Rockets to Win 2026 NBA Cup as Knicks Exit Early — SkimNews
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- Knicks fail to advance past the group stage in 2026, continuing a trend of defending NBA Cup champions exiting early after the Lakers and Bucks suffered the same fate in prior seasons.
- Trail Blazers win West Group C, edging out the Spurs and Lakers due to strong early-season form led by Damian Lillard and Ja Morant before facing tougher knockout-round challenges.
- Kings set a new NBA Cup record for worst point differential in group play, surpassing the 2025 Jazz's -85 mark amid lopsided losses to Spurs, Lakers, Warriors, and Blazers.
- Pistons and Celtics emerge as East finalists, advancing through favorable groups shaped by injuries to key opponents and their own strong starts to the season.
- Rockets win the 2026 NBA Cup**, claiming the title at Hinkle Fieldhouse despite Alperen Sengun's early injury, leveraging a smooth offense and strong defense to prove their postseason potential.
- New York Knicks become the third straight defending NBA Cup champion to not survive the group stage, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining early-season dominance.
Why it matters: The Rockets gain a critical confidence boost and validation of their title contention after last year’s playoff exit, while the Knicks’ early Cup elimination undermines their dual-championship momentum and exposes depth issues in a brutal group that includes the 76ers, Cavaliers, and Pacers.
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