HomeNBANBA Cup: Big battle in Texas as Wemby takes down the Rockets

NBA Cup: Big battle in Texas as Wemby takes down the Rockets

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The third iteration of the Emirates NBA Cup continued its second day of group play Friday, a little over three weeks after the 2025-26 NBA regular season began.

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament trophy in 2023, with James claiming the honors of tournament MVP. Last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks raised their NBA Cup banner over the eventual NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

But which team will claim its stake for the hardware in Las Vegas this year, and can it continue that tournament momentum into the postseason?

Here’s what you need to know about the in-season tournament, including rule changes for this year, takeaways from the week’s biggest games, schedule and scores.

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Takeaways | FAQ | Schedule

Wemby pushes through Rockets’ physical play

Victor Wembanyama stumbled and fell near center court, rolling onto his side as Josh Okogie raced in the opposite direction for a two-handed transition jam. Okogie initiated the play by poking the ball loose and grabbing a fistful of Wembanyama’s jersey to pull him back, which catapulted the Rockets into a one-man fast break.

The sequence took place 78 seconds into the action Friday and established a tone of physicality that Wembanyama eventually figured out how to break by playing more decisively in the second half with a little help from his teammates.

The victory over Houston gives San Antonio a 1-0 record in the Emirates NBA Cup.

Houston spent the first half pushing around Wembanyama, keeping him out of the paint with a cast of defenders that included Okogie, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant and Steven Adams. Even 185-pound guard Reed Sheppard bullied Wembanyama in a first half that saw the 21-year-old Frenchman shoot 2-for-6 for four points and three turnovers.

But Wembanyama flipped the script in the second half.

Wembanyama finished with 10-plus paint points for the first time since Oct. 30 — which coincidentally marked the team’s last win before Friday — by making quick decisions with the ball in the second half and taking whatever shots Houston allowed, even if they were attempts outside the paint.

Wembanyama joined a trio of Spurs that finished with 22 points or more that included Harrison Barnes (24 points) and Julian Champagnie (22). With the Rockets focused on slowing down Wembanyama near the basket, his teammates feasted from the perimeter.

Champagnie, Barnes and Devin Vassell combined to knock down 16 of San Antonio’s 18 3-pointers as the Spurs connected on 40% from long range.

“They were the tougher team,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “They kind of punked us out there and outhustled us.” — Michael C. Wright

0-2 teams already facing serious tourney trouble

Two losses essentially signifies elimination in the NBA Cup. It’s technically possible to qualify for the knockout rounds with a 2-2 record, but only in a very particular set of theoretical circumstances. Through two seasons of Cup play to date, every knockout qualifier has gone 4-0 or 3-1 in the initial round.

So for the teams that lost their initial Cup game last week, Friday brought early stakes to the tournament — and with one exception, those squads all won to keep their Vegas dreams alive. Only the Utah Jazz, who lost in a 40-point blowout in Minnesota, dropped to 0-2 on Friday night. Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets enjoyed comfortable victories to move to 1-1 in Cup play, ensuring that all of the favorites — and 29 of 30 teams overall — remain alive through the first week of November.

Many more teams will face the pressure to avoid a second loss when Cup action resumes next Friday: the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets in East Group B, the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets in East Group C, the Sacramento Kings in West Group A, the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans in West Group B, and the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets in West Group C. — Zach Kram

Friday games

  • Cavaliers 148, Wizards 114

  • Magic 123, Celtics 110

  • Raptors 109, Hawks 97

  • Pistons 125, Nets 107

  • Spurs 121, Rockets 110

  • Bucks 126, Bulls 110

  • Heat 126, Hornets 108

  • Timberwolves 137, Jazz 97

  • Grizzlies 118, Mavericks 104

  • Thunder 132, Kings 101

  • Nuggets 129, Warriors 104

FAQ (by Tim Bontemps)

The NBA unveiled the six groups for the third edition of its in-season tournament — now called the Emirates NBA Cup. Here’s a look at everything you’ll need to know about the return of the competition.

What is the format?

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has had a long-standing fascination with European soccer. Establishing an in-season cup competition within the NBA schedule came from soccer leagues having both a regular-season title, won by the team with the most points over the full year, and a separate tournament (or, in some leagues, multiple tournaments) that runs concurrently with the league season. In England, for example, there are the various divisions — led by the Premier League — and also the FA Cup competition. But unlike those European leagues, which play their cup competitions outside of their league schedules, the NBA Cup is built into the regular-season slate. The 30 NBA teams are split into six five-team groups — three featuring Eastern Conference teams, and three comprising Western Conference teams — with each team then playing one game against the other four in its group. The winner of each group, plus the team with the best record among the non-group winners, will then advance to the knockout stage of the competition.

How will this impact the regular-season schedule and standings?

Typically, the NBA sends out a full 82-game schedule in mid-August. Now, the league sends out only 80 games and leaves a gap for roughly a week to fill in later, depending on how the group stage of the NBA Cup plays out.

The two teams from the East and West that lose in the quarterfinals will play their 82nd game against one another on one of four dates: Dec. 11, 12, 14 or 15. Meanwhile, the 22 teams that fail to qualify for the knockout rounds will have their final two games scheduled — one at home and one on the road — on Dec. 11 or 12 and 14 or 15 against others eliminated in the group stage.

