back.
The Five Teams at a Glance
| Team | Seed | 2025–26 | Cup pedigree | Summer headline | Outlook in one line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks | 3 | 53–29 | 2025 champions | Core back; Drummond in, Robinson out | The team to beat |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 4 | 52–30 | Never past group play | Harden re-signed; Mitchell extended | Strong, but 0–4 vs the Knicks |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 7 | 45–37 | Never past group play | James and Brown arrived | Highest ceiling, lowest floor |
| Miami Heat | 10 | 43–39 | 2025 quarterfinal | Giannis arrived | The wild-card threat |
| Indiana Pacers | 14 | 19–63 | Runners-up 2023 | Haliburton back | Dangerous spoiler |
East Group B FAQ
Has anyone ever defended the Cup — and is this group where it starts?
No defense has ever held: one title each for the Lakers, Bucks and Knicks across three years. If New York is going to be the first, this group is where the defense begins.
Which of East Group B’s games show up in the regular-season table?
All four group games, plus any quarterfinal or semifinal a team reaches, go into the regular-season record. Only the December 11 final is kept out.
If two teams finish with the same record, who advances?
The league goes down a checklist: first the head-to-head results between the tied teams, then point differential with overtime stripped out, then total points scored (also without overtime), then last season’s record. A random draw is the last resort.
If a Group B team gets all the way through, where does it play the final?
Friday, December 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis — the final’s first stop outside Las Vegas.
Why are there no East Group B winner odds?
As of early October, the group-winner market isn’t there at all — books list only full-tournament odds. That could change closer to tip-off.
Are the Pacers worth watching after a 19-63 season?
Yes — because of one player. Tyrese Haliburton missed all of last season with a torn Achilles; he returned on October 7 at full strength. A healthy Haliburton with Pascal Siakam, plus newcomers like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ivica Zubac, makes Indiana the group’s most dangerous spoiler — exactly the team a contender does not want to face with the group on the line.
Five Stories, One Group
New York: the team defending everything
The Knicks did what no team had ever done — win the NBA Cup and the NBA championship in the same season — and then kept the band together. Jalen Brunson won Cup MVP and Finals MVP in the same year. Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart are all back. The one real loss is Mitchell Robinson, who left for Boston; Andre Drummond arrived to fill the center minutes. Mike Brown won the title in his first season on the bench, and nothing about this group suggests the hunger is gone. Their Cup run likely comes down to November 27, when Miami visits Madison Square Garden in a game that could decide first place outright.
Cleveland: the team that ran into a wall
The Cavaliers’ season was genuinely good: 52 wins, a seven-game win over Toronto, a stunning upset of the 60-win Pistons, a first conference finals since 2018. Then came a sweep at the hands of the eventual champions. The response was commitment, not panic — James Harden re-signed for three years after arriving at the deadline, and Donovan Mitchell agreed to a four-year, $273 million extension. Kenny Atkinson is back for a third season. But the Cup has never been kind to Cleveland: never past the group stage, 2-2 last year. Their November comes down to the 25th, a return trip to the Garden for an Eastern Conference Finals rematch.
Philadelphia: the summer’s boldest experiment
No team changed more. Out went Paul George — traded to Boston for Jaylen Brown — and eventually GM Daryl Morey, fired in May. In came LeBron James on a two-year deal, Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons, with ex-Cavs GM Mike Gansey now running the front office. The upside is a superteam; the risks are just as obvious — a brand-new roster, and Joel Embiid played only 38 games last season. Nick Nurse, in year four, has never survived November. Philadelphia had a strange spring: they came back from 3-1 against Boston, then got swept by New York — the 2003 Pistons are the only other team to suffer both in one postseason. Their group fate likely turns on November 25, when Miami visits on ESPN.
