When Does the 2026-27 NBA Season Start?
The 2026-27 NBA season starts Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with three games on NBC and Peacock: Celtics at Pistons at 3 PM ET, 76ers at Knicks at 7 PM ET, and Thunder at Spurs at 9:30 PM ET. The other 24 teams play their first games on Oct. 21 or 22. The regular season ends Sunday, April 11, 2027.
Below are opening night in your time zone, every team's first game, the dates worth knowing through April, and which network has which night.
NBA opening night 2026: times and channels
| Game | ET | CT | MT | PT | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons | 3 PM | 2 PM | 1 PM | 12 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks | 7 PM | 6 PM | 5 PM | 4 PM | NBC, Peacock |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs | 9:30 PM | 8:30 PM | 7:30 PM | 6:30 PM | NBC, Peacock |
That first game is the one people miss. It tips off on a Tuesday afternoon, noon on the West Coast, while most of us are at work. The Knicks raise their championship banner before the 7 PM game (NBC's coverage starts at 6:30 PM ET), and it's LeBron James's and Jaylen Brown's first game with the Sixers. The night ends with Thunder–Spurs, a rematch of last spring's Western Conference Finals.
When does my team play its first game?
All 30 teams have played by Thursday, Oct. 22. Times are Eastern. Your calendar shows them in your own time zone.
| Team | First game | Opponent | Tip-off | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Tue, Oct 20 | at Detroit Pistons | 3 PM ET | NBC/Peacock |
| Detroit Pistons | Tue, Oct 20 | vs Boston Celtics | 3 PM ET | NBC/Peacock |
| New York Knicks | Tue, Oct 20 | vs Philadelphia 76ers | 7 PM ET | NBC/Peacock |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Tue, Oct 20 | at New York Knicks | 7 PM ET | NBC/Peacock |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Tue, Oct 20 | at San Antonio Spurs | 9:30 PM ET | NBC/Peacock |
| San Antonio Spurs | Tue, Oct 20 | vs Oklahoma City Thunder | 9:30 PM ET | NBC/Peacock |
| Atlanta Hawks | Wed, Oct 21 | at Orlando Magic | 7 PM ET | Local TV |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Wed, Oct 21 | at Washington Wizards | 7 PM ET | Local TV |
| Orlando Magic | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Atlanta Hawks | 7 PM ET | Local TV |
| Washington Wizards | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Milwaukee Bucks | 7 PM ET | Local TV |
| Brooklyn Nets | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Charlotte Hornets | 7:30 PM ET | Local TV |
| Charlotte Hornets | Wed, Oct 21 | at Brooklyn Nets | 7:30 PM ET | Local TV |
| Chicago Bulls | Wed, Oct 21 | at Toronto Raptors | 7:30 PM ET | Local TV |
| Miami Heat | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Minnesota Timberwolves | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Wed, Oct 21 | at Miami Heat | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN |
| Toronto Raptors | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Chicago Bulls | 7:30 PM ET | Local TV |
| Indiana Pacers | Wed, Oct 21 | at New Orleans Pelicans | 8 PM ET | Local TV |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Utah Jazz | 8 PM ET | Local TV |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Indiana Pacers | 8 PM ET | Local TV |
| Utah Jazz | Wed, Oct 21 | at Memphis Grizzlies | 8 PM ET | Local TV |
| Dallas Mavericks | Wed, Oct 21 | at Houston Rockets | 8:30 PM ET | Local TV |
| Houston Rockets | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Dallas Mavericks | 8:30 PM ET | Local TV |
| Golden State Warriors | Wed, Oct 21 | at Los Angeles Lakers | 10 PM ET | ESPN |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Golden State Warriors | 10 PM ET | ESPN |
| Phoenix Suns | Wed, Oct 21 | at Portland Trail Blazers | 10 PM ET | Local TV |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Phoenix Suns | 10 PM ET | Local TV |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Wed, Oct 21 | vs Sacramento Kings | 10:30 PM ET | Local TV |
| Sacramento Kings | Wed, Oct 21 | at Los Angeles Clippers | 10:30 PM ET | Local TV |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Thu, Oct 22 | at Philadelphia 76ers | 7 PM ET | ESPN |
| Denver Nuggets | Thu, Oct 22 | at Oklahoma City Thunder | 9:30 PM ET | ESPN |
Want the full slate? See the NBA schedule 2026-27 with every upcoming game.
