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The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers renew their rivalry Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena as NBA Cup play begins. Philadelphia (4-0) is one of the league’s last unbeaten teams, while Boston (2-3) looks to even the season series and hand the Sixers their first loss. The Sixers already beat Boston 117-116 on opening night behind 74 combined points from Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe. Maxey remains red-hot, averaging 37.5 points and 8.3 assists while shooting 47% from three. Philadelphia rallied from 19 down Tuesday to stun Washington 139-134 in overtime, continuing its impressive turnaround from last year’s injury-plagued 24-58 season. Boston has won two straight since starting 0-3, rolling past the Cavaliers 125-105 behind Jaylen Brown’s 30 points.

The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers meet Friday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to kick off NBA Cup group play. Both teams enter the matchup looking to reset after rough road losses and inconsistent starts to the season. Toronto (1-4) has dropped four straight since winning its opener in Atlanta, while Cleveland (3-2) returns home after a deflating 125-105 loss in Boston. Both squads are part of East Group A, along with the Pacers, Hawks, and Wizards. The Cavaliers were badly outrebounded against the Celtics, giving up 53 boards while struggling to match Boston’s energy. The Raptors fared even worse, surrendering 53 rebounds and allowing 139 points in a loss to Houston. Friday’s contest, then, becomes a test of grit

The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night at FedExForum to open NBA Cup group play. Both teams enter at 3-2 after earning one-point wins Wednesday — the Lakers edged Minnesota 116-115 behind Austin Reaves’ floater, while Ja Morant delivered Memphis a 114-113 road win in Phoenix. The storylines couldn’t be more parallel. The Lakers are thriving without LeBron James (sciatica) and Luka Doncic (leg, finger), while Memphis continues to battle through absences of Zach Edey, Ty Jerome, and Scotty Pippen Jr. Yet both squads have found ways to win late — and they’ll meet in a key early test in West Group B play. For updated Cup standings and real-time movement, see the NBA scores and odds

The Denver Nuggets head to the Pacific Northwest to face the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night at Moda Center. It’s the NBA Cup opener for both teams in West Group C — a pool that includes the Warriors, Spurs, and Rockets — and all eyes will be on Nikola Jokic, who is chasing history. Jokic, the reigning three-time MVP, logged his fourth consecutive triple-double in Wednesday’s 122-88 blowout win over New Orleans. With 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 28 minutes, he tied the NBA record shared by Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook for most triple-doubles to start a season. Another one Friday would give Jokic the record outright — and further cement his early dominance of