The Denver Nuggets are already in position to make a push in the 2026 NBA Cup. Group Play for this season's NBA Cup started on Friday night, as the Nuggets pulled off a huge road win over the Phoenix Suns to start 1-0 in the in-season tournament and 3-2 overall this season.

The Nuggets beat the Suns 127-120 on Friday in Phoenix, led by a 39-point effort from Jamal Murray and a career-best 31-point night from Christian Braun. This was the best performance by Denver's backcourt in a long time, as the two shot a combined 14-18 from beyond the arc for 70 total points.

Now, with the seven-point win in Phoenix, the Nuggets sit on top of West Group A one game into the NBA Cup.

NBA Cup Standings

While it is still very early, before the NBA Cup continues its Group Play for the next four Fridays, we can look at how things are shaking out already. The full West Group A standings:

In a group with the Suns, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, and Dallas Mavericks, it will not be easy for the Nuggets to advance to the Knockout Rounds. However, picking up a win in their Group Play opener was huge as they try to get there.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (1-0, +26) and Golden State Warriors (1-0, +17) lead West Group B and West Group C, respectively, but plenty can change as the teams finish their four-game Group Play slate over the next month or so.

It is also good for the Nuggets that the Rockets lost their opener to the Dallas Mavericks, as they are clearly their biggest threat in this group. The only thing that could've gone better for the Nuggets on Friday night would be to beat the Suns by more for the sake of point differential, as they had a chance to win by double digits but struggled to pull away in the final minutes.

Nuggets NBA Cup Schedule

After taking down the Suns, the Nuggets shift their focus to their next game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, but fans can look further ahead toward the next NBA Cup matchups. Let's take a look at the rest of Denver's NBA Cup slate:

Nov. 20: Nuggets vs. Rockets
Nov. 24: Nuggets vs. Mavericks
Nov. 27: Nuggets at Jazz

The Nuggets have the next two Fridays off, meaning they do not play another NBA Cup game for three weeks. They will still be monitoring other games on their days off, though, with the Jazz and Mavericks facing off next Friday, and the Jazz and Rockets meeting the next. By the time the Nuggets touch an NBA Cup court again, the West Group A standings will be clearer.

The Nuggets have never made it to the Knockout Rounds of the NBA Cup, so this could be the season they finally play a meaningful game in the in-season tournament.