Nuggets play Suns in first Emirates NBA Cup game

The Denver Nuggets begin their 2026 Emirates NBA Cup journey in Phoenix.

INJURY REPORT

Denver:
Alpha Diallo — QUESTIONABLE (Personal Reasons)
Cameron Johnson — QUESTIONABLE (Right Ankle Sprain)
Spencer Jones — OUT (Bilateral Hamstring Injury Management)
Julian Strawther — OUT (Left Knee Sprain)

Phoenix:
Oso Ighodaro — QUESTIONABLE (Right Oblique Strain)
Drew Timme — OUT (G League Two-Way Assignment)
Mark Williams — OUT (Left Shoulder Surgery)

The NBA's inaugural in-season tournament, the Emirates NBA Cup, kicks off on Friday across the league. All 30 teams will compete for the NBA Cup trophy, with a winner crowned at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on December 11th. To begin, teams are separated into six different groups for the NBA Cup Group Stage.

Denver is a part of Western Conference Group A, where they'll play the Houston Rockets, the Phoenix Suns, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Utah Jazz. Should they finish with Group A's best overall record, or lock in a wild card spot, they'll advance to the Knockout Stage. From there, they'll battle with teams from the other groups in a single-elimination tournament, similar to the NCAA's March Madness.

All Group Stage games will count toward the regular season standings. That includes Friday's showdown with the Suns, who have started the season at 1-2. The Nuggets, meanwhile, are hoping to go above .500 for the first time this season, sitting at 2-2.

Some exciting news for the Nuggets is that Cam Johnson and Alpha Diallo have been upgraded to questionable for Friday. It remains to be seen if they'll actually suit up for the game against the Suns, but this injury update certainly indicates they're trending in the right direction.

TUNE-IN: Friday, October 30, 8:00 p.m. MT; Altitude TV; Altitude+; Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM