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NBL’s $550k showdown explained as historic Cup battle begins... and why every quarter matters
Parker vows to bring success to Breakers | 11:55The NBL Ignite Cup is back after the inaugural tournament was taken out by the New Zealand Breakers last season, who defeated the Adelaide 36ers in the final to walk away with a cool $300,000 of the $400,000 prize pool.
New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Now, one season later, the tournament has taken another leap, with a record-breaking prize pool set to have every NBL team chasing the money. Last season, the NBL introduced the Ignite Cup, adding 21 games throughout the season to be played every Wednesday night and bringing regular midweek basketball to the calendar.
In NBL26, the format was simple. Each team played two home games and two road games, with the two highest-ranked teams at the end of the tournament advancing to the Ignite Cup final. That saw the Breakers defeat the 36ers 111-107 to claim the first-ever Ignite Cup title and $300,000, while Adelaide walked away with $100,000 as runners-up.
In the heated final, 36ers star Bryce Cotton finished with 34 points and nine assists while playing all 40 minutes, but it wasn’t enough. Parker Jackson-Cartwright led the Breakers with 29 points and five assists, while former import Izaiah Brockington added 21 points in the victory.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright of the Breakers drives to the basket during the NBL Ignite Cup Final match between Adelaide 36ers and New Zealand Breakers at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, on February 22, 2026, in Gold Coast, Australia. Now, another season on, the Ignite Cup is back, but with some slight changes to the format. Every game will still count towards the regular season, with 20 Ignite Cup games locked in this season.
However, a new finals format has been introduced, with four teams now advancing to a finals series in the nation’s capital at AIS Arena in Canberra, which will host two jam-packed nights of Ignite Cup action. Bryce Cotton of the 36ers competes during the NBL Ignite Cup Final match between Adelaide 36ers and New Zealand Breakers at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, on February 22, 2026, in Gold Coast, Australia.
The semi-finals will be played on Friday, February 19, before the final is held two days later on Sunday, February 21. The huge draw this season is the increased prize money, jumping from $400,000 to a whopping $550,000, the largest prize pool in league history, with the money to be split between the teams and players.
Teams receive points towards the Ignite Cup ladder from each game, with three points awarded for an overall victory and another point available for winning each quarter. It means every quarter becomes its own mini-battle, keeping the intensity high from tip-off to the final buzzer as teams chase crucial points on the Ignite Cup ladder. – Three points are awarded to the team that wins the game.
– Half a point is awarded to both teams if they score the same number of points in a quarter. The maximum number of points available to a team that wins is seven, with four points available for winning each quarter and another three for winning the game. Interestingly, a team can still walk away with a maximum of three points despite losing the game by winning three of the four quarters.
If a game goes to overtime, no additional quarter points are awarded, with only the three points for winning the game up for grabs. The tournament tips off tonight with a double-header, as defending champions the New Zealand Breakers host the Cairns Taipans at Spark Arena in Auckland , before the Sydney Kings take on the Brisbane Bullets in Sydney .
An Ignite Cup match ball is seen during a NBL media opportunity at National Arboretum on August 03, 2026 in Canberra, Australia. The Breakers will now begin their quest to defend the inaugural Ignite Cup crown, but with more teams heading to the finals and a record $550,000 on the line, the race for the title has only got bigger.
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