Figuring out the Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Group Play schedule, and which of those games you can actually watch on national television, takes more digging than it should. The NBA’s own release is spread across nine separate storylines, and most recap coverage only mentions the primetime matchups. Below is the full NBA Cup 2026 schedule, sorted by date, with tip times and TV broadcast info in one place, so you can find what you need without scrolling through a wall of text.
Key Dates at a Glance
Group Play runs across seven “Cup Nights” between late October and late November. Here’s the full run-down before we get into the game-by-game schedule.
| Date | Day | Games | National TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 30 | Friday | 10 | Prime Video doubleheader |
| Nov. 6 | Friday | 9 | Prime Video doubleheader |
| Nov. 13 | Friday | 9 | Prime Video doubleheader |
| Nov. 20 | Friday | 9 | Prime Video doubleheader |
| Nov. 24 | Tuesday | 3 | NBC doubleheader |
| Nov. 25 | Wednesday | 9 | ESPN tripleheader (Thanksgiving Eve) |
| Nov. 27 | Friday | 11 | Prime Video doubleheader (Black Friday) |
Every team plays exactly four Group Play games — two at home and two on the road — before Group Play wraps on Nov. 27. From there, eight teams move on to the single-elimination Knockout Rounds: Quarterfinals on Dec. 4–5, Semifinals on Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9, and the Championship on Dec. 11.
Full Group Play Schedule, Date by Date
All times are Eastern. Games marked with a TV badge are on a national broadcast; every other game is available on local or League Pass coverage.
Friday, Oct. 30 — Opening Night
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers | 7:30 p.m. | Prime |
| Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards | 7:00 p.m. | — |
| Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| LA Clippers at Minnesota Timberwolves | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors | 10:00 p.m. | Prime |
| Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns | 10:00 p.m. | — |
Friday, Nov. 6
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia 76ers at Cleveland Cavaliers | 7:30 p.m. | Prime |
| Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks | 7:00 p.m. | — |
| Boston Celtics at Charlotte Hornets | 7:00 p.m. | — |
| Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Minnesota Timberwolves at New Orleans Pelicans | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers | 10:00 p.m. | Prime |
| San Antonio Spurs at Sacramento Kings | 10:00 p.m. | — |
Friday, Nov. 13
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers | 7:00 p.m. | Prime |
| Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic | 7:00 p.m. | — |
| Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets | 8:30 p.m. | — |
| Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs | 9:30 p.m. | Prime |
| Portland Trail Blazers at Sacramento Kings | 10:00 p.m. | — |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at LA Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | — |
Friday, Nov. 20
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Raptors at Detroit Pistons | 7:30 p.m. | Prime |
| Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks | 7:00 p.m. | — |
| Orlando Magic at Brooklyn Nets | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| New Orleans Pelicans at Oklahoma City Thunder | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz | 9:30 p.m. | — |
| Houston Rockets at Denver Nuggets | 10:00 p.m. | Prime |
| Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers | 10:00 p.m. | — |
Tuesday, Nov. 24
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards | 8:00 p.m. | NBC |
| Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets | 10:00 p.m. | NBC |
| Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic | 7:00 p.m. | — |
Wednesday, Nov. 25 — Thanksgiving Eve
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers | 5:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers | 10:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets | 7:00 p.m. | — |
| Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| LA Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Phoenix Suns at Houston Rockets | 8:30 p.m. | — |
| Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors | 10:00 p.m. | — |
Friday, Nov. 27 — Group Play Finale (Black Friday)
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat at New York Knicks | 7:00 p.m. | Prime |
| Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs | 9:30 p.m. | Prime |
| Milwaukee Bucks at Detroit Pistons | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Memphis Grizzlies at Minnesota Timberwolves | 8:30 p.m. | — |
| Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns | 9:00 p.m. | — |
| Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz | 9:30 p.m. | — |
| New Orleans Pelicans at LA Clippers | 9:30 p.m. | — |
| Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers | 9:30 p.m. | — |
Prefer to see your team’s four games together instead of scattered across seven dates?
Download the Printable NBA Cup Schedule (PDF)
Which Games Are on National TV?
Of the 60 Group Play games, 15 get a national broadcast. Here’s every one of them in one place, so you don’t have to hunt through the day-by-day tables above.
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 30 | Knicks at 76ers | 7:30 p.m. | Prime Video |
| Oct. 30 | Lakers at Warriors | 10:00 p.m. | Prime Video |
| Nov. 6 | 76ers at Cavaliers | 7:30 p.m. | Prime Video |
| Nov. 6 | Trail Blazers at Lakers | 10:00 p.m. | Prime Video |
| Nov. 13 | Knicks at Pacers | 7:00 p.m. | Prime Video |
| Nov. 13 | Warriors at Spurs | 9:30 p.m. | Prime Video |
| Nov. 20 | Raptors at Pistons | 7:30 p.m. | Prime Video |
| Nov. 20 | Rockets at Nuggets | 10:00 p.m. | Prime Video |
| Nov. 24 | Celtics at Wizards | 8:00 p.m. | NBC |
| Nov. 24 | Mavericks at Nuggets | 10:00 p.m. | NBC |
| Nov. 25 | Heat at 76ers | 5:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 25 | Timberwolves at Thunder | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 25 | Spurs at Trail Blazers | 10:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 27 | Heat at Knicks | 7:00 p.m. | Prime Video |
| Nov. 27 | Lakers at Spurs | 9:30 p.m. | Prime Video |
Notice a pattern: nearly every marquee window features a team that changed rosters heavily this offseason — Philadelphia, Miami and Washington all show up multiple times, largely because of where LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and AJ Dybantsa landed. If you want the storylines behind these specific matchups rather than just the times, the full Group Play matchup breakdown by group covers each team’s four games and home/away splits in detail.
What’s New in This Year’s Format
Two things are different about this year’s Knockout Rounds compared to past editions: the Semifinals no longer play out in Las Vegas, and the Championship has a new home. The Emirates NBA Cup 2026 groups page covers what changed and why in full.
How Group Play Feeds Into the Knockout Rounds
Each team plays the other four teams in its group exactly once. The winner of each of the six groups automatically advances. The seventh and eighth spots go to a “wild card” — the single best second-place team from the Eastern Conference and the single best second-place team from the Western Conference, based on overall record during Group Play.
When teams are tied at the end of Group Play, the NBA works through a fixed tiebreaker order to sort it out. The rules and format explainer lays out the full sequence, along with how it decides the wild card.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Group Play start and end?
Group Play begins Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, and concludes Friday, Nov. 27, 2026.
How many games are in Group Play?
There are 60 total Group Play games — each of the 30 teams plays four games, one against each of the other four teams in its group.
How many Group Play games are on national TV?
15 of the 60 games are nationally televised, split across Prime Video, NBC and ESPN. The rest are available through local broadcasts or League Pass.
Do Group Play games count toward the regular season?
Yes. Every Group Play, Quarterfinal and Semifinal game counts toward a team’s 82-game regular-season record. Only the Championship game does not count.
Where is the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup Championship?
The Championship is on Friday, Dec. 11, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis — the first time the final has been held outside Las Vegas since the tournament began.
How does a team qualify for the Knockout Rounds?
The winner of each of the six groups advances automatically, along with the best second-place team from each conference as a wild card, for a total of eight teams.
Head back to the nbacuplive.com homepage for past champions and how-to-watch info for every round of this year’s tournament.