Miami: the Giannis relocation
The Heat missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019, losing a play-in overtime heartbreaker to Charlotte. Then June changed everything: Giannis Antetokounmpo arrived from Milwaukee with Bobby Portis, at the cost of Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and a pile of draft picks. Klay Thompson followed in August. A Giannis–Bam Adebayo frontcourt with Erik Spoelstra — starting his 19th season — coaching it is the kind of thing that keeps the other four teams up at night. Miami already proved it takes this tournament seriously, reaching the quarterfinals as last year’s East wild card. Their closing stretch — at Philadelphia on November 25, at New York on November 27 — is the hardest two-game run any team faces in group play.
Indiana: the return
Last season was the worst in franchise history, and it had one cause: Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals and missed the entire year. On September 28 he announced he was 100 percent with no restrictions; on October 7 he played his first game in 472 days. Around him: Pascal Siakam, the deadline steal of Ivica Zubac, and newcomers Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr., with Rick Carlisle opening his sixth season. The 2023 Cup runners-up feel like a different franchise, but a healthy Haliburton makes Indiana the most dangerous spoiler in the tournament. Their moment is November 27, when Philadelphia visits Indianapolis on closing night.
The Road Through November
Each team plays four games — two at home, two on the road (how the home-and-away split works). Here is the group in order, with what is actually at stake each night. The full 60-game tournament schedule covers the other five groups.
Friday, October 30 — opening night
Knicks at 76ers, 7:30 PM ET, Prime Video. The group tips off with a heavyweight opener: the defending champions walk into Philadelphia to face the league’s newest superteam on national TV — the first real look at James and Brown in 76ers uniforms. Pacers at Heat, 8:00 PM ET, League Pass. Haliburton’s first Cup game since the injury, on the road, against the new Giannis-era Heat.
Friday, November 6 — the first test
76ers at Cavaliers, 7:30 PM ET, Prime Video. Cleveland swept the season series 4-0 against Philadelphia last year. If the new-look Sixers want to be taken seriously as group winners, this is the road game that proves it.
Friday, November 13 — the stars align
Knicks at Pacers, 7:00 PM ET, Prime Video. Haliburton’s first Cup home game comes against the champions — Indianapolis will be loud. Cavaliers at Heat, 8:00 PM ET, League Pass. The Mitchell–Harden backcourt gets its first look at the Giannis–Adebayo frontcourt.
Friday, November 20 — the quiet night
Pacers at Cavaliers, 7:30 PM ET, League Pass. The only Group B game of the night, and exactly the kind of spot where a favorite drifts and a spoiler strikes. Cleveland cannot afford to look past it with the double-header looming.
Wednesday, November 25 — the double-header
Heat at 76ers, 5:00 PM ET, ESPN. The group’s only ESPN game and its earliest tip: Giannis in a Heat uniform against James, Brown and Embiid. Cavaliers at Knicks, 7:30 PM ET, League Pass. Ninety minutes later, the Knicks host Cleveland again at Madison Square Garden. By the end of the night, the group picture could be completely redrawn.
Friday, November 27 — closing night
Heat at Knicks, 7:00 PM ET, Prime Video. If the group is still alive, this is a straight shootout for first place on national TV. 76ers at Pacers, 7:30 PM ET, League Pass. Philadelphia cannot afford a slip in Indianapolis — the Pacers, with Haliburton back, would love nothing more than wrecking a contender’s night.
How the Group Gets Won
In a group this strong, the more dangerous scenario is finishing second: picture the Heat at 3-1 and the East wild card coming down to point differential against a 3-1 runner-up from East Group A — different opponents, one number. When teams finish level, the league checks head-to-head first, then scoring margin and total points with overtime stripped out — so a clean win beats a survival job — then last season’s record, and only then a drawing.
That overtime detail is the wrinkle most fans miss, and it shapes how these games are played: coaches chase decisive wins, and you will see it in how aggressively teams play the fourth quarter of decided games.
The group winner is not the only way through — as Miami proved last year, the East’s best runner-up also advances. In a group where the top four can all beat each other, 3-1 might again be enough for the same route. The East Group A race is the one to watch for that battle.
The pick: Knicks. They are the defending champions of everything, the core is intact, they swept both the Cavaliers and the 76ers when it mattered last spring, and the biggest games are at Madison Square Garden. Philadelphia is the closest challenger on talent — but the pieces have never played together, and Embiid’s health is a real question. Miami’s ceiling changed with Giannis, and the 2025 wild-card run shows they take November seriously. Cleveland is an excellent regular-season team with a poor Cup history. Indiana plays the spoiler.