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The teams that reach the NBA Cup’s finale will actually play 83 games — though the championship game won’t count toward the standings or any statistical markers. All four teams that make it to Las Vegas for the semifinals will have completed their 82 games, and won’t need anything else added. The additional wrinkle added to this year’s schedule is the possibility that a few dates on the calendar may move around. On Dec. 8, there are currently three games scheduled: the Sacramento Kings at the Indiana Pacers; the Phoenix Suns at the Minnesota Timberwolves; and the San Antonio Spurs at the New Orleans Pelicans. If any of those teams are playing in the quarterfinals, taking place on Dec. 9 and 10, those games would move to Dec. 7 (a decision that would be made by Nov. 29, the day after the end of the group stage). This also would only be an issue if one of the teams were playing on Dec. 9. If they’re playing Dec. 10, nothing will change. The other scheduling quirk is that there are currently eight teams — the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards — scheduled to play on Dec. 17, the day after the championship game in Las Vegas.

Any team that makes it to the semifinals in Las Vegas would have that game moved later into the schedule to avoid back-to-back games. The NBA made this change in an effort to avoid having empty days on the calendar while attempting to minimize back-to-back games for all teams as much as possible.

Are the semifinals and finals still being played in Las Vegas?

For this season, yes. Next year, however, the semifinals — like the quarterfinals — will be played at home sites. Having teams go to Sin City for a week (and, more importantly, trying to get fans there for two games over several days on short notice) hasn’t gone the way the league initially believed that it would.

What is new about the tournament this year?

Most of the games are being shown on Amazon Prime, including the knockout rounds. The schedule is also primarily on Fridays, beginning on Halloween, rather than bouncing back and forth from Tuesday to Friday throughout November as it did during the first two years of the tournament.

Why does the NBA Cup include regular-season games?

Before its launch, one of the main questions surrounding the in-season tournament was why any team would be incentivized to compete in it. The NBA ensured teams will be motivated by making every game part of the season — and, being in-conference, potentially important from a playoff-tiebreaker standpoint. If this had been set up like the cup tournaments in European soccer, there would have been nothing stopping NBA teams from opting out, literally or figuratively — sitting their top players for extra rest.

What teams make up the groups?

To create the groups, the NBA put all 15 teams in each conference into five pots, separated by their finish in last season’s standings. Pot 1 included the teams that finished 1-3 in regular-season record, teams 4-6 went into Pot 2, teams 7-9 into Pot 3, teams 10-12 into Pot 4, and teams 13-15 into Pot 5. As a result, the following groups were 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 Heat, Charlotte Hornets

  • West A: Oklahoma City 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 Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs

Does one group stand out the most from the others?

This one is easy: West Group C. Three of the top four teams in the Western Conference — Houston, Denver and Golden State — are in the group, plus a Blazers team that excelled down the stretch last season. Oh, and don’t forget about Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, too. West Group B is also competitive, but Memphis is already dealing with injuries, Dallas is missing Kyrie Irving and the Pelicans are expected to be well outside the playoff picture.

What do players get for winning?

In 2023, the first year the tournament was held, the players on the winning team received $500,000 each, while those on the runners-up got $200,000. The losing players of the semifinals each got $100,000, and those ousted in the quarterfinals each got $50,000. Now, in each subsequent year, the prizes will be slightly higher, as a result of negotiated raises year over year to keep pace with increases in the salary cap and basketball-related income as part of the most recent collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.

Will anyone earn individual honors for their play in NBA Cup games?

There will be an MVP award, as well as an all-tournament team.

Will this have any impact on the playoffs?

Not beyond the games counting in the regular-season standings (and toward tiebreakers). The only playoff impact comes from the wins and losses accrued throughout the tournament. Though there was debate among league insiders about guaranteeing a playoff berth for winning the tournament, ultimately, that idea (or any other to further incentivize teams) was not enacted.

Why is it called the Emirates NBA Cup?

The league struck a sponsorship deal with Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, to sponsor the tournament after its initial run. The NBA said last year that it went with the most basic titles for both the tournament and its trophy — the “in-season tournament” and “NBA Cup” — as a way to introduce the concept to fans. However, using such nondescript names had another clear advantage: It gave the league a blank slate in case the tournament and cup became properties it ended up selling to a sponsor, and avoided the complications that could arise by naming them after someone (for example, the late NBA commissioner David Stern, one possibility that had been floated before the tournament was officially unveiled).

2025 Emirates NBA Cup schedule:

All times Eastern

Group Play

Oct. 31

Nov. 7

  • Cavaliers 148, Wizards 114

  • Magic 123, Celtics 110

  • Raptors 109, Hawks 97

  • Pistons 125, Nets 107

  • Spurs 121, Rockets 110

  • Bucks 126, Bulls 110

  • Heat 126, Hornets 108

  • Timberwolves 137, Jazz 97

  • Grizzlies 118, Mavericks 104

  • Thunder 132, Kings 101

  • Nuggets 129, Warriors 104

Nov. 14

  • Brooklyn Nets at Orlando Magic, 7 p.m.

  • Miami Heat at New York Knicks, 7 p.m. (Prime)

  • Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m.

  • Charlotte Hornets at Milwaukee Bucks, 8 p.m.

  • Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m.

  • Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans, 8 p.m.

  • Sacramento Kings at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 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 p.m. (Prime)

  • Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m.

  • Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m.

  • Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls, 8 p.m.

  • New Orleans Pelicans at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.

  • Minnesota Timberwolves at Phoenix Suns, 9 p.m.

  • Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets, 9:30 p.m. (Prime)

  • Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.

  • Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz, 10 p.m.

Nov. 25

  • Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards, 7 p.m.

  • Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers, 8 p.m. (Peacock)

  • LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers, 11 p.m. (Peacock)

Nov. 26

  • Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

  • New York Knicks at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m.

  • Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m.

  • Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

  • Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.

  • Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans, 8 p.m.

  • Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m. (ESPN)

  • San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m.

  • Phoenix Suns at Sacramento Kings, 10 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 City 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 p.m. (Prime)

  • Memphis Grizzlies at LA Clippers, 10 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

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