Sixers Begin NBA Cup Play Against the Knicks Tonight
The Philadelphia 76ers open NBA Cup group play against the New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, a game streamed exclusively on Prime Video.
Philadelphia enters the matchup 4-1, while New York is 2-3. The Sixers already beat the Knicks 106-100 at Madison Square Garden on opening night.
The stakes are higher than an ordinary early-season game. The Knicks enter as the defending NBA Cup and NBA champions, while the Sixers are looking to advance beyond NBA Cup group play for the first time.
The NBA Cup is the league's annual in-season tournament and is entering its fourth year, with all 30 teams participating. Teams are divided into six groups of five, with three groups in each conference. Each team plays four group games, one against every other team in its group, with two games at home and two on the road.
Eight teams advance to the knockout rounds: each of the six group winners, along with the best second-place team from each conference. The group games also count toward the regular-season record. This year's NBA Cup championship is scheduled for Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Philadelphia's four group games are Friday against New York, Nov. 6 at Cleveland at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 25 against Miami at 5 p.m. and Nov. 27 at Indiana at 7:30 p.m. The Sixers share East Group B with the Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers.
The matchup features Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey and Knicks star Jalen Brunson. Brunson was the tournament MVP when New York won the Cup last season, while Sixers newcomer LeBron James won the inaugural tournament MVP award with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023.
James did not appear on the injury report the team released Thursday. Heavy reported the team is expected to play him Friday before the second night of a back-to-back Saturday at Charlotte, where he could rest.
The group features plenty of star power beyond the two headliners, with Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami and Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana, according to the USA Today Network.