The winners take home more than half a million dollars per player — the full NBA Cup prize money breakdown shows what every round is worth.
2026 NBA Cup Title Odds
Lower numbers mean the bookmakers think a team is more likely to win the whole tournament. Don’t confuse these with NBA championship odds — that’s a separate market.
| Team | DraftKings (Jul 21, 2026) | BetMGM (Sep 23, 2026) | bet365 (Aug 18, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks | +1300 | +1400 | +1200 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +2200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +3000 | +3500 | outside top 10 |
| Miami Heat | +3000 | +3500 | +3500 |
| Indiana Pacers | +4500 | +5000 | outside top 10 |
Notice how much Philadelphia moved: +2200 in July, +1200 by September. The market keeps warming to the James–Brown experiment.
Watching and Tickets
Four games air on Prime Video: Knicks at 76ers (Oct 30), 76ers at Cavaliers (Nov 6), Knicks at Pacers (Nov 13) and Heat at Knicks (Nov 27). One is on ESPN: Heat at 76ers on November 25 at 5:00 PM ET. The other five are on NBA League Pass — check blackout rules if you live near a team. The knockout rounds are exclusively on Prime Video. The NBA Cup streaming guide covers every viewing option, and here is where to buy NBA Cup tickets if you would rather be in the building — Madison Square Garden on November 25 or 27 is the obvious pick.
Rosters, Coaches and Staff
Every name below appears on the team’s official roster page. Positions are the official labels from each page — a dash means no number was shown. The Pacers list four staffers with no role title shown; the 76ers list no trainer.
| Team | Head Coach | Assistant Coaches | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knicks | Mike Brown | Chris Jent, Brendan O’Connor, Mark Bryant, Rick Brunson, Darren Erman, TJ Saint, Riccardo Fois, Charles Allen, Maurice Cheeks | Roger Hinds, Anthony Goenaga |
| Cavaliers | Kenny Atkinson | Johnnie Bryant (associate), Mike Gerrity, Trevor Hendry, Omar Cook, Nate Reinking, Jawad Williams, Andrew Olson | Stephen Spiro |
| 76ers | Nick Nurse | Rico Hines, Doug West, Matt Brase, Bryan Gates | — |
| Heat | Erik Spoelstra | Chris Quinn (associate), Malik Allen, Caron Butler, Octavio De La Grana, Eric Glass, Wayne Ellington, Dan Bisaccio, Vin Baker | Wes Brown |
| Pacers | Rick Carlisle | Lloyd Pierce (lead), Jim Boylen, Jenny Boucek, Maurice Baker, Isaac Yacob, Jannero Pargo | Josh Corbeil |
| New York Knicks | ||
| Player | # | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| Jaden Akins | — | G |
| Jordan Clarkson | 00 | G |
| Andre Drummond | 0 | C |
| Miles McBride | 2 | G |
| Josh Hart | 3 | G |
| Pacome Dadiet | 4 | F |
| Jose Alvarado | 5 | G |
| OG Anunoby | 8 | FG |
| Kevin McCullar Jr. | 9 | G |
| Bruce Brown | 11 | GF |
| Jalen Brunson | 11 | G |
| James Wiseman | 11 | C |
| Tony Bradley | 13 | CF |
| Tyler Kolek | 13 | G |
| Drew Eubanks | 17 | FC |
| Mikal Bridges | 25 | GF |
| Ochai Agbaji | 30 | G |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 32 | CF |
| Landry Shamet | 44 | G |
| Mohamed Diawara | 51 | F |
| Tyler Nickel | 55 | F |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| Rashaun Agee | — | — |
| Zack Austin | — | G |
| Kadary Richmond | — | G |
| James Harden | 1 | G |
