NBA In-Season Tournament: Everything You Need to Know

The 2025 Emirates NBA Cup In-Season Tournament is designed to boost fan engagement and promote competitive play before the NBA All-Star Break. Introduced in 2023, this tournament adds excitement to the early NBA season when other major American sports leagues like the NFL and NHL are active.

Background and Purpose

Commissioner Adam Silver explained the tournament's introduction during its launch on July 8, 2023:

“New traditions take time. But, all throughout sports, we are seeing new innovations, and now is the time for this NBA In-Season Tournament.”

Tournament Format

The Emirates NBA Cup consists of two stages before the Championship:

Group Play Round: A monthlong phase where each team plays four games against group opponents, two at home and two on the road.
Knockout Round: A single-elimination stage featuring Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Championship game.

Schedule Details

Group Play starts on Friday, October 31, with “Cup Nights” mainly on Fridays through November 28.
Quarterfinals occur on Tuesday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 10.
Semifinals take place on Saturday, December 13.
The Championship game is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16.

Group Play Structure

Each team plays one game against each of the four opponents in their group, balanced between home and away games. All Group Play games are integrated into the regular season schedule.

Author's summary: The Emirates NBA Cup revitalizes the NBA season with a dynamic tournament structure that heightens competition and fan interest from October through December each year.

Ticketmaster Blog — 2025-11-08