NBA Cup group standings after opening night: Timberwolves +26 and Heat +20 lead the way, and the champion Knicks start 0-1

The 2026 Emirates NBA Cup opened with ten group games on Friday, October 30, and the Minnesota Timberwolves came out of the night with the biggest edge in the field: a 26-point win over the LA Clippers that already matters in a tournament where point differential can break ties.

Every one of the 30 teams plays four group games, all of which also count in the regular-season standings. The six group winners and one wild card from each conference reach the eight-team knockout round, so a lopsided win in October can decide who moves on in late November. Ten teams sit at 1-0, ten at 0-1, and ten have not played yet.

The six groups after one night

East Group A: Detroit 1-0 (+16) after a 110-94 win in Brooklyn; Orlando 1-0 (+7) after beating Toronto 121-114; Milwaukee 0-0; Toronto 0-1; Brooklyn 0-1.

East Group B: Miami 1-0 (+20) after a 145-125 win over Indiana behind Giannis Antetokounmpo’s triple-double; Philadelphia 1-0 (+5) after holding off New York 98-93 on LeBron James’ late putback; Cleveland 0-0; the Knicks, who won the Cup last December, 0-1; Indiana 0-1.

East Group C: Washington 1-0 (+16) after beating Charlotte 95-79; Boston 1-0 (+14) after a 125-111 win over Chicago; Atlanta 0-0; Chicago 0-1; Charlotte 0-1.

West Group A: Denver 1-0 (+7) after winning 127-120 in Phoenix; Dallas 1-0 (+5) after handing Houston its first loss, 116-111; Utah 0-0; Houston 0-1; Phoenix 0-1.

West Group B: Minnesota 1-0 (+26) after a 127-101 rout of the Clippers; Oklahoma City, New Orleans and 5-0 Memphis have not played a Cup game; the Clippers are 0-1.

West Group C: Golden State 1-0 (+17) after coming back from 25 down to beat the Lakers 112-95; San Antonio, Portland and Sacramento are 0-0; the Lakers are 0-1.

Why the margins already count

With only four games per team, a group often ends with two or three clubs on the same record, and the tiebreakers then lean on results inside the group, including point differential. That is why Minnesota’s 26 and Miami’s 20 carry more weight than a normal November blowout, and why the Clippers and the Pacers start well behind in the race for a wild-card place even if they win out.

The champion also gets a new stage. After three finals in Las Vegas, the title game moves to Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday, December 11, the first final played outside Las Vegas. The quarterfinals on December 4-5 and the semifinals on December 8-9 are played in the home arenas of the higher seeds. The Lakers (2023), the Bucks (2024) and the Knicks (2025) are the past winners.

What comes next

Group play resumes on Friday, November 6, with further group nights on November 13, 20, 24, 25 and 27. Denver’s next Cup game is against Houston on Friday, November 20. The full slate, tip times and TV for every night are on the NBA schedule page, and the regular-season picture is on the standings page.