| Curtis Jones | 1 | G |
| Thomas Bryant | 3 | CF |
| Evan Mobley | 4 | C |
| Sam Merrill | 5 | G |
| Peyton Watson | 8 | G |
| Craig Porter Jr. | 9 | G |
| Riley Minix | 12 | F |
| Meleek Thomas | 15 | G |
| Khalifa Diop | 18 | C |
| Jaylon Tyson | 20 | GF |
| Tristan Enaruna | 21 | F |
| Tyrese Proctor | 24 | G |
| Jarrett Allen | 31 | C |
| Mario Hezonja | 33 | FG |
| Nae’Qwan Tomlin | 35 | F |
| Donovan Mitchell | 45 | G |
| Ernest Udeh Jr. | 88 | C |
| Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| LaBaron Philon Jr. | 00 | Guard |
| Tyrese Maxey | 0 | Guard |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 1 | Guard-Forward |
| Anfernee Simons | 5 | Guard |
| Jaylen Brown | 7 | Guard-Forward |
| Caleb Love | 9 | Guard |
| Justin Edwards | 11 | Forward |
| Rayan Rupert | 12 | Guard-Forward |
| Joel Embiid | 21 | Center |
| Lebron James | 23 | Forward |
| Dominick Barlow | 25 | Forward |
| Adem Bona | 30 | Forward-Center |
| Jabari Walker | 33 | Forward |
| Dean Wade | 45 | Forward-Center |
| Ariel Hukporti | 55 | Center |
| VJ Edgecombe | 77 | Guard |
| Miami Heat | ||
| Simone Fontecchio | 0 | FORWARD |
| Davion Mitchell | 2 | GUARD |
| Ryan Conwell | 4 | GUARD |
| Nikola Jović | 5 | FORWARD |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 7 | FORWARD |
| Nick Richards | 8 | CENTER |
| Pelle Larsson | 9 | GUARD |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 10 | GUARD |
| Klay Thompson | 11 | GUARD-FORWARD |
| Dru Smith | 12 | GUARD |
| Bam Adebayo | 13 | CENTER-FORWARD |
| J’Vonne Hadley | 14 | FORWARD |
| Myron Gardner | 15 | FORWARD |
| Keshad Johnson | 16 | FORWARD |
| Bez Mbeng | 19 | GUARD |
| Ian Schieffelin | 20 | FORWARD |
| Andrew Wiggins | 22 | FORWARD |
| Tre Donaldson | 24 | GUARD |
| Lester Quiñones | 25 | GUARD |
| Vladislav Goldin | 50 | CENTER |
| Bobby Portis Jr. | 95 | FORWARD |
| Indiana Pacers | ||
| Keba Keita | — | C |
| Rienk Mast | — | C |
| Tyrese Haliburton | 0 | G |
| Obi Toppin | 1 | F |
| Andrew Nembhard | 2 | GF |
| Braden Smith | 3 | G |
| Jarace Walker | 5 | F |
| T.J. McConnell | 9 | G |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | 10 | FG |
| Johnny Furphy | 12 | G |
| James Johnson | 16 | F |
| Jalen Slawson | 18 | F |
| Larry Nance Jr. | 22 | FC |
| Aaron Nesmith | 23 | GF |
| Kobe Brown | 24 | F |
| Ben Sheppard | 26 | G |
| Quenton Jackson | 29 | G |
| Jay Huff | 32 | C |
| Ivica Zubac | 40 | C |
| Pascal Siakam | 43 | F |
One note on Philadelphia: the team’s page also lists Trendon Watford (#12) and Johni Broome (#22) in its featured-players carousel, while the main roster grid does not. The 16 names in the table are the main roster grid; the carousel names are extra.
Key 2026 NBA Cup Dates
- Group play: October 30 – November 27, 2026
- Quarterfinals: December 4-5 (team markets)
- Semifinals: December 8 (team markets)
- Championship: December 11, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis (Prime Video)
Group membership, rosters, positions, staff and the schedule above were checked against official team pages on nba.com; records, playoff results, odds and transactions come from secondary reporting. Updated October 9, 2026. For the rest of the tournament, the nbacuplive.com homepage has every group, the full schedule and the knockout bracket.