The third iteration of the Emirates NBA Cup tipped off on Halloween evening, Oct. 31 — slightly over per week after the 2025-26 NBA common season ideas off.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers gained the inaugural in-season event trophy in 2023, with James claiming the honors of event MVP. Final season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks raised their NBA Cup banner over the eventual NBA champions, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
However which crew will declare its stake over the {hardware} in Las Vegas this yr, and may it proceed that event momentum into the postseason?
This is what it is advisable to know in regards to the in-season event, together with rule modifications for this yr and the schedule.
Leap to a bit:
FAQ | Schedule | Takeaways
Can the Bulls’ shock quick begin make them Vegas?
The Chicago Bulls proceed to roll. They’re 5-0 for the primary time since Michael Jordan donned a Bulls uniform, and the Japanese Convention’s lone unbeaten crew after their victory over the New York Knicks on Friday evening to tip off the NBA Cup.
Each season, an sudden crew has began scorching and superior to Las Vegas. The Bulls may very well be that crew this season after some spectacular wins over projected playoff groups within the East — Detroit, Orlando, Atlanta and New York, which was the favourite to win this Cup group.
However Chicago has a team-first, fast-paced offense constructed on ball motion and enjoying as a unit. Chicago collected 31 assists on 45 area objectives, and 6 gamers completed in double figures.
Josh Giddey set a profession excessive with 32 factors in his finest all-around scoring efficiency since becoming a member of Chicago at first of final season. Capturing has lengthy been a gap in his recreation, however Giddey knocked down 4 3s within the first half, matching a profession excessive for any half.
The Bulls have been one of many league’s greatest surprises to start out the season, and with a press release win in opposition to a contender Friday, they may carry that momentum and play for one thing extra. — Jamal Collier
Oct. 31 video games
FAQ (by Tim Bontemps)
The NBA unveiled the six teams for the third version of its in-season event — now known as the Emirates NBA Cup. This is a take a look at all the things you may have to know in regards to the return of the competitors.
What’s the format?
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has had a long-standing fascination with European soccer. Establishing an in-season cup competitors throughout the NBA schedule got here from soccer leagues having each a regular-season title, gained by the crew with essentially the most factors over the total yr, and a separate event (or, in some leagues, a number of tournaments) that runs concurrently with the league season. In England, for instance, there are the varied divisions — led by the Premier League — and in addition the FA Cup competitors. However not like these European leagues, which play their cup competitions exterior of their league schedules, the NBA Cup is constructed into the regular-season slate. The 30 NBA groups are cut up into six five-team teams — three that includes Japanese Convention groups, and three comprising Western Convention groups — with every crew then enjoying one recreation in opposition to the opposite 4 in its group. The winner of every group, plus the crew with the most effective report among the many non-group winners, will then advance to the knockout stage of the competitors.
How will this influence the regular-season schedule and standings?
Sometimes, the NBA sends out a full 82-game schedule in mid-August. Now, the league sends out solely 80 video games and leaves a niche for roughly per week to fill in later, relying on how the group stage of the NBA Cup performs out.
The 2 groups from the East and West that lose within the quarterfinals will play their 82nd recreation in opposition to each other on one in all 4 dates: Dec. 11, 12, 14 or 15. In the meantime, the 22 groups that fail to qualify for the knockout rounds could have their last two video games scheduled — one at house and one on the highway — on Dec. 11 or 12 and 14 or 15 in opposition to others eradicated within the group stage.
The groups that attain the NBA Cup’s finale will truly play 83 video games — although the championship recreation will not rely towards the standings or any statistical markers. All 4 groups that make it to Las Vegas for the semifinals could have accomplished their 82 video games, and will not want the rest added. The extra wrinkle added to this yr’s schedule is the chance that just a few dates on the calendar might transfer round. On Dec. 8, there are presently three video games scheduled: the Sacramento Kings on the Indiana Pacers; the Phoenix Suns on the Minnesota Timberwolves; and the San Antonio Spurs on the New Orleans Pelicans. If any of these groups are enjoying within the quarterfinals, going down on Dec. 9 and 10, these video games would transfer to Dec. 7 (a choice that may be made by Nov. 29, the day after the tip of the group stage). This additionally would solely be a difficulty if one of many groups have been enjoying on Dec. 9. In the event that they’re enjoying Dec. 10, nothing will change. The opposite scheduling quirk is that there are presently eight groups — the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards — scheduled to play on Dec. 17, the day after the championship recreation in Las Vegas.
Any crew that makes it to the semifinals in Las Vegas would have that recreation moved later into the schedule to keep away from back-to-back video games. The NBA made this alteration in an effort to keep away from having empty days on the calendar whereas making an attempt to attenuate back-to-back video games for all groups as a lot as doable.
Are the semifinals and finals nonetheless being performed in Las Vegas?
For this season, sure. Subsequent yr, nonetheless, the semifinals — just like the quarterfinals — will likely be performed at house websites. Having groups go to Sin Metropolis for per week (and, extra importantly, making an attempt to get followers there for 2 video games over a number of days on quick discover) hasn’t gone the way in which the league initially believed that it will.
What’s new in regards to the event this yr?
A lot of the video games are being proven on Amazon Prime, together with the knockout rounds. The schedule can be totally on Fridays, starting on Halloween, fairly than bouncing forwards and backwards from Tuesday to Friday all through November because it did through the first two years of the event.
