The 2026 NBA Cup schedule is composed of group stage from Oct. 30 to Nov. 27, followed by the knockout stage culminating in the championship Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. All group-stage games are part of the normal regular season game calendar, and for the first time, both the quarter- and semi-finals are at team arenas (and not a neutral venue) only the final four remain at the neutral.
If you're wondering when you should actually watch, this is for you during group-play, during the groups, during the knockout dates, during the championship and to know where to find a list of the broadcast assignments as they're published.
In one line: The 2026 NBA Cup format will feature group stage play Oct. 30 through Nov. 27, 2026, with quarterfinals Dec. 4-5, semifinals Dec. 8-9 and the championship Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Here is the whole shape of the calendar, the parts of which are explained below.
| Phase | Date(s) | Venue |
| Group play | Oct. 30 – Nov. 27, 2026 | 60 games league-wide, home/away per normal schedule |
| Quarterfinals | Dec. 4 – 5, 2026 | Higher seed's home arena |
| Semifinals | Dec. 8 and/or 9, 2026 | Higher seed's home arena (new for 2026) |
| Championship | Dec. 11, 2026 | Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis |
Group play is divided into 6 groups of 5 teams each, with 3 groups per conference. All games in the below schedule are decided by group.
| 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 |
Group-stage games do not have their own calendar; they're simply incorporated into each team's regular season schedule over a four-week period or so. The league has stated that group play will begin October 30 and end November 27 in the 2026 tournament, which will consist of 60 games in the six groups.
These games are also played during the regular season, so they appear on a team's regular schedule instead of a Cup-only list — the only way to distinguish an actual group-stage game on the calendar is if it is scheduled to play a different team in the same group.
Group play takes place over seven Cup Nights with a full group games schedule throughout the country:
| Date | Notes |
| Friday, Oct. 30 | Opening night — every group gets underway |
| Friday, Nov. 6 | |
| Friday, Nov. 13 | |
| Friday, Nov. 20 | |
| Tuesday, Nov. 24 | Thanksgiving-week slate |
| Wednesday, Nov. 25 | Thanksgiving-week slate |
| Friday, Nov. 27 | Final group-stage night |
That is why the four game group schedules are completed by the Thanksgiving-week and November 27 cut off dates; every team must play these games to finish their group schedule.
After group play ends on November 27, it gets tight. According to the league's official schedule, the knockout bracket kicks in:
Matchup dates are set, but the teams themselves are not yet confirmed as the quarter-final and semi-final matchups will be determined entirely by groups and wild-card winners. The most significant format change for 2026: the knockout stage is to be held in team markets rather than a neutral venue, following the recent tournaments' format. The four teams who remain unbeaten after group play will face off in their final two group games after the group phase concludes and the four teams in the conference quarterfinals will each play one extra game among themselves to finish the 82 games.
The championship is the only game in the entire NBA Cup calendar that isn't at a team's home court. The league has announced Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis will host the 2026 championship (the home of “Hoosiers”) rather than the T-Mobile Arena, which was the host in 2023-25.
The final will be played independent of either finalist's home slate, and will not factor into the regular-season points. Finalists end up playing 83 total games for the season as a result.
Games in the group stage and knockout round are broadcast on the regular-season game schedule on the networks that also broadcast a team's regular-season slate. Through the league's national media-rights deal, Opening night (Oct. 30) tips off on Prime Video. The group stage games are usually allocated by region as the usual way to broadcast them, and the group stage marquee nights and knockout bracket are more national in broadcast times.
Assignments are finalized closer to tip-off each season, so the official schedule is the most accurate for exact channel and streaming information after it's published.
After identifying when the games are, for many fans the next step is placing a bet on the game schedule. Sports OKBet's debut is the chance for Filipino bettors to place their wagers on every date on the NBA Cup calendar.
The 2026 NBA Cup Schedule format is designed to be short and sweet, with tournament action taking place in team facilities over a four-week group stage in late October through late November followed by a spirited knockout stage culminating in a neutral-site championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse for the first time. As the knockout bracket gets in shape, bookmark the official schedule for exact dates and if you'd like to bet the calendar as it progresses, you should go to a platform that is licensed for bettors from the Philippines. On Sports OKBet, you can view the real-time odds and timings for the NBA Cup and track all matches from group stage through to the end.
The official schedule for the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup began on October 30 and will conclude on November 27, with Group play set to take place.
The tournament will run about six weeks total, with group play from Oct. 30 to Nov. 27, followed by quarter-finals (Dec. 4-5), followed by semi-finals (Dec. 8-9) and the championship (Dec. 11) will round out the tournament approximately two weeks later.
The 2026 championship will take place at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, which was the site from 2023 to 2025, as opposed to the T-Mobile Arena site.
No, that's the biggest change in the schedule this year. Starting with the 2026 edition, the quarterfinals/semifinals will be hosted at the top-seeded team's home arena, not a neutral site. The game of the championship remains unaffected.
No — the group-stage and knockout games are not played on a separate calendar, but are part of each team's regular season calendar.
Games are broadcast on the league's typical regional and national partners (including channel and streaming assignments to be decided closer to the game date on the official schedule, and live on Prime Video on opening night).
