NBA Cup 2026 Fixtures: Key Dates and Biggest Games to Watch
The 2026 Emirates NBA Cup schedule is out, with the fourth edition of the NBA’s in-season tournament beginning on October 30 and culminating with the Championship game on December 11.
Group Play will feature 60 games between October 30 and November 27, before eight teams advance to the single-elimination Knockout Rounds.
NBA Cup 2026 key dates
The tournament begins with an immediate heavyweight doubleheader on Friday, October 30.
Defending NBA Cup and NBA champions the New York Knicks travel to Philadelphia to face LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the 76ers, before the Los Angeles Lakers visit Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. A dream early doors match up.
Another notable date comes on November 6, when James returns to Cleveland with Philadelphia. The four-time MVP has a 20-6 career record against his former team.
On November 13, the Knicks visit the Indiana Pacers before Golden State travel to San Antonio for a meeting between Curry's Warriors and Victor Wembanyama's Spurs.
Nikola Jokic is also involved in two standout fixtures. Denver host Houston and Alperen Sengun on November 20, followed by Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks visiting the Nuggets on November 24.
Thanksgiving Eve brings a three-game slate on November 25, including Giannis Antetokounmpo's Miami Heat against Philadelphia, Minnesota at Oklahoma City and San Antonio against Portland.
Group Play finishes on November 27, with Miami visiting New York and the Lakers travelling to San Antonio.
The quarter-finals follow on December 4 and 5, with the semi-finals scheduled for December 8 and/or 9. The NBA Cup Championship takes place on December 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
How the Knicks won the 2025 NBA Cup
New York enter this year's competition as defending champions after beating the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 in last season's final in Las Vegas.
The Knicks defeated Toronto 117-101 in the quarter-finals before beating Orlando 132-120 in the semi-finals. They then overturned an 11-point second-half deficit against San Antonio, closing the final on a 43-21 run.
OG Anunoby led New York with 28 points in the final, while Jalen Brunson added 25 points and eight assists. Brunson was named NBA Cup MVP after averaging 33.2 points across his six appearances in the tournament.
With the Knicks now defending both the NBA title and NBA Cup, their October 30 opener against Philadelphia provides a fitting start to another packed tournament.
