The NBA officially unveiled the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup Group Play schedule on Wednesday, confirming national broadcasts across Prime, NBC, ESPN and NBA League Pass.
The in-season tournament enters its third year and will once again feature designated “Cup Nights” every Friday from Oct. 31 to Nov. 28, with additional games on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26.
Prime will debut its NBA coverage during opening week on Oct. 24 with a doubleheader featuring the Celtics at Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Timberwolves visiting the Lakers at 10 p.m. ET.
The first Cup Night takes place on Halloween, starting with the Celtics facing the 76ers in East Group B at 7 p.m. ET, before Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the Lakers meet Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Grizzlies in West Group B at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Other key Cup Nights on Prime include Rockets at Spurs and Warriors at Nuggets on Nov. 7, Heat at Knicks and Warriors at Spurs on Nov. 14, Pacers at Cavaliers and Nuggets at Rockets on Nov. 21, and Bucks at Knicks followed by Mavericks at Lakers on Nov. 28.
NBC will host a Nov. 25 doubleheader headlined by Magic vs. Sixers at 8 p.m. ET and Clippers vs. Lakers at 11 p.m. ET.
ESPN takes over on Thanksgiving Eve with a tripleheader: Pistons at Celtics at 5 p.m. ET, Timberwolves at Thunder at 7:30 p.m. ET in a rematch of the 2025 Western Conference Finals, and Rockets at Warriors at 10 p.m. ET in a replay of their 2025 first-round playoff series.
Group Play concludes Nov. 28, with the quarterfinals scheduled for Dec. 9-10. The full Group Play schedule can be viewed here. The semifinals will be played Dec. 13 in Las Vegas, and the championship game is set for Dec. 16 at T-Mobile Arena.
The first NBA Cup in 2023 was won by the Lakers over the Pacers, while the Bucks claimed the 2024 title with a victory over the Thunder.
The league introduced the tournament to boost midseason engagement and counter competition from the NFL during the November–December stretch.
