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Curry and the Warriors take a win over old friend Klay Thompson in the Bay.

Cup Friday: Nine matchups, six groups and rising Knockout Round stakes

Elite Teams: Sixers, Trail Blazers, Lakers vie for top seeds on Prime

Shai Steps Up: How SGA’s scoring surge has lifted OKC ahead of tonight’s matchup vs. Memphis

Kia MVP Ladder Debut: Who leads the pack in Shaun Powell’s first rankings of the season?

Yay Area: Stephen Curry and the Warriors rolled as fans celebrated Klay Thompson’s return to the Chase Center

BUT FIRST … ⏰

The second of five straight Friday ‘Cup Nights’ is headlined by a Prime doubleheader as the Sixers visit the Cavs (7:30 ET), before the Lakers host the Blazers (10 ET).

The NBA Mexico City Game 2026 tips off tomorrow as the Nuggets face the Pacers at Arena CDMX on NBA TV (5 ET).

1. EMIRATES NBA CUP NIGHT NO. 2: THE RACE HEATS UP

Seven days ago, the first Emirates NBA Cup Night of the season delivered, and then some:

• The Warriors flipped a 23-point deficit into a historic 17-point win as Steph Curry cooked up a classic
• Giannis Antetokounmpo made Heat history with a monster triple-double
• Cooper Flagg joined royal company while leading Dallas past Houston
• Scottie Barnes erupted for a career-high 41 points
• The Sixers took down the defending Cup champion Knicks

What will Cup Night No. 2 have in store? With nine more matchups on tap and all six groups in action, another Friday brings fresh opportunities and growing stakes. | Emirates NBA Cup Hub | Cup Standings | How It Works

• 10 Teams Open Group Play: Bucks (East A); Cavs (East B); Hawks (East C); Jazz (West A); Thunder, Pelicans & Grizzlies (West B); Spurs, Blazers & Kings (West C)
• 5 Teams Coming Off Wins: The Celtics, Sixers, Wizards, Mavs and Wolves can all improve to 2-0 in Group Play tonight

Across the previous three NBA Cups, no team has reached the Knockout Rounds with multiple Group Play losses. And even one loss can prove costly, as eight teams have finished 3-1 and still failed to advance.

With those stakes in mind, let’s spotlight three key League Pass showdowns before diving deeper into tonight’s Prime doubleheader and Thunder-Grizzlies matchup in Sections 2 and 3.

• Celtics at Hornets (7 ET, East C): Winners of six of their last seven, including last week’s Cup opener against Chicago, the C’s look to improve to 2-0 in East Group C, while Charlotte aims to avoid an 0-2 start
• Wizards at Hawks (7 ET, East C): In that same group, Washington looks to keep pace with Boston and improve to 2-0 as Trae Young faces his former team in a rematch against the Hawks, who beat the Wizards on Wednesday
• Wolves at Pelicans (8 ET, West B): After topping the Clippers last week, the Wolves eye a 2-0 start in West Group B as they face the Pels, who enter their Cup opener on a four-game win streak

2. ON PRIME: SIXERS SURGE INTO CLEVELAND, TOP-TWO OUT WEST COLLIDE

The East-leading Sixers are going for their sixth-straight win tonight as LeBron James returns to Cleveland (7:30 ET, Prime), seeking to keep building chemistry with their superstar set.

Philadelphia came back from 29 down — a franchise record in the play-by-play era  — when they last faced the Cavaliers.

It was an early demonstration of their talent and resolve; now, they look like contenders to seize the top of the East.

So far, Tyrese Maxey has claimed the mantle of lead scorer; Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid contribute on both sides of the ball, taking control when matchups dictate.

• LeBron James has linked it all together, putting up 7.4 reb and 7.4 ast per game — right in line with his career averages, even as his scoring has dipped.

The Sixers are 8-1 and looking for more, despite starting the season with the third-hardest schedule in the Association based on their opponents’ records from last year.

• “If you put the work in, and you continue to be better and better every day, and you have this championship approach every day to get one percent better,” James said at Media Day. “Then it definitely will work in our favor.”

So far, they’re right on pace to chase a championship.

If they win tonight, Philly will reach 9-1 — its best 10-game start since 2000-01, when Allen Iverson took the Sixers to the NBA Finals.

Luka Dončić (38.5 ppg, 8.1 reb, 8.0 ast, 49.5/43.1/89.3 from the field) is in elite form, sparking Los Angeles to the second-highest scoring offense in the league at 121.8 points per game and a 7-2 record.

But tonight, they face the best — the Trail Blazers (10 ET, Prime), who are just ahead at 121.9 ppg, and seeking to reach 7-1 under new coach Micah Nori and stay at the top of the West.

• “We are not worried about the outside,” said Toumani Camara to The Athletic. “We are challenging ourselves to be as perfect, as disciplined, as we can be.”
• Camara and Dončić missed each other last season. But two years ago, Camara held Luka to 5-for-13 (38.5%) shooting over 58.4 partial possessions

Can he slow The Don down this time? It’ll be tough.

No one’s in a zone like Luka, who’s scoring 8.4 more points per game than anyone else.

• “It’s absurd… I don’t even know how to explain the shots he makes,” Walker Kessler said to The Athletic after the Lakers 116-103 win over the Kings Wednesday, where Dončić had 40
• “Right now, he’s playing the best basketball in the league,” said Kessler.