Why does the NBA Cup embody regular-season video games?
Earlier than its launch, one of many principal questions surrounding the in-season event was why any crew can be incentivized to compete in it. The NBA ensured groups will likely be motivated by making each recreation a part of the season — and, being in-conference, doubtlessly essential from a playoff-tiebreaker standpoint. If this had been arrange just like the cup tournaments in European soccer, there would have been nothing stopping NBA groups from opting out, actually or figuratively — sitting their high gamers for further relaxation.
What groups make up the teams?
To create the teams, the NBA put all 15 groups in every convention into 5 pots, separated by their end in final season’s standings. Pot 1 included the groups that completed 1-3 in regular-season report, groups 4-6 went into Pot 2, groups 7-9 into Pot 3, groups 10-12 into Pot 4, and groups 13-15 into Pot 5. Because of this, the next teams have been drawn:
East A: Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
East B: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers
East C: New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Warmth, Charlotte Hornets
West A: Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz
West B: Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans
West C: Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Path Blazers, San Antonio Spurs
Does one group stand out essentially the most from the others?
This one is straightforward: West Group C. Three of the highest 4 groups within the Western Convention — Houston, Denver and Golden State — are within the group, plus a Blazers crew that excelled down the stretch final season. Oh, and do not forget about Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, too. West Group B can be aggressive, however Memphis is already coping with accidents, Dallas is lacking Kyrie Irving and the Pelicans are anticipated to be nicely exterior the playoff image.
What do gamers get for successful?
In 2023, the primary yr the event was held, the gamers on the successful crew acquired $500,000 every, whereas these on the runners-up acquired $200,000. The dropping gamers of the semifinals every acquired $100,000, and people ousted within the quarterfinals every acquired $50,000. Now, in every subsequent yr, the prizes will likely be barely greater, on account of negotiated raises yr over yr to maintain tempo with will increase within the wage cap and basketball-related revenue as a part of the latest collective bargaining settlement between the NBA and the Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation.
Will anybody earn particular person honors for his or her play in NBA Cup video games?
There will likely be an MVP award, in addition to an all-tournament crew.
Will this have any influence on the playoffs?
Not past the video games counting within the regular-season standings (and towards tiebreakers). The one playoff influence comes from the wins and losses accrued all through the event. Although there was debate amongst league insiders about guaranteeing a playoff berth for successful the event, finally, that concept (or every other to additional incentivize groups) was not enacted.
Why is it known as the Emirates NBA Cup?
The league struck a sponsorship cope with Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, to sponsor the event after its preliminary run. The NBA mentioned final yr that it went with essentially the most primary titles for each the event and its trophy — the “in-season event” and “NBA Cup” — as a option to introduce the idea to followers. Nonetheless, utilizing such nondescript names had one other clear benefit: It gave the league a clean slate in case the event and cup grew to become properties it ended up promoting to a sponsor, and prevented the issues that would come up by naming them after somebody (for instance, the late NBA commissioner David Stern, one chance that had been floated earlier than the event was formally unveiled).
2025 Emirates NBA Cup schedule:
All occasions Japanese
Group Play
Oct. 31
Nov. 7
Cleveland Cavaliers at Washington Wizards, 7:00 p.m.
Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic, 7:00 p.m.
Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m.
Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 p.m. (Prime)
Toronto Raptors at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m.
Charlotte Hornets at Miami Warmth, 8:00 p.m.
Utah Jazz at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8:00 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies, 8:00 p.m.
Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:00 p.m.
Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder at Sacramento Kings, 10:00 p.m.
Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets, 10:00 p.m. (Prime)
Nov. 14
Brooklyn Nets at Orlando Magic, 7:00 p.m.
Miami Warmth at New York Knicks, 7:00 p.m. (Prime)
Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m.
Charlotte Hornets at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:00 p.m.
Portland Path Blazers at Houston Rockets, 8:00 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans, 8:00 p.m.
Sacramento Kings at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8:00 p.m.
LA Clippers at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.
Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs, 9:30 p.m. (Prime)
Nov. 21
Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:00 p.m. (Prime)
Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m.
Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m.
Miami Warmth at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.
New Orleans Pelicans at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Phoenix Suns, 9:00 p.m.
Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets, 9:30 p.m. (Prime)
Portland Path Blazers at Golden State Warriors, 10:00 p.m.
Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder at Utah Jazz, 10:00 p.m.
Nov. 25
Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards, 7:00 p.m.
Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers, 8:00 p.m. (Peacock)
LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers, 11:00 p.m. (Peacock)
Nov. 26
Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics, 5:00 p.m. (ESPN)
New York Knicks at Charlotte Hornets, 7:00 p.m.
Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Warmth, 7:30 p.m.
Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans, 8:00 p.m.
Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors, 10:00 p.m. (ESPN)
San Antonio Spurs at Portland Path Blazers, 10:00 p.m.
Phoenix Suns at Sacramento Kings, 10:00 p.m.
Nov. 28
Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets, 7:30 p.m.
Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. (Prime)
Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m.
Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m.
Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers, 7:30 p.m.
Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, 9:30 p.m.
Sacramento Kings at Utah Jazz, 9:30 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets, 9:30 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:00 p.m. (Prime)
Memphis Grizzlies at LA Clippers, 10:00 p.m.
Knockout
Dec. 9 and 10: Quarterfinals
TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)
TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)
TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)
TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)
Dec. 13: Semifinals
TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)
TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)
Dec. 16: Championship