The NBA revealed more of its 2025-26 regular season schedule on Tuesday, two days before the full release. In addition to confirming the opening night and Christmas Day games, the league announced several early-season matchups, including the first week of the season and the Martin Luther King Day slate.
Opening Night – Tuesday, Oct. 21
Rockets at Thunder, 7:30 p.m. ET
Warriors at Lakers, 10 p.m. ET
NBC and Peacock will debut their NBA coverage with a doubleheader. Kevin Durant will return to Oklahoma City for his Rockets debut after the Thunder receive their championship rings. Stephen Curry and the Warriors will then visit LeBron James and the Lakers as James begins his record 23rd NBA season.
Wednesday, Oct. 22
Cavaliers at Knicks, 7 p.m. ET
Spurs at Mavericks, 9:30 p.m. ET
ESPN’s first doubleheader features the teams expected to be the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference, along with a matchup between No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper. According to the NBA, it will be just the second time since 1966 that the top two picks in a draft meet in their regular-season debuts. The only other instance was in 2015 when Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell faced off.
Thursday, Oct. 23
Thunder at Pacers, 7:30 p.m. ET
Nuggets at Warriors, 10 p.m. ET
ESPN will air a Finals rematch followed by Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets against Curry and the Warriors.
Monday, Oct. 27
Cavaliers at Pistons, 7 p.m. ET
Nuggets at Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m. ET
Peacock will broadcast Monday night games throughout the season, with its first doubleheader featuring a Central Division clash and a Northwest showdown.
Christmas Day – Thursday, Dec. 25
Cavaliers at Knicks, 12 p.m. ET
Spurs at Thunder, 2:30 p.m. ET
Mavericks at Warriors, 5 p.m. ET
Rockets at Lakers, 8 p.m. ET
Timberwolves at Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. ET
ABC and ESPN will once again carry the league’s holiday showcase, which features eight Western Conference teams and two from the East.
Martin Luther King Day – Monday, Jan. 19
Bucks at Hawks, 1 p.m. ET
Thunder at Cavaliers, 2:30 p.m. ET
Mavericks at Knicks, 5 p.m. ET
Celtics at Pistons, 8 p.m. ET
Peacock will stream the Bucks-Hawks matchup, while NBC will carry the other three nationally televised games. The MLK Day slate tilts heavily toward the East, with six of the eight teams from the conference.
In all, 15 of the league’s 30 teams are featured in these early national TV announcements. Notable omissions include the Clippers, Grizzlies, Suns and Pelicans in the West, along with the 76ers, Heat, Magic and Bulls in the East.
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