The 2026 Emirates NBA Cup rules is not a knockoff of the regular season, it's simply a tournament atop the regular season games: Group games count double for both the Emirates NBA Cup and regular season, with the exception of the Championship game, which still counts for regular season only. Each team is in with no choice and for the first time the quarterfinals and semifinals are held away from home at team arenas.
This will explain all the rules from start to finish, if you don't know which games count, what kind of tiebreakers are there, how exactly a team qualifies for the wild card or what the prize money looks like.
In one line: Each of the two conferences consists of three five-team divisions, each team plays a four-game round robin for regular season points, top three teams in each conference plus one wild card move on to a single-elimination bracket that culminates in a championship played in a neutral location. Each rule is covered in the sections below.
The Cup won't be played on top of any games that teams were already booked in the regular season – it's all from games that teams are already booked to play, and a shorter knockout bracket is added on top after group stage finishes.
The 15 teams in each conference are broken down into five groups of three based on their final 2025-26 regular season record, with one team from each group being randomly selected to go into each of the conference's three groups to ensure a mix of all levels among the groups rather than a matchup sheet handcrafted by the administration.
| Conference | Group A | Group B | Group C |
| West | Nuggets, Rockets, Suns, Mavericks, Jazz | Thunder, Timberwolves, Clippers, Pelicans, Grizzlies | Spurs, Lakers, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Kings |
| East | Pistons, Raptors, Magic, Bucks, Nets | Knicks, Cavaliers, 76ers, Heat, Pacers | Celtics, Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Wizards |
Each group is split into four teams, with each team facing two home and two road matches against the other teams in their group this week during the October 30 to November 27 period. Group games are standard NBA games—rules, standards on the court, box score that is incorporated into a player's season statistics. With the exception of these four games, the Cup standings use these four games to decide group winners and the wild card, in addition to the regular-season table.
Teams are all one conference, with no cross-conference games in the group play stage, and only if the two finalists cross-conference in the title game.
The four team matches during the group stage mean that ties occur frequently. They are broken in the following order in the league:
There's one caveat: overtime isn't counted in either tiebreakers, the point-differential or total points. An overtime game is considered to be a zero differential for that game, and points that are scored in the OT period will not count towards either tiebreaker.
Three of the groups — six overall — are advanced to the automatic winner stage. The fourth place in each conference is held by the wild card, which in each conference is the highest ranked second place (or better) non-group winner by group-play record. Each conference has a four team knockout field for a total of eight teams.
For two teams deadlocked for the wild card, the league uses the same tie breaker order above, except that the head-to-head record is not used, as the teams in the tie were not necessarily in the same group, and may not have played each other in group play.
After the 8 teams are prepared, it is single elimination, meaning the first team to lose the Cup run is out. No best of series for any knockout round.
The largest 2026 rule change is that quarters and semifinals will be played at team markets, thus reintroducing home-court advantage for the first two knockout rounds. The championship is the only one to be played at a neutral venue.
Losing a knockout game has no effect on a team's regular season record and the team's playoff seeding remain unaffected as the only game not included in the standings is the final game of the knockout which counts for the championship.
Yes, but for one thing. All group stage games, quarter-final and semi-final match-ups carry a team's regular season points and playoff seeding, just like the rest of the night's games. The only game in the whole tournament that doesn't matter to either of the two finalists in terms of their regular season record is the championship final -- it's a game really for standings only, even though the trophy, MVP and player bonuses are real.
This is a scheduling quirk that is linked to this: teams are marked for just 80 of their 82 regular-season games. The 22 teams that lose their group games have two more (home and away) added on after the group play and the four teams that lose their conference quarterfinal games play one more game against each other to make 82. If two players go on to be finalists, they play 83 games for the season as the championship game does not count.
Games of the round of the group-stage and those in the knockout stage are played on courts marked with the tournament logo and not a team's home floor, which in most cases is a fully painted design that reflects the team's “Statement” edition uniform. Unlike other nights, a visual distinction is made between Home and Association teams with the Association team wearing their Association Edition uniforms while the Home team wear their Statement Edition uniforms for Cup games. It is a cosmetic addition to the rules and not a rule change.
The bonus pool in knockout rounds is divided amongst the players, depending on the amount of rounds their team makes it to, and the payouts grow in most years of the league's CBA. The recent past is a guide to the future:
| Round | 2023 (debut) | 2024 | 2025 |
| Quarterfinal loser | $50,000 | $51,497 | ~$53,000 (est.) |
| Semifinal loser | $100,000 | $102,994 | ~$106,000 (est.) |
| Runner-up | $200,000 | $205,988 | ~$212,000 (est.) |
| Champion | $500,000 | $514,970 | ~$530,000 |
As I write this (Oct 29, 2026), the league has not yet officially come out with 2026 stats, but they are usually finalized nearer to the knockout rounds in December. A media panel also awards the NBA Cup MVP and All-Tournament Team based on the group stage and knockout performances, apart from any bonus money. The Cup is not a playoff spot — it's a trophy and separate bonus pool.
When I don't win in the knock-out rounds, doesn't that affect my season?
No — a knockout round defeat only finishes that team's quest for the Cup trophy. All wins they had, whether in the group stage or knockout stage, will be included in the regular-season record.
Why do games have 'TBD' dates before December on my team's schedule?
This is because being one of the teams to advance to the knockout rounds is only determined after the group play is concluded on November 27, and is not a scheduling mistake.
Are the six groups hand picked by the league?
No. Teams previously ranked in the order of the seeding list are placed in pots, and then a random draw takes place, seeding teams into their groups according to the order in which they appear on the list.
Does the Cup Final indicate that it is one of the League's best?
No, not always — a four-game group-stage sample is small enough to allow a team a hot streak or a good group draw to go further than its overall quality, which is the same for a full season.
When the rules become clear, the games are simple to bet on, provided the player is bet by a site that is licensed to accept bets from players from the Philippines. Sports OKBet does just that.
The 2026 Emirates NBA Cup rules come down to one thing: the tournament features a short group stage with double points, a wild card for the top runner-up, a knockout stage with quarterfinals and semifinals in team buildings before a neutral-site championship — for the first time ever. When you understand which games count and how the tournament tiebreakers and wild card truly operate, the tournament—and the wagering—seems a lot easier. Look at live NBA Cup odds at Sports OKBet and wager on the format through a platform that is licensed for Philippine bettors.
All group games count double — for the regular season, the conference, and for Cup standings — and the top 3 teams of each conference and one wild card compete in a single elimination bracket to a neutral-site final, the only game that does not count toward the regular season.
Head-to-head record in group play, then point differential (overtime not included), then total points scored (overtime not included), then record in the previous season, then random draw.
The fourth knockout is awarded to the best non-group-winner of group play in each conference, in the same order of tiebreakers but without head-to-head.
No — that's new for 2026. Rounds are now played at host home court of the higher seed. The championship only remains at a neutral venue.
Yes, with the exception of the championship final. Regular season games and playoff games (group stage, quarter finals and semifinals) all count as regular season games.
The champion's per-player bonus has risen from $500,000 in 2023 to $514,970 in 2024 to roughly $530,000 in 2025; the league has not yet published official 2026 figures.
