Warriors' 2026 NBA Cup Schedule: Spurs Clash on Nov. 13 Looms Large After 1-3 Finish

Warriors' 2026 NBA Cup Schedule Kicks Off October 30

The Golden State Warriors now have their full 2026 NBA Cup group-play slate locked in, and it starts fast. Golden State opens group play on Friday, Oct. 30 against the Los Angeles Lakers, setting the tone for a stretch that runs through late November.

The headline date on the calendar, though, is Friday, Nov. 13, when the Warriors travel to face the San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET, with the game airing on Prime Video. That matchup sits inside West Group C, where both teams have been slotted for this year's Cup competition.

Beyond those two dates, Golden State's group schedule also includes a home game against Sacramento on Nov. 25 and a road trip to Portland on Nov. 27, rounding out a four-game group stage that the NBA has scheduled across Oct. 30, Nov. 6, Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 24, Nov. 25 and Nov. 27.

Why the Nov. 13 Spurs Game Stands Out on the Cup Calendar

The Nov. 13 matchup against San Antonio isn't the opener, but it's positioned as the Warriors' third group-stage game — a point in the schedule where teams typically have a clearer read on their identity for the season. It's the only meeting between Golden State and the Spurs in this year's West Group C slate.

San Antonio's own Cup schedule frames the game the same way from their side: after road trips to Sacramento and ahead of a road game in Portland and a home date with the Lakers, the Spurs host Golden State on Nov. 13 as their second group contest. For both franchises, it's a mid-cycle checkpoint rather than a season-opening formality.

There's no need to speculate on rosters or health to understand the significance here — the scheduling itself makes this the marquee date on Golden State's group-stage calendar, sandwiched between the Lakers opener and the closing back-to-back against Sacramento and Portland.

The 1-3 Group Stage That Warriors Want to Erase

Context matters here: Golden State closed last season's NBA Cup group stage at 1-3, a mark that left them last in West Group C and ended their run before the knockout rounds even began. Multiple standings and postgame recaps confirm that finish, capped by a group-stage loss to Houston.

A 1-3 record isn't just a bad stretch — it's the kind of result that turns every group-stage game into a must-win scenario the following year. With four games again determining Cup advancement in 2026, the margin for slow starts or split results is thin if Golden State wants a different outcome this time.

That's the backdrop against which the Nov. 13 trip to San Antonio gets read. It's not framed as a referendum on the roster, but it is the kind of midseason group game the Warriors let slip away last year — and the schedule now gives them a defined shot to do better.

What to Watch Before the Cup Tips Off

With the schedule now official, three dates anchor Golden State's path through group play: the Oct. 30 opener vs. the Lakers, the Nov. 13 road game at San Antonio, and the closing pair against Sacramento (Nov. 25) and Portland (Nov. 27).

The NBA has also confirmed that group play across the league runs through Nov. 6 and Nov. 20 and Nov. 24 for other matchups league-wide, meaning the full West Group C picture — including how Golden State's results stack up against San Antonio, Sacramento, Portland and the Lakers — will sharpen as those dates arrive.

• Oct. 30 — Group opener vs. Lakers at home
• Nov. 13 — Key road test at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video
• Nov. 25 — Home game vs. Sacramento
• Nov. 27 — Group finale at Portland