4 Observations From Blazers' NBA Cup Schedule: Luka, Wembanyama, Curry and More

The Portland Trail Blazers will face off against some of the brightest stars in the league when the NBA Cup takes place in November and December.

The team was drawn into West Group C last month, and now the schedule for those games has been released ahead of the league-wide schedule release on Thursday. Here's a look at all four games and what to expect for the Blazers.

Game 1: Los Angeles Lakers

Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

November 6 @ Los Angeles Lakers, 7:00 PM, Amazon Prime, Crypto.com Arena

The Blazers will kick off their NBA Cup journey in Tinseltown when they take on Luka Doncic and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers will be without LeBron James for the first time since 2018, and the Blazers are making some adjustments of their own. Both of these could be viewed as positives rather than negatives.

Losing LeBron will hurt the Lakers, but building the team more around Doncic and Austin Reeves in the backcourt will still form a challenge for Portland. The Blazers have a new-look backcourt of their own, with Ja Morant and Damian Lillard teaming up.

This should be an exciting game that is worthy of the prime-time treatment, and it will set the tone for Portland as they look to experience their first taste of NBA Cup success.

Game 2: Sacramento Kings

November 13 @ Sacramento Kings, 7:00 PM, Rip City Television Network, Golden 1 Center

Sacramento Kings guard Daeqwon Plowden drives to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Facing off against the Sacramento Kings on the road will be an important game for the Blazers in hopes of moving forward in the NBA Cup. Every game matters, and point differential can come into play.

Portland needs to take advantage of playing the arguably weakest opponent in the group by taking care of them on the road and trying to drum up the scoreboard as much as possible. Just because the Kings are viewed as the weakest team in the group doesn't mean they won't put up a fight.

Rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. is expected to lead the team, and although he is just a first-year pro, he has the ability to drum up points in droves. Containing him will be key to the matchup as the Blazers look to grab an all-important win in California's capital city.

Game 3: San Antonio Spurs

November 25 vs. San Antonio Spurs, 7:00 PM, ESPN, Moda Center

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is a game the Blazers should definitely have circles on their calendar after the Spurs beat them in a five-game series during the first round of the playoffs back in April. The Spurs should also be coming into the game with a bit of a chip on their shoulder after losing in the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks.

Victor Wembanyama is as hungry as ever to compete and win, just as they did last year in the NBA Cup. The Spurs went all the way to Las Vegas and won the Western Conference Final but lost to the Knicks in the championship, much like they did in the NBA Finals.

Getting a chance to dethrone the champs of the Western Conference is an opportunity the Blazers should relish, and this game should certainly turn things up a notch for Portland as it is their first home game of the NBA Cup run.

Game 4: Golden State Warriors

November 27 vs. Golden State Warriors, 6:30 PM, Rip City Television Network, Moda Center

Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday guards Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Blazers will close their NBA Cup slate at home against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, who always bring a flair of the dramatic to games at the Moda Center. This could be the first time Lillard is facing off against the Warriors back with the Blazers, which could reignite a rivalry that stemmed throughout most of the 2010s.

The Blazers and Warriors met in the 2019 Western Conference Finals, but things are a little bit different this time around. The Warriors are a shell of the team that they once were, but Curry is always threatening and has a chance to completely dismantle a team, even in 2026.

Meanwhile, this is a good chance to truly see if Lillard can turn back the clock and be the same player he was when he played with Portland for 11 seasons, from 2012-23.

Add us as a preferred source on Google