TV as of Oct 8, 2026. NBA TV's game schedule hasn't been announced yet, so some "Local TV" games may pick up a national channel. If one does, the event in a subscribed calendar updates by itself.
NBA schedule 2026-27: the dates worth knowing
- Oct 20: opening night (above).
- Oct 21–23: opening week doubleheaders on ESPN (Wed, Thu) and Prime Video (Fri).
- Oct 30: NBA Cup group play starts. "Cup Nights" are every Friday through Nov 27, plus Tue Nov 24 and Wed Nov 25.
- Nov 3 (Election Day): no games.
- Dec 4–11: NBA Cup knockout rounds, all on Prime Video. The final is Dec 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
- Dec 25: five Christmas games on ABC and ESPN: Spurs at Knicks (noon ET), Heat at Celtics (2:30), 76ers at Lakers (5), Thunder at Timberwolves (8) and Nuggets at Warriors (10:30).
- Jan 18: MLK Day games on NBC and Peacock.
- Jan 26–30: Rivals Week.
- Feb 11: trade deadline.
- Feb 19–21: All-Star weekend in Phoenix, on NBC and Peacock.
- Apr 10: no games. Apr 11: final day, all 30 teams play. East games tip at 6 PM ET, West games at 8:30 PM ET.
- Apr 13–16: Play-In Tournament, all six games on Prime Video.
- Apr 17: playoffs begin.
How the 2026-27 schedule works
Every team plays 82 games, but only 80 are on the schedule right now. The last two for each team are played between Dec. 4 and Dec. 10, and the NBA sets them once NBA Cup group play ends. If your team's schedule shows 80 games, nothing is missing. The other two show up in December.
Times move too. National TV picks shift, Cup games get added, and playoff dates aren't set until the matchups are. A schedule you printed or downloaded in October won't know about any of that. A subscribed calendar does.
Where to watch NBA games in 2026-27
National games are split across three companies:
- Monday: Peacock (also on NBCSN), from Oct. 26
- Tuesday: NBC and Peacock
- Wednesday: ESPN
- Thursday: Prime Video, from January
- Friday: Prime Video. ESPN adds some Friday doubleheaders from January.
- Saturday night: ABC, from Dec. 12
- Sunday night: NBC and Peacock (Sunday Night Basketball), from Jan. 24
Most other games are on your team's local TV channel. The full breakdown is in NBA on TV in 2026-27: which network has which night.
Get your teams' games on your calendar
If you follow one NBA team, you can get its schedule free from the team's website or the NBA's own calendar. It works.
Most people follow more than one team, though: an NBA team, an NFL team, maybe the hockey club in town and a soccer side. That's four apps and four schedules to check. SportsCal puts all of them in one calendar (Google, iPhone or Outlook) with tip-off in your time zone and a link to watch. When a game moves, the event in your calendar moves with it.
- Open the NBA hub, or a team page from the table above.
- Tap Get Season Pass — $47/yr, pick your teams and pay.
- Add the feed to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook. Times show in your zone.
Prefer a walkthrough? Add the NBA to Google Calendar or to your iPhone.
Or start from your team's page. Season Pass is $47 a year: every team you follow, in every league, in one calendar. You can add more teams to it later without paying again.
Starting from a city? All of Boston · NYC · LA · Bay Area · Philly · Chicago · Miami · Dallas
FAQ
When does the 2026-27 NBA season start?
Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The Celtics at Pistons tips off first at 3 PM ET on NBC and Peacock.
What time is the first NBA game of the season?
3 PM ET (noon PT) on Oct. 20: Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons, on NBC and Peacock. The 76ers at Knicks follows at 7 PM ET, and the Thunder at Spurs at 9:30 PM ET.
When does the NBA regular season end?
Sunday, April 11, 2027, with all 30 teams playing that day. The Play-In runs April 13–16, and the playoffs start April 17.
How many games are in the NBA season?
82 per team. Eighty are set now. The last two are set in December from NBA Cup group results and played Dec. 4–10.
What channel is NBA opening night on?
NBC, and every game streams on Peacock. Wednesday's openers are on ESPN, and Friday's are on Prime Video.