3. LEAGUE PASS SPOTLIGHT: SHAI POWERS OKC INTO MEMPHIS

The Thunder are no strangers to high stakes. Over the past two seasons, they’ve…

• Won an NBA-best 27 Playoff games
• Won the 2025 NBA Finals
• Advanced to the NBA Cup Semifinals twice, including the 2024 Championship Game

But for all that success, OKC has yet to hoist the Cup. And this year’s pursuit comes with a different kind of challenge.

• Statement Start: The Thunder opened the season with a bang, beating the reigning West champion Spurs before wins over the Nuggets and Clippers to start 3-0
• Major Setback: But the victory over LA came at a cost, as All-Star Jalen Williams (fractured leg) and Cason Wallace (torn shoulder labrum) suffered significant injuries, sidelining both indefinitely
• Another Blow: Days later, OKC learned it would be without another All-Star, as Chet Holmgren was sidelined for 8-10 weeks with a right patellar tendon tear

Suddenly shorthanded, OKC dropped two of its next three games, capped by back-to-back 20+ point losses to Dallas and Houston.

Since then, the reigning back-to-back Kia MVP has taken over.

• Stopping the Skid: Looking to avoid a third straight loss Monday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a season-high 43 points against Cleveland, capped by a go-ahead 3 with 33 seconds left
• Doubling Down: Two nights later, he dropped 42 against Cleveland, including 32 in the 2nd half, to lift OKC to 6-2
• Heavy Lifting: Across those two wins, Shai attempted 61 shots – his most ever over a two-game span – while shooting 47.4% from 3 and dishing out 16 assists

The SGA Effect: OKC entered Monday averaging 106.5 ppg, tied for 28th in the NBA. Over their past two games, the Thunder have averaged 120.5 ppg – the 4th-most in the league over that span.

• “I am just trying to figure out what winning will look like for this team, with this group,” said SGA after Monday’s win. “Even when you might not have enough talent – we believe we still do – we just have to find a different way.”

On the other side, Memphis (6-2) is looking to bounce back from consecutive losses after opening the season with six straight wins.

Leading the charge is Ty Jerome, whose sudden scoring surge has made him one of the NBA’s early breakout stars. |

4. KIA MVP LADDER DEBUT: SUPERSTARS SET SCORCHING PACE

Just over two weeks into the 2026-27 season, some of the game’s biggest names are already delivering eye-popping numbers, setting the stage for what could be a thrilling Kia MVP race.

Today, NBA.com’s Shaun Powell unveils his first Kia MVP Ladder of the season, with a familiar cast of superstars leading the way.

But who’s on top? Below is a sneak peek of Powell’s top three and his case for each:

1. Luka Dončić: “Luka’s on a tear, but what else is new for a two-time scoring champ and six-time member of the All-NBA First Team? … He has scored at least 40 in five of his last six games and at least 20 first half points in six straight games.”

2. Victor Wembanyama: “Well, he just dropped the signature effort that might be tough for him to top: 52 points (career-high), 24 rebounds (ditto) and eight blocks in a tight victory over the Mavericks. That’s Wilt Chamberlain stuff.”

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: “There are a pair of massive challenges confronting Shai. The first is to win MVP for three straight seasons, accomplished only by Larry Bird, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Second: To elevate the Thunder in the wake of a rash of injuries … So far, so good for Shai.”

5. WARRIORS WIN SIXTH STRAIGHT, SUNS HOT FROM DEEP

Warriors 120, Heat 100: Stephen Curry (29 pts, 6 3PM) and Draymond Green (11 ast) had the Dubs firing on all cylinders. They won their sixth straight game, defeating Giannis Antetokounmpo (20 pts, 14 reb) and the Heat. | Recap

• Klay In The Bay: Klay Thompson (11 pts, 2 3PM) returned to the Chase Center, thrilling fans and amusing his Splash Brother while playing some stifling defense
• The Rooks: Yaxel Lendeborg (17 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast) — No. 2 on the latest Kia Rookie Ladder — continued to show his talents as a do-it-all wing, while Ryan Conwell (13 pts, 3 3PM) cracked double figures for the first time in his Heat career
• Dubs Depth: The Warriors’ bench totaled 53 points, led by Georges Niang (13 pts), Brandon Williams (10 pts, 4 ast) and Charles Bassey (8 pts, 7 reb in 14 minutes)
• Legendary: Curry passed Oscar Robertson (26,710) for 17th on the all-time scoring list in the win

Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Mullin watched the game with Game Pulse, sharing his thoughts and observations. 

• On Yaxel: “When Steph and Draymond aren’t in the game they’re basically handing it to him. It’s been an impressive start. The numbers are up there with Steph, Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry.”
• On Klay: “It’s all love man. Much like Steph, his shooting is a joy to watch and the only way you get there is hard work and dedication in the gym… His low-key personality was beloved here. He’s got that double-edged sword. They love him as a player, but also Captain Klay. They watched him grow up here. One of the most beloved teammates of all time.”
• On The Warriors’ Prospects: “Warriors fans, I think you’re in for a big treat this year. Yaxel’s a game changer, Steph’s playing at an amazing level, an MVP level, and when they get Jimmy & Moses back they’ll be in good shape.”

Suns 117, Magic 104: Devin Booker (30 pts, 4 3PM) and the Suns shot 17-for-34 (50%) from 3-point range, forcing 25 Magic turnovers — including this steal-turned-jam — on their way to a win in front of their home fans. | Recap

• Mr. Carter: Wendell Carter Jr. (27 pts, 13 reb) had a big double-double to lead Orlando — just shy of his career high of 30 points