For the first time in the 2025-26 NBA season, there will be no games on Thursday.
The league will take a quick Thanksgiving break, knowing that day is usually reserved for the NFL. However, they will be right back on Black Friday with a full slate of NBA Cup matchups.
Why Are There No NBA Games on Thanksgiving?
The NBA hasn’t had games played on Thanksgiving since the 2011 lockout. The NFL holds an annual triple-header, and it’s one of the main traditions in American culture.
So, in addition to giving workers and players a day off, there will be no point in maintaining a regular schedule when the NFL dominates ratings. Fortunately for the fans, the league will be right back on Black Friday.
Full NBA Schedule for Black Friday
The NBA Cup will be back on Friday with the following slate of games:
- Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 p.m.
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks at 7:30 p.m.
- Chicago Bulls vs Charlotte Hornets at 7:30 p.m.
- Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons at 7:30 p.m.
- Washington Wizards vs Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m.
- Milwaukee Bucks vs New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m.
- Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder at 9:30 p.m.
- San Antonio Spurs vs Denver Nuggets at 9:30 p.m.
- Sacramento Kings vs Utah Jazz at 9:30 p.m.
- Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m.
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Clippers at 10 p.m
Key NBA Cup Games to Watch on Black Friday
Suns vs. Thunder
The defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, are sitting on a league-best 18-1 record and are riding a ten-game winning streak. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is looking like an MVP again, and Jalen Williams hasn’t even made his debut yet.
The Phoenix Suns, on the other hand, are also undefeated in NBA Cup play, and they’ve overcome a slow start to the season to look like a playoff-caliber outfit.
Spurs vs. Nuggets
Even without Victor Wembanyama, the new-look San Antonio Spurs have stayed competitive with De’Aaron Fox at the helm.
The Denver Nuggets, on the other hand, have the best big man in the game in Nikola Jokic, and whoever wins this game will most likely win the group.
Mavericks vs. Lakers
Last but not least, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks will square off again, and that will be a significant storyline for as long as Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic remain in the league.
Davis is aiming to make his return after missing most of the season with a calf injury, while Doncic will look to remind the Mavericks what they could’ve had and lost.