The NBA Cup 2026 is underway, bringing an extra layer of competition to the opening weeks of the NBA season. All 30 teams are involved, with group play leading into knockout rounds and a championship game in December.
The tournament officially tipped off on October 30. According to the NBA, the competition will run until December 11. Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis will host the title game.
How the NBA Cup 2026 format works
The league has divided the 30 teams into six groups of five, with three groups in each conference. Every team plays four group games and faces each opponent in its group once.
Those games count toward the regular-season standings, so teams do not have to choose between chasing the Cup and protecting their normal record. However, the Cup adds extra pressure because group position and point differential can decide who advances.
The group stage runs through November 27. Teams will play the quarterfinals on December 4 and 5. The semifinals follow on December 8 and/or 9, and the championship game comes on December 11.
Why the early games matter
There is little room for error in a four-game group stage. One poor night can put a team under immediate pressure, while a strong opening performance can create an important advantage.
The opening Cup schedule includes major games such as New York against Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Lakers visiting Golden State. The tournament also gives fans another reason to watch closely before the middle of the regular season.
Beyond the competition itself, the NBA has again created special courts for Cup games. That helps give the tournament a distinct identity and makes the games easy to recognise on television.
For fixtures, results and more updates, follow the Basketball section on Ebuss Sports.
Archive photo from the 2025 NBA Cup: Daiei Onoguchi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Cropped by Ebuss Sports. Source image: Wikimedia Commons.
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