Can the s win the NBA Cup a second time?
LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Lakers and captured the inaugural NBA Cup again in December 2023. The workforce went on a 7-0 run and defeated the s within the closing.
These veteran gamers are now not in Los Angeles, however Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are a promising duo that might show to be a wild card within the 2026 event.
The Lakers maintain a 13-3 file within the event’s historical past, which is second greatest.
Right here's what you should know concerning the Lakers' possibilities within the 2026-27 NBA Cup event.
Contents
NBA Cup West Group C
The Lakers' group comprises two different groups from the Pacific Division.
- s
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Golden State Warriors
- Portland Path Blazers
- s
Will Lakers win West Group C in NBA Cup?
Coming into Friday, the Lakers have put collectively a 4-1 begin to the season with a 1-1 file in opposition to groups of their group.
Los Angeles will start event play in opposition to the Warriors, a workforce it already beat 127-105 to start out the season.
Doncic and the Lakers lead the league in scoring via the early a part of the season, averaging 123.2 factors per recreation. Doncic was the 2025-26 scoring champion and is on tempo to repeat, averaging 36 factors per recreation. He’s already put collectively a 50-point efficiency.
Heart Walker Kessler may show to be a wild card for the Lakers. The large man should prepared the ground on the defensive aspect of the ball, however Los Angeles may additionally profit from him placing collectively robust performances offensively.
Kessler produced robust back-to-back outings to start out the season. He shot 12-for-12 from the sphere for 26 factors and added one other 22 factors in opposition to the Clippers within the workforce's second recreation of the season.
What may forestall Lakers from a profitable NBA Cup run?
The well being of the Lakers may issue into simply how profitable the workforce shall be all through the event.
Doncic missed his first recreation earlier within the week with again tightness. Ziaire Williams has missed two video games for the Lakers as a consequence of left foot soreness.
On the court docket, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs may pose the most important risk to the Lakers. The Spurs are coming off an NBA Finals look, however are 3-2 to start out the season.
The Path Blazers may additionally pose a risk to the Lakers, having already crushed Los Angeles this season. Damian Lillard and the Blazers managed to beat a high-scoring night time from the Lakers' star duo and nonetheless managed to drag off a 136-129 win. Doncic completed with 41 factors and 9 assists, whereas Austin Reaves added 26 factors. The Lakers struggled to get stops all through the sport and had been outscored 34-26 within the fourth quarter. Lillard was one among 4 gamers for Portland to attain greater than 20 factors in opposition to Los Angeles.
Lakers' NBA Cup schedule
- Lakers at Warriors (Friday, Oct. 30)
- Path Blazers at Lakers (Friday, Nov. 6)
- Kings at Lakers (Friday, Nov. 20)
- Lakers at Spurs (Friday, Nov. 27)
Extra: e
What’s the NBA Cup?
The Emirates NBA Cup is the league's annual in-season event, which was began in 2023 to assist drive curiosity within the early season schedule. The competitors options group play and knockout rounds with gamers and groups competing for a prize pool of cash that will increase based mostly on how far a workforce advances.
When does the NBA Cup begin?
The primary video games of the 2026 NBA Cup will happen on Friday, Oct. 30, when group play begins. Subsequent video games are scheduled each Friday via Nov. 27. There will even be NBA Cup video games on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and Wednesday, Nov. 25.
How does the NBA Cup work?
The league's 30 groups had been separated into six teams that includes 5 groups in August. The NBA decided the teams utilizing a draw system that positioned every workforce in a pod based mostly on their file throughout the 2025-26 season. The draw positioned one workforce from every pot into every of the three teams in each the Jap and Western Conferences.
Reporter Mark Giannotto contributed to this report
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: .
