NBA Cup Group Stage: Teams Face Crucial Tests In Third Cup Night
by Thobelani Moyo | by Thobelani Moyo
Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks
This has to be one of the most interesting games to watch this Friday in the NBA 2026 Emirates NBA Cup as the New York Knicks take on the Indiana Pacers in a clash that has developed into a competitive rivalry between the two Eastern Conference teams.
The Pacers have enjoyed a relatively steady start to the NBA season, although there is still room for improvement. After 12 games with a 4-8 record, the team sits tenth in the Eastern Conference standings and is five places behind the Knicks (6-5).
Confidence should be low entering this clash as the home side has won just two of its last nine games. However, their last match ended in victory, securing a 114-101 home win over the Washington Wizards.
Hopefully, that should be enough to see them record their first win in the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup and improve their position in the group stages. Their first assignment was against the Miami Heat, but they were blown away in a 145-125 defeat.
The Pacers' opponents, the New York Knicks, are the defending champions after claiming glory last term in the competition.
As for the New York Knicks, a four-match winning streak came to an end when they suffered a 115-107 home defeat against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of back-to-back.
Also, the Knicks had a disappointing start to the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup group stages as they lost 98-93 on the road to LeBron James Philadelphia 76ers. However, the defending champions should be motivated to return to winning ways given their recent record against the Indiana Pacers, winning three of their last four meetings.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors
The five-time NBA Champions San Antonio Spurs have been a force to be reckoned with once again this season and look primed to be amongst the teams to pose a serious threat in the race for the Emirates NBA Cup. Entering this decisive clash, the Spurs have won their last ten matches, including a 124-119 away win over the Chicago Bulls.
Just last season, the Spurs reached the finals of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup. However, waiting at the end of the tunnel was not euphoria but heartbreak as the New York Knicks denied them their first-ever NBA Cup trophy, winning 124-113.
The vision for what San Antonio Spurs want to achieve this season has never been clearer: go one step further and claim their first NBA Cup trophy.
It has been the right step in that direction, with their first game in this competition ending in a 124-109 away win over the Sacramento Kings. Can they make it two straight wins? Find out what our experts have to say in our San Antonio Spurs vs Golden State Warriors prediction for more insights.
The Golden State Warriors are among three teams in West Group C that have registered a win in the Emirates NBA Cup group stages. They are the current leaders, up by 17 points after just one game. The Warriors beat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-95 at home. Since that success, they've gone on to win five of their last six matches, including a 115-108 away defeat to the Houston Rockets.
In their triumph over the Lakers, the Warriors made history by becoming the first team in the shot-clock era to erase a 23-point or bigger first-quarter deficit and go into halftime level or ahead.
Last term, the Warriors exited in the group stages after finishing fifth in West Group C. Stephen Curry made the headlines in a narrow 109-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs. In that match, he erupted for 49 points with nine three-pointers.
The Warriors have only reached the knockout round once in their last three Emirates NBA Cup appearances, and that was in 2024 when they won West Group C before falling 91-90 to Houston in the quarterfinals. Reaching the knockout rounds and going one step further will be on their bucket list.
Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Miami Heat return to South Florida for a five-game homestand. Their first assignment is against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Emirates NBA Cup group stages, which is the first meeting between these two teams in the competition. The former arrives in great shape, having won the last two games, including a 115-109 away win over the Utah Jazz.
The Heat will be wary of the threat posed by their opponents in this clash, having lost two of their last three meetings. During this stretch, they conceded 130+ points, highlighting their porous defence.
It has been evident this season, with the team allowing 120.0 opponent points per game. This has been marked down on paper as the fifth-worst defensive record. Will this turn out to be their undoing? Check out our Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers prediction for a detailed preview.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will want to capitalise on that and secure their second consecutive win after beating the New York Knicks 115-107 on the road. Regarding their first match in this competition, the Cavaliers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-95 at home.
Currently, they are the leaders in East Group B standings with a +24-point difference and are ahead of second-placed Miami Heat, who have a +20-point difference.
The Cavaliers have never reached the knockout rounds of this competition. They have been eliminated in group play in their last three editions. Despite this, they have an impressive 8-5 record which translates to a strong .615 all-time winning percentage. Could this finally be the year Cleveland breaks that group-stage curse and makes its first knockout-round appearance?
