NBA Cup 2026 Schedule in Australian Time

The 2026 NBA Cup tips off on Saturday 31 October in Australia, and the group stage runs through to Saturday 28 November, with most games landing on Saturday mornings AEDT. 

The knockouts follow in early December, and the championship game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is on Saturday 12 December AEDT.

The US Friday night Cup Nights fall on Saturday mornings here, which makes the group stage easy to follow from Australia, with tip-offs mostly between 10am and 2:30pm AEDT. 

There are 60 group games in total across seven Cup Nights, and every one of them also counts as a regular season fixture. If you want the full rundown of groups, tiebreakers and prize money, our guide to how the NBA Cup works covers it.

NBA Cup 2026 Key Dates in AEDT

These are the dates to lock in, all in Australian Eastern Daylight Time:

• Group play: Saturdays 31 October, 7 November, 14 November, 21 November and 28 November, plus Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 November
• Quarterfinals: Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December
• Semifinals: Wednesday 9 and/or Thursday 10 December
• Championship: Saturday 12 December at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

For the wider calendar, our NBA 2026-27 key dates guide has the full season mapped out.

Full NBA Cup Group Stage Schedule in Australian Time

All times below are AEDT, with the away team listed first and the group in brackets. Outside the eastern states, adjust accordingly: subtract one hour in Queensland, half an hour in South Australia, an hour and a half in the Northern Territory and three hours in Western Australia.

Saturday 31 October

The Cup opens with ten games, and this is the one week where everything tips an hour earlier than the rest of the group stage, because the US is still on daylight saving time until 1 November. 

The headline act is the defending champion Knicks visiting LeBron James' 76ers in the first East Group B clash, before the Lakers and Warriors close the day's action at Chase Center.

• 10am: Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards (East Group C)
• 10:30am: Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics (East Group C)
• 10:30am: Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets (East Group A)
• 10:30am: New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers (East Group B)
• 10:30am: Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors (East Group A)
• 11am: Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks (West Group A)
• 11am: Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat (East Group B)
• 11am: LA Clippers at Minnesota Timberwolves (West Group B)
• 1pm: Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns (West Group A)
• 1pm: Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors (West Group C)

Saturday 7 November

The 76ers are straight back in action at Cleveland in another East Group B heavyweight game, while last year's beaten finalists, the Spurs, open their campaign in Sacramento.

• 11am: Boston Celtics at Charlotte Hornets (East Group C)
• 11am: Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks (East Group C)
• 11:30am: Philadelphia 76ers at Cleveland Cavaliers (East Group B)
• 12pm: Minnesota Timberwolves at New Orleans Pelicans (West Group B)
• 12pm: Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies (West Group B)
• 12pm: Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks (East Group A)
• 12pm: Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks (West Group A)
• 2pm: Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers (West Group C)
• 2pm: San Antonio Spurs at Sacramento Kings (West Group C)

Saturday 14 November

East Group B goes up a gear again, with the Knicks at Indiana and the Cavaliers at Miami on the same morning, while Warriors at Spurs and Thunder at Clippers round out a busy West slate.

• 11am: Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic (East Group A)
• 11am: New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers (East Group B)
• 12pm: Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls (East Group C)
• 12pm: Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat (East Group B)
• 12pm: Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans (West Group B)
• 12:30pm: Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets (West Group A)
• 1:30pm: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs (West Group C)
• 2pm: Portland Trail Blazers at Sacramento Kings (West Group C)
• 2:30pm: Oklahoma City Thunder at LA Clippers (West Group B)

Saturday 21 November

The fourth Cup Saturday is where group tables start to take shape, and Pacers at Cavaliers could go a long way to settling who stays alive in the East's toughest group.

• 11am: Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks (East Group C)
• 11:30am: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers (East Group B)
• 11:30am: Orlando Magic at Brooklyn Nets (East Group A)
• 11:30am: Toronto Raptors at Detroit Pistons (East Group A)
• 12pm: New Orleans Pelicans at Oklahoma City Thunder (West Group B)
• 12pm: Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls (East Group C)
• 1:30pm: Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz (West Group A)
• 2pm: Houston Rockets at Denver Nuggets (West Group A)
• 2pm: Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers (West Group C)

Wednesday 25 November

Thanksgiving week brings the first of two extra Cup Nights, with only three games on the card and only Cup games played anywhere in the league.

• 11am: Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic (East Group A)
• 12pm: Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards (East Group C)
• 2pm: Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets (West Group A)

Thursday 26 November

Set an alarm for this one, because Heat at 76ers tips off at 9am AEDT. Cavaliers at Knicks follows later in the morning, and with East Group B this tight, it could decide more than one team's fate.

• 9am: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers (East Group B)
• 11am: Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets (East Group C)
• 11:30am: Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (East Group B)
• 11:30am: Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder (West Group B)
• 12pm: Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks (East Group A)
• 12pm: LA Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies (West Group B)
• 12:30pm: Phoenix Suns at Houston Rockets (West Group A)
• 2pm: Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors (West Group C)
• 2pm: San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers (West Group C)

Saturday 28 November

The final group night has 11 games, and with wild cards decided on group record and then point differential, expect plenty of teams to keep their foot down late. Heat at Knicks and Lakers at Spurs are the pick of the morning.

• 11am: Miami Heat at New York Knicks (East Group B)
• 11:30am: Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors (East Group A)
• 11:30am: Milwaukee Bucks at Detroit Pistons (East Group A)
• 11:30am: Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers (East Group B)
• 12pm: Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics (East Group C)
• 12:30pm: Memphis Grizzlies at Minnesota Timberwolves (West Group B)
• 1pm: Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns (West Group A)
• 1:30pm: Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz (West Group A)
• 1:30pm: Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers (West Group C)
• 1:30pm: Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs (West Group C)
• 1:30pm: New Orleans Pelicans at LA Clippers (West Group B)

NBA Cup Knockout Schedule in Australian Time

Once the group stage wraps, eight teams go through: the six group winners plus one wild card from each conference. Tip-off times for the knockouts are set once the matchups are known, but the dates are locked in:

• Quarterfinals: Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December AEDT, hosted by the top two group stage teams in each conference, with the conference's best group record hosting the wild card
• Semifinals: Wednesday 9 and/or Thursday 10 December AEDT, at the higher seed's arena
• Championship: Saturday 12 December AEDT at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis

The championship is the only NBA Cup game that doesn't count toward the regular season standings, which is why the two finalists end up playing 83 games instead of 82.

How to Watch the NBA Cup in Australia

NBA League Pass is the only way to catch every game in Australia, while ESPN, available through Kayo, Foxtel and Disney+, shows a selection of fixtures across the season. Our guide on how to stream the NBA breaks down the options in more detail.

For the latest NBA Cup markets, check out our dedicated NBA futures odds page here at Sportsbet.

NBA Cup Schedule FAQs

What time are NBA Cup games in Australia?

Most group games tip off between 10am and 2:30pm AEDT on Saturday mornings. The opening Cup Night on Saturday 31 October starts an hour earlier than the rest because of the US daylight saving change, and the Thanksgiving week games fall on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 November.

When is the NBA Cup final in Australia?

The 2026 NBA Cup championship game is on Saturday 12 December AEDT at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The exact tip-off time is confirmed once the finalists are known.

How many games are in the NBA Cup group stage?

There are 60 group games. Each of the 30 teams plays the other four teams in its group once, two at home and two on the road.