The 2026-27 NBA regular season begins Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. Opening Night features a tripleheader with Boston at Detroit, Philadelphia at New York and Oklahoma City at San Antonio.
It is the start of the NBA’s 81st regular season. The schedule runs through Sunday, April 11, 2027.
2026 NBA Opening Night Schedule
- Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons, 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
- Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks, 7 p.m. ET (NBC)
- Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs, 9:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
NBA Opening Night & Christmas Day schedules are ‘DELICIOUS’ with LeBron vs. Knicks & Lakers | FTF
The NBA has released its opening night and Christmas Day schedules, with marquee matchups featuring LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers. Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes question if the NBA got the schedule right.
Chat at Piston
Boston visits Detroit in the first game of the season. An unusual start to the afternoon ended with two teams tied for the best records in the Eastern Conference during the 2025-26 regular season.
76ers at Knicks
The defending NBA champion Knicks host the 76ers at Madison Square Garden. New York will raise its 2025-26 flag before the championship game.
His spurs thundered
Opening Night in San Antonio concludes with a rematch of the 2026 Western Conference finals between the Thunder and the Spurs.
What Are the Key Dates for the 2026-27 NBA Season?
- Oct. 20: Regular season begins
- Oct. 30: NBA Cup Group Play begins
- Dec. 11: NBA Cup championship
- Dec. 25: Five Christmas Day games
- Jan. 26-30: NBA Rivals Week
- Feb. 19-21: NBA All-Star 2027 in Phoenix
- April 11: Regular season ends
How Many Games Does Each NBA Team Play?
Each NBA team plays 82 regular season games. Initially, the schedule assigns 80 games to each team. The remaining two matchups will be placed in the NBA Cup Group Play event.
When is the end of the 2026-27 NBA regular season?
The regular season ends on Sunday, April 11, 2027. All 30 teams will play that day with Eastern Conference games and one cross-conference game starting at 6 p.m. ET. Western Conference games will begin at 8:30 pm ET.
WHAT TO READ NEXT
Here’s how Nick Wright breaks down the league entering Week 1 of the preseason.
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