The NBA Cup is back on the floor tonight, Friday, November 13, with nine group-play games and several of them already shaping who reaches the December knockout rounds. Cleveland at Miami, New York at Indiana and Golden State at San Antonio carry the most weight, and Oklahoma City at the LA Clippers sits right behind them.
Nine NBA Cup group games tip off Friday, November 13, from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET. Eight teams reach the knockout rounds: the six group winners plus one wild card per conference. The championship game is Friday, December 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
How teams reach the NBA Cup knockout rounds
All 30 teams sit in six groups of five, three per conference, and each team plays its four group opponents once, according to NBA.com. The top team in each group advances. The last two spots go to wild cards, one per conference: the second-place team with the best group record.
Ties inside a group are settled in this order: head-to-head record, group point differential, total group points scored, 2025-26 regular-season record, then a random drawing. Overtime points are left out of the point differential, and an overtime game counts as zero. With only four games each, a single blowout can decide a group.
Friday NBA Cup games and group records
Records below come from the results of the October 30 and November 6 games, as of November 13, 2026. The schedule is per ESPN.
| Time (ET) | Game | Group | Cup record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic | East A | Bucks 0-1, Magic 1-0 |
| 7:00 p.m. | New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers | East B | Knicks 0-1, Pacers 0-1 |
| 8:00 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat | East B | Cavaliers 1-0, Heat 1-0 |
| 8:00 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls | East C | Hawks 1-0, Bulls 0-1 |
| 8:00 p.m. | Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans | West B | Grizzlies 0-1, Pelicans 0-1 |
| 8:30 p.m. | Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets | West A | Jazz 0-1, Rockets 0-1 |
| 9:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs | West C | Warriors 1-0, Spurs 1-0 |
| 10:00 p.m. | Portland Trail Blazers at Sacramento Kings | West C | Blazers 0-1, Kings 0-1 |
| 10:30 p.m. | Oklahoma City Thunder at LA Clippers | West B | Thunder 1-0, Clippers 0-1 |
The games that move the standings
Cavaliers at Heat is a clean 1-0 versus 1-0 meeting in East B. Cleveland beat Philadelphia 119-95 on November 6, and Miami beat Indiana 145-125 on October 30. The winner takes the head-to-head tiebreaker over the other, which matters in a group where each team plays only four games.
Knicks at Pacers is the opposite case: both teams are 0-1 after losing to the 76ers (98-93) and the Heat. The loser will need help to reach even the wild-card race.
Warriors at Spurs matches the West C leaders. Golden State beat the Lakers 112-95 and San Antonio beat Sacramento 124-109. Only one of them can leave tonight with a perfect record.
Thunder at Clippers closes the night. Oklahoma City is 1-0 after a 128-97 win over Memphis, but Minnesota is already 2-0 in West B with wins of 127-101 over the Clippers and 115-109 over New Orleans. The Thunder and Timberwolves have not met yet, so that game will decide a lot.
Early Cup results worth knowing
The largest margin so far is Boston 119, Charlotte 80, a 39-point win that leaves the Celtics 2-0 in East C. The highest-scoring game was Atlanta 139, Washington 132, a combined 271 points, one more than Miami-Indiana. Dallas is also 2-0 in West A, with wins over Houston (116-111) and Utah (112-100). For the wider league picture, see our NBA Week 3 in review. Scores via Land of Basketball.
What comes next
Group play continues on November 20, then November 24 and 25, and finishes November 27. Quarterfinals are played at the higher seed on December 4 and 5, and semifinals on December 8 and/or 9. Counting down to the final is easy with the tool below.
Keep learning
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- NBA MVP ladder, Week 2
- Wembanyama scores 52 with 24 rebounds and 8 blocks
FAQ
How many teams advance from NBA Cup group play?
Eight. The six group winners advance, plus one wild card from each conference.
How are NBA Cup group ties broken?
First by head-to-head record, then group point differential, then total points scored, then 2025-26 regular-season record, and finally a random drawing.
When is the 2026 NBA Cup final?
Friday, December 11, 2026 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, after quarterfinals on December 4 and 5 and semifinals on December 8 and/or 9.
Sources
- NBA.com: NBA Cup 101
- ESPN: 2026 NBA Cup schedule, format and updates
- Yahoo Sports: NBA Cup 2026 schedule, groups and format
- Land of Basketball: 2026 NBA Cup scores