Friday is the first Cup Night of the 2026 NBA Cup: all 10 games count as Group Play, played on each team's Cup court, and they still count in the regular-season standings. Two are on Prime Video. The Knicks, who are defending both the Cup and the title, open Group Play in Philadelphia against a 4-1 76ers team that has watched the line flip against it, with Jaylen Brown now questionable. Houston brings a 5-0 start, and a 5-0 record against the spread, into Dallas two days after the Mavericks beat Oklahoma City by 24. And the night closes in San Francisco, where the Lakers wait on Luka Dončić's back and Stephen Curry comes off a 44-point night. Those three are free; the other seven cards are in Tome Intel. All times are Eastern.

New York Knicks @ Philadelphia 76ers | 7:30 PM ET | Prime Video

New York is finding its footing, and it starts its Cup defense here. The Knicks came back from 19 down in the third quarter to win 133-127 in Chicago on Wednesday, on the second night of a back-to-back, with Jalen Brunson scoring 38 with six threes and seven assists. OG Anunoby added 23 and Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 and 13. That's two straight wins after an 0-3 start. New York's report for Friday hadn't been filed at our deadline; Jose Alvarado missed Wednesday with an ankle sprain.

Philadelphia is 4-1 after winning 114-109 in Indiana on Wednesday, when Tyrese Maxey scored 27 with a step-back three in the final 70 seconds, Joel Embiid had 21 and 11, Jaylen Brown had 20 and 10, and Anfernee Simons scored 20 off the bench. LeBron James had 13 points and 10 assists without a turnover. Brown is now questionable with a knee issue, and Jabari Walker, Dominick Barlow, Tacko Fall and Ariel Hukporti are out.

These teams opened the season against each other on ring night, a 106-100 Philadelphia win at the Garden. The matchup is Brunson against a 76ers backcourt that closed Wednesday's game well, and whether Brown is available changes how much Philadelphia can match New York's size on the wing.

New York wins if Brunson keeps up Wednesday's scoring, Towns and Anunoby win the glass, and the Knicks' offense keeps finding the rhythm it found in the second half in Chicago.

Philadelphia wins if Brown is cleared, Maxey and Embiid carry the offense, and the 76ers' guards contain Brunson the way they did on opening night.

Lean Philadelphia +1.5 (Strong), and lean the under 228.5 (Strong).

Houston Rockets @ Dallas Mavericks | 8:00 PM ET | NBA League Pass

Houston keeps winning without its centers. The Rockets beat Milwaukee 132-100 on Wednesday without Alperen Şengün and Marcus Smart, with Fred VanVleet scoring 24 with four threes, Amen Thompson 23 on 10-of-16 and Kevin Durant 18 with three blocks. Şengün (back) and Smart (forearm) are questionable again, and Steven Adams and Reed Sheppard are out.

Dallas is coming off its best night of the season, a 120-96 win over Oklahoma City on Wednesday that handed the Thunder their first loss. Cooper Flagg had 26 points and eight assists without a turnover, P.J. Washington had 18 and nine, and Kyrie Irving was plus-25. Dereck Lively II and Sergio de Larrea are out, Santi Aldama and Tarik Biberovic are doubtful, and Naji Marshall is questionable with an illness.

The matchup is Flagg against a Houston defense that just held Milwaukee to 100, and whether Şengün is available changes how much of the glass Houston can win against a short-handed Dallas frontcourt.

Houston wins if Şengün returns, VanVleet and Thompson keep scoring the way they did in Milwaukee, and the Rockets win the rebounding battle against a thin Dallas frontcourt.

Dallas wins if Flagg builds on Wednesday, Irving controls the pace, and the Mavericks keep the turnovers down the way they did against Oklahoma City.

Lean Dallas +5.5 (Lean), and lean the over 227.5 (Toss-up).

Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors | 10:00 PM ET | Prime Video

Golden State is 2-3 and coming off its best game. The Warriors beat Minnesota 119-114 on Wednesday, with Stephen Curry scoring 44 and going 16-of-16 at the line, Yaxel Lendeborg adding 26 and nine, and Draymond Green chipping in nine rebounds, six assists and three steals. Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porziņģis are out, and Gui Santos is day-to-day with knee tendinitis.

The Lakers are 4-1 after beating the Clippers 103-87 on Wednesday without Luka Dončić, who sat with a back issue on the second night of a back-to-back. Quentin Grimes scored 23 and Collin Sexton 21 off the bench. Dončić is listed as day-to-day. Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero are out.

The first meeting, on opening week, was a 22-point Lakers win in Los Angeles. The line has moved three points toward the Lakers since it opened, which says the market expects Dončić to be available.

Los Angeles wins if Dončić is back and controls the game, Grimes and Reaves keep sharing the load, and Walker Kessler wins the glass against a thin Warriors frontcourt.

Golden State wins if Curry stays hot, Lendeborg keeps producing, and Green makes the Lakers' offense work for every look.

Lean Golden State +1.5 (Toss-up), and lean the over 234.5 (Toss-up).

Watch Jaylen Brown's knee in Philadelphia, Alperen Şengün's back in Dallas and Luka Dončić's back in San Francisco; all three could change these matchups before tip. Group Play continues on the next six Cup Nights through Nov. 27, with the championship Dec. 11 in Indianapolis. That's 10 cards on the side and 10 on the total, three free and seven in Tome Intel. We'll have the recap Saturday with every card graded.