Here's where things stand in the NBA Gold Cup ahead of Friday's game. The knockout stage quarterfinals run from Dec. 9-10 with two games on each day. The semifinals will commence three days later on Saturday, Dec. 13 and the Finals will be on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as one of the most dominant offensive teams in the NBA early in the 2025–26 season, entering Friday with a 16–5 record. The driving force behind their success has been the elite play of superstar Luka Doncic. The 26-year-old guard is off to a blistering start, firmly placing himself in the middle of the MVP race.

From opening night to the NBA Finals, here's what to know about how to watch games in the 2025-26 season. Brian Martin The wait is over. Get ready for the start of the 2025-26 season. • Download the NBA App • Amex 2025-26 Season Preview • FAQ ...

Dec. 9 How they got here: Orlando clinched East Group B and the No. 1 overall seed with a win over Detroit on Friday. That Pistons loss, plus a Cavaliers loss, opened the door and Miami walked through it to advance as the Wild Card with a 3-1 record.

After clinching their group on Tuesday with a win over the Clippers and finishing unbeaten in group play on Friday against the Mavs, the Lakers will host their quarterfinal matchup against the Spurs.

In the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (known as the World team) will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games. The three teams will each have a minimum of eight players.

The NBA fined the Cleveland Cavaliers $250,000 on Thursday for violating the league’s player participation policy by resting All-Star guard Darius Garland for a nationally televised game against the Toronto Raptors on Nov.

Lauri Markkanen and Michael Porter Jr. are two of the top players with prop bets available when the Utah Jazz and the Brooklyn Nets square off at Barclays Center on Thursday (beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET).