NBA Opening Night 2026: Tuesday Oct 20 Schedule, Times and What to Watch
Short answer
The 2026-27 NBA regular season starts Tuesday 20 October 2026 with a three-game opening night on NBC and Peacock: Boston at Detroit (3 p.m. ET), Philadelphia at New York (7 p.m. ET) and Oklahoma City at San Antonio (9:30 p.m. ET).
Basketball is back. According to the official NBA key dates page, rosters lock on Monday 19 October and the regular season begins the next day. Here is a simple guide for fans in North America, India and beyond.
Opening night games (Tuesday 20 October)
- Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons: 3:00 p.m. ET (12:30 a.m. IST, Wednesday)
- Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks: 7:00 p.m. ET (4:30 a.m. IST, Wednesday)
- Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs: 9:30 p.m. ET (7:00 a.m. IST, Wednesday)
All three games are listed on NBC and Peacock in the US. Living somewhere else? Turn ET into your own time with our world clock, or read our guide on how to convert time zones.
Storylines to watch
NBA.com's schedule release says the Knicks will celebrate their 2025-26 NBA title before facing the 76ers at Madison Square Garden. The league also notes that Philadelphia added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in the offseason, with James starting a record 24th season. The late game is a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals, which San Antonio won 4-3 over Oklahoma City.
Rest of opening week
- Wednesday 21 October: a 13-game night, including Golden State at the LA Lakers and Chicago at Toronto.
- Friday 23 October: New York at Boston on Prime Video.
- Friday 30 October: group play in the Emirates NBA Cup 2026 tips off.
- Saturday 7 November: the NBA Mexico City Game.
The NBA marks its schedule "subject to change", so check the official app or site on game day.
Shoot some hoops yourself
Waiting for tip-off? Try our free browser game Hoop Shot. It has no sign-up and is safe for kids. Our live scores page also shows results across many sports, and baseball fans can still follow the World Series 2026 schedule.
Late-night viewer in Asia? The opening games land early on Wednesday morning in India, so set an alarm, or just catch the highlights after school or work.
Updated 19 October 2026. Schedule from NBA.com; IST times converted from ET (UTC−4).
