- The NBA Cup play begins October 31, 2025 with a nationally broadcasted doubleheader.
- Knockout rounds begin December 9, culminating in the championship game in Las Vegas on December 16.
- The Bucks are defending champions, and the Lakers won the inaugural cup in 2024.
We already knew the groupings. Now we know the TV schedule.
The NBA Cup, formerly known as the in-season tournament, will officially tip off on Friday, Oct. 31 — 10 days after the start of the 2025-26 regular season.
The league announced Wednesday, Aug. 13 the full slate of NBA Cup games, including the ones that will be broadcast on national television. This marks the first time that Amazon Prime Video will stream NBA Cup games.
The group stage draw announced last month set up the three groups in each conference, with five teams in each group. The drawing was made at random, based on win-loss record.
Here’s everything you need to know about the national broadcast schedule for the 2025 NBA Cup:
NBA Cup national broadcast schedule
*All times Eastern
Friday, Oct. 31, 2025
- Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers (East B, 7 p.m. on Amazon Prime)
- Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies (West B, 9:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime)
Friday, Nov. 7, 2025
- Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs (West C, 7:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime)
- Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets (West C, 10 p.m. on Amazon Prime)
Friday, Nov. 14, 2025
- Miami Heat at New York Knicks (East C, 7 p.m. on Amazon Prime)
- Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs (West C, 9:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime)
Friday, Nov. 21, 2025
- Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers (East A, 7 p.m. on Amazon Prime)
- Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets (West C, 9:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime)
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
- Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers (East B, 8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock)
- Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers (West B, 11 p.m. on NBC and Peacock)
Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025
- Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (East B, 5 p.m. on ESPN)
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder (West A, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN)
- Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors (West C, 10 p.m. on ESPN)
Friday, Nov. 28, 2025
- Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks (East C, 7:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime)
- Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers (West B, 10 p.m. on Amazon Prime)
NBA Cup key dates
- Oct. 31: Group Play begins
- Group Play games will be on designated “Cup Nights.”
- Cup Nights will take place every Friday from Oct. 31-Nov. 28.
- Additional Cup Nights will be Tuesday, Nov. 25 and Wednesday, Nov. 26.
- Nov. 28: Group Play concludes
- Dec. 9-10: Knockout Rounds (Quarterfinals)
- Dec. 13: Semifinals (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Dec. 16: Championship (Las Vegas, Nevada)
NBA Cup groups
East A
- Atlanta Hawks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Indiana Pacers
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
East B
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Detroit Pistons
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
East C
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Miami Heat
- New York Knicks
- Milwaukee Bucks (defending NBA Cup champions)
West A
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
- Utah Jazz
West B
- Dallas Mavericks
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- New Orleans Pelicans
West C
- Denver Nuggets
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
How does the group stage in the NBA Cup work?
Group stage games will take place on designated NBA Cup nights from Oct. 31 through Nov. 28.
Each squad will play one game against each of the opponents in its group. The six group stage winners will advance, as will a wild card team from each conference; wild card teams are set based on winning percentage and certain tiebreakers.
From there, the teams will play in single-elimination knockout rounds.
The semifinals and finals will take place Saturday, Dec. 13 and Tuesday, Dec. 16, in Las Vegas.
Past NBA Cup champions
- 2024: Milwaukee Bucks
- 2023: Los Angeles Lakers
