You probably think the NBA season is just one long, 82-game grind. Honestly, that was true for decades, but the NBA Emirates Cup—formerly the In-Season Tournament—has completely flipped that script. If you’re looking at your calendar trying to figure out when the courts turn those wild colors and why your favorite team is suddenly playing like it’s Game 7 in November, you've gotta understand how this schedule actually works. It's not just a bunch of random games; it's a calculated sprint.
The 2025-26 NBA Emirates Cup Schedule: The Core Dates
Let’s be real: the NBA schedule is a mess of dates and times. But the Cup has a very specific rhythm. For the 2025-26 season, the tournament officially tipped off on October 31, 2025. Yeah, Halloween night. While you were out grabbing candy, the Atlanta Hawks were dropping 128 on the Pacers.
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Basically, the league designates "Cup Nights." These are almost always Tuesdays and Fridays. If you see a game on those nights between late October and late November, there’s a massive chance it’s a tournament game.
Group Play Breakdown
Everything starts with the Group Stage. The 30 teams are split into six groups—three in the East, three in the West. Each team plays four games here: two at home and two on the road.
- October 31 – November 28, 2025: This is the primary window for group play.
- Key "Cup Nights": Oct 31, Nov 7, Nov 14, Nov 21, Nov 25 (Tuesday), Nov 26 (Wednesday), and Nov 28.
Wait, why the Tuesday and Wednesday at the end? The NBA tries to wrap up group play right around Thanksgiving to build momentum for the knockouts. It’s smart marketing, even if it feels a bit hectic for the players.
How the Knockout Rounds Actually Function
Once the dust settles on November 28, only eight teams are left standing. This is where it gets spicy. You get the six group winners and two "wild cards"—the teams with the best records who didn't win their group.
The Quarterfinals happened on December 9 and 10, 2025. These games aren't in some neutral site; they're played in the home arena of the team with the better record. If you’re a New York Knicks fan, you remember the energy at the Garden during these rounds. It’s different. It’s louder.
The Vegas Finale
Then, the whole circus moves to the desert. The "Final Four" of the NBA Emirates Cup takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
- Semifinals: Saturday, December 13, 2025.
- Championship Final: Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
The Knicks actually took it all this year, beating the San Antonio Spurs in the final. Jalen Brunson walked away with the MVP, and honestly, seeing Victor Wembanyama in a high-stakes December final was a glimpse into the future of the league.
The "83rd Game" Quirk
Here is the part that confuses everyone. Every single game in the NBA Emirates Cup counts toward the regular-season standings except for the Championship game.
If your team makes the final, they play 83 games that year. But only 82 of them count for their record. The stats from the final don't count for season leaders either. It’s a weird statistical vacuum. For the 22 teams that don't make the knockouts, the NBA just schedules two extra regular-season games on December 11-15 to make sure everyone hits the 82-game mark. It’s a logistical nightmare for the league’s flight planners, but it works for the fans.
Why These Games Feel Different
If you've watched a game on a "Cup Night," you noticed the court. They are bold—sometimes borderline blinding. Each team has a custom floor and "Statement Edition" uniforms.
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But it’s not just the paint. It’s the money.
Players on the winning team (the Knicks this year) each pocketed $530,933. For a guy like Brunson, that’s a nice bonus. For a rookie or a guy on a two-way contract making $600k a year? That’s doubling their salary in one night. You can see that desperation in the way they dive for loose balls. In a standard mid-November game against the Wizards, a star might coast. In a Cup game? They’re playing for their teammates' paychecks.
What to Watch for Next Season
If you missed the 2025-26 window, don't worry. The NBA has basically locked this format in. You can expect the 2026-27 schedule to follow the same pattern: late October start, Friday/Tuesday group games, and a mid-December Vegas finale.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Check the "Cup Night" Schedule Early: When the full 2026-27 schedule drops in August, highlight the Tuesdays and Fridays in November. Those are the games with the highest intensity.
- Monitor the Point Differential: In group play, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head, but the second is point differential. This is why teams will keep scoring even when they are up by 20 with a minute left. It’s not "disrespectful"—it’s literally how they qualify for Vegas.
- Plan for Vegas in December: If you want to see the Semifinals and Finals, the T-Mobile Arena sells out fast. Tickets usually go on sale late in the summer.
The NBA Emirates Cup isn't a gimmick anymore. It’s a permanent fixture that has successfully turned the "dog days" of the early season into a sprint for half a million dollars and a trophy.