PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The NBA Cup kicks off on Friday as the Phoenix Suns host the Denver Nuggets in downtown Phoenix!
The Suns will compete in the West Group A, alongside the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. Don’t miss any of the action as the Suns host Denver and Houston at home, and travel to face off against Utah and Dallas.
Fans can watch Friday’s game live on 3TV at 7 p.m.
With plenty of exciting matchups planned this season, Good Morning Arizona is taking you inside Mortgage Matchup Center to give fans a look at what they will see at Suns games this year.
On the big screen
Fans heading to games this season will notice an unmistakable change outside the arena — the largest LED display on an NBA/WNBA arena.
The new 9,266-square-foot screen measures 226 feet wide by 41 feet tall. Fans heading to Suns games, the upcoming 2027 NBA All-Star Game or downtown concerts will be greeted by stunning HD graphics.
Featuring over 17 million pixels and a 60 frames-per-second refresh rate, the display will deliver crystal-clear videos and photos.
Josh Bartelstein, Suns and Mercury CEO, says he hopes the display will become one of the centerpieces of downtown Phoenix, where fans can see recent highlights, previews for upcoming games or gather for watch parties during important games on the road.
Overnight transformation
Crews worked overnight to convert the Mortgage Matchup Center back to a court after pop star Doja Cat hosted her “Tour Ma Vie” tour Thursday night.
See the transformation in the video above.
One-on-one with Tom Leander
As tournament group play begins on Friday, Gibby Parra and Charly Edsitty spoke with Suns broadcaster Tom Leander about the exciting matchup.
Leander says while it’s still early in the season, the team is still finding its rhythm and footing.
The Suns are currently playing without power forward Oso Ighodaro and center Mark Williams due to injuries. Leander said spacing on the floor has been affected by Ighodaro’s absence, calling Ighodaro “a huge part of that.”
Leander said he expects the team to start clicking as the season continues. Phoenix has won one of its three games so far, but are coming off of blowout 41-point loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Knockout Rounds for the NBA Cup will consist of single-elimination games in the quarterfinals on December 4-5. Semifinals will be held December 8 and/or 9, and the championship game is scheduled for December 11.
Players make more than $500,000 if they win the tournament. Leander says that’s an incentive, especially for players who recently signed new contracts.
Feel the action
The Suns are bringing games to life in a whole new way through a tactile broadcast, giving fans who are blind or have low vision a way to watch with their hands.
A tablet, made by the Seattle-based startup OneCourt, allows fans to feel the game. The device takes NBA tracking data and converts it into vibrations. Fans can follow each play live with their fingertips.
The team has offered OneCourt to fans for the last three years. One fan, Abel, showed Gibby and Charly how the device works.
Learn how you can reserve a device for your next Suns game.
New threads
Fans won’t want to miss out on grabbing some new merch this season! Gibby and Charly visited the team shop to show us the newest threads.
Some of those goodies include Devin Booker’s new jersey number and cozy fall sweatshirts, as well as apparel inspired by the NBA Cup court’s custom design from the Nike collection.
The shop also features women’s styles from local brand The Wild Collective.
Check out our previous Field Trip Friday segments here.
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