Celtics at Pistons
Afternoon tipBoston opens the season in Detroit to start a day of basketball — a rematch-flavored Eastern Conference clash under the afternoon sun.
📅 3:00 PM ET · DetroitThe 81st NBA season is here. The New York Knicks raise their first championship banner since 1973 as Opening Night tips off with a tripleheader on NBC and Peacock — all times below in ET.
Boston opens the season in Detroit to start a day of basketball — a rematch-flavored Eastern Conference clash under the afternoon sun.
📅 3:00 PM ET · DetroitNew York hangs its 2026 championship banner before facing a rebuilt Philadelphia side — while the Garden celebrates a title 53 years in the making.
📅 7:00 PM ET · Madison Square GardenOklahoma City visits San Antonio in a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals — the nightcap of the first-ever Opening Night tripleheader.
📅 9:30 PM ET · San AntonioNew York finally ended a 53-year drought in June, beating San Antonio 4-1 behind Finals MVP Jalen Brunson's 45-point Game 5. Now comes the harder part: the first repeat since 2018 — with every contender circling.
LeBron James swapped the Lakers for Philadelphia in his 24th season, teaming with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown. After a 4-0 semifinal sweep by the Knicks last spring, the Sixers went all-in.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Miami Heat player — his debut comes October 21 against Minnesota, one night after Opening Night. South Beach has a new superstar era.
Circle December 25: the Christmas Day headliner is a Finals rematch — Knicks vs. Spurs. The league is selling the rivalry that defined last June.
The in-season tournament moves its finale to historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on December 11 — the first Cup final played outside Las Vegas.
Seeds 7-10 in each conference fight through the Play-In for the last two playoff spots — where one bad night can end a contender's season in April.
| Team | W | L |
|---|---|---|
| Season starts Oct 20 — standings update here after tip-off. | ||
| Team | W | L |
|---|---|---|
| Season starts Oct 20 — standings update here after tip-off. | ||
Standings tables go live once the season begins and will refresh with the latest results.
The regular season tips off on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with an Opening Night tripleheader on NBC and Peacock: Celtics at Pistons (3:00 PM ET), 76ers at Knicks (7:00 PM ET) and Thunder at Spurs (9:30 PM ET).
The New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA Finals, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1. It was their first championship since 1973, and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in the clinching Game 5.
Teams finishing 7th through 10th in each conference enter the Play-In. The 7th and 8th seeds play for the 7 seed; the loser then plays the winner of the 9th-10th game for the final 8 seed. The top 6 seeds in each conference qualify directly for the playoffs.
Early title odds favor the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder as co-favorites, with the defending champion New York Knicks and the rebuilt Philadelphia 76ers in the next tier.
The NBA Cup (in-season tournament) group play runs October 30 to November 27, 2026, with knockout rounds December 4-9 and the final on December 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Season facts on this page are based on the NBA's official 2026-27 schedule announcements. Dates and matchups may change — check the official NBA schedule for the latest updates.