The second night of the 2026 NBA Cup delivered plenty of movement, and a few teams already look like they’re carving out real separation in the group stage.
The biggest scoreboard swings came from Cleveland, Memphis and Los Angeles. In East Group B, the Cavaliers handled Philadelphia 119-95 and spoiled LeBron James’s first game in Cleveland wearing 76ers colors.
In Memphis, Oklahoma City’s Ajay Mitchell turned in the night of his life, scoring 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting and adding five assists in 30 minutes. Then the final game of the nine-game slate closed with Luka Dončić, the early MVP front-runner, exploding for 53 points as the Lakers beat the Trail Blazers 124-118.
With Friday’s games in the books, every one of the league’s 30 teams has now appeared in at least one Cup game. Only three clubs are sitting at 2-0 through group play: the Celtics, Timberwolves and Mavericks.
Most of the field still has a path into the knockout bracket, but the Hornets are in rough shape after dropping both of their games by a combined 55 points. Memphis also took a hit with a 31-point loss to a shorthanded Thunder team, a result that could linger in the standings.
There are still five nights left in group play before the eight-team knockout round begins, but if the tournament ended Friday, the bracket would already have a clear shape.
Boston currently owns the No. 1 seed in the East as the conference’s only unbeaten team. The Celtics have beaten the Bulls and Hornets, and their +53 point differential gives them a strong cushion. They still have the Wizards and Hawks ahead on their NBA Cup schedule, which makes their path look even more secure.
Cleveland also helped its case with that 24-point win over Philadelphia. The Cavs are in a difficult East Group B alongside the Heat, Sixers, Knicks and Pacers, but that result gives them a valuable edge as they try to reach the knockout round.
Out West, Minnesota sits in the top spot despite being without Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves stayed perfect with wins over the Clippers, 127-101, and the Pelicans, 115-109.
They’re not alone in making noise, though. Oklahoma City sent its own message Friday with that 31-point rout of Memphis, a reminder that the Thunder are still very much in the mix after the Grizzlies had been the last undefeated team in the league not long ago.
The projected 2026 NBA Cup bracket would send the six group winners and one wild card from each conference into the tournament.
In Other News...
Former 76ers First-Rounder Just Got A Brutal NBA Reminder
The Thunder made a quick roster move this week, sending two future second-round picks to Sacramento to land Nique Clifford and clear a spot for a team still trying to keep its footing through a wave of injuries. For Oklahoma City, the deal was about adding another body to a roster that has had to stay competitive while managing the wear and tear that comes with a long season.
To make room, the Thunder waived Dalen Terry, who had been signed less than a week earlier on a non-guaranteed deal. It was a sharp reminder of how thin the margin can be for young players trying to stick in the league, and for a former first-rounder like Terry, it leaves another uncertain stop in a career that has yet to find real traction. [Read more 🡒]
Embiids Frustration Just Exposed A Bigger Sixers Problem
Joel Embiids frustration after a recent loss went beyond one rough shooting night. The 76ers center said the offense has felt congested, a fair reflection of a team still working through the early effects of major roster change and the challenge of fitting new star pieces around a player who has long been the center of everything Philadelphia does.
For Embiid, the issue is not just volume but rhythm, with his role shifting enough to affect the flow that usually makes him so hard to guard. The Sixers now have to sort out how to create cleaner offensive conditions for him, and that falls on the coaching staff as much as on the players trying to make the fit work. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Shrugged Off A Pregame Troll And Kept Rolling In The East
Before the ball was even tipped, Benny the Bull was already working the crowd, playfully poking at LeBron James during the 76ers starting lineup introductions by offering wine cups. It was the kind of pregame bit that can set a tone in an arena, but Philadelphia had little interest in getting pulled into the sideshow. The Sixers handled the moment the same way theyve handled most things early this season, with poise and enough firepower to keep control once the game actually started.
Philadelphia still had to earn it, though, in a 127-121 win over Chicago that featured five players in double figures and another steady night from James, who finished with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists. The victory pushed the Sixers to 9-2 and kept them atop the Eastern Conference standings, a reminder that the punchline in Chicago ended up being the same as it has been for much of this stretch: Philadelphia keeps rolling, no matter whats happening around the edges. [Read more 🡒]