The second night of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup tips-off tonight with an 11-game slate to start your weekend.
Follow the second night of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup action with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news, notes and highlights.
6:35 PM / NOVEMBER 7, 2025
Giannis ready for Bucks’ Cup opener
Giannis Antetokounmpo arrives for Milwaukee’s 2025 Emirates NBA Cup debut. He and the Bucks start their title defense at home tonight against the Chicago Bulls.
Giannis this season: 32.3 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 6.3 APG… and 5 30+ PT games 😤
The two-time Kia MVP arrives as the Bucks look to defend their @emirates NBA Cup title!
🆚 CHI-MIL • East Group C
🏆 @emirates NBA Cup
⏳ 8pm/et on NBA League Pass pic.twitter.com/9NVHYBWWBp
— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2025
6:25 PM / NOVEMBER 7, 2025
Wemby arrives in all leather
Victor Wembanyama dressed for the occasion ahead of the interstate Texas tilt between his San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets. He’ll look to get back on track tonight after shooting a combined 9-for-28 from the field over his last two outings, both losses for the Spurs.
All leather, all business for Wemby tonight 😎
🆚 HOU-SAS • West Group C
🏆 @emirates NBA Cup
⌛️ 7:30pm/et on Prime pic.twitter.com/iwvAgFvJcv
— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2025
6:10 PM / NOVEMBER 7, 2025
What we know about Friday night hoops
The second night of the Emirates NBA Cup begins tonight, with 22 teams in action across the league, including 14 that are making their Cup debuts. Here are the key dates and schedule of the tournament, with Group Play wrapping up on Friday, November 28.
Alperen Sengun is averaging 22.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.6 steals for the Rockets this season.
The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs will begin their chase of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup in the first of two star-studded matchups on Amazon Prime. Both teams are 5-2 on the season, with the Rockets leading the NBA in scoring at 124.7 per game.
The Celtics look to improve to 2-0 in Group Play as they visit the Magic, who will be playing in their Cup opener (7 ET, League Pass).
Cleveland (0-1 in Cup) is in Washington to take on the Wizards in their Cup debut (East Group A), and they’ll be aiming to snap a six-game losing streak in the process (7 ET, League Pass).
Both the Raptors and Hawks, who battle in Atlanta tonight (7:30 ET, League Pass), are 1-0 in East’s Group A, while the Pistons and Nets square off in their Cup openers in Brooklyn (7:30 ET, League Pass).
A red-hot Bulls (1-0 in Cup) squad led by Josh Giddey are in Milwaukee to take on 2024’s Emirates NBA Cup champions (8 ET, League Pass) in Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (0-0).
Anthony Edwards, who scored 15 in his return from a hamstring injury on Wednesday night, leads the Timberwolves in their Cup opener as they host Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz (0-1 in Cup) tonight (8 ET, League Pass).
Golden State visits the Denver Nuggets (10 ET, Prime) in our national doubleheader night-cap, but they’ll be doing so without Stephen Curry (illness) and Jimmy Butler III (back).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are in Sacramento to take on the Kings (10 ET, League Pass), with both teams making their Cup debuts this evening. Oklahoma City (8-1) is coming off their first loss of the season on Wednesday.