The NBA is back, and the league isn’t wasting any time getting to the good stuff.
The 2026-27 regular season tips off Tuesday with three games, including a rare afternoon matchup, a championship celebration at Madison Square Garden and a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals.
There will be plenty of familiar faces, too, although several will be wearing different uniforms.
LeBron James is making his Sixers debut. Paul George is beginning a new chapter with the Celtics. And the defending champion Knicks are preparing to raise a banner for the first time in more than half a century. Not bad for opening day.
Here’s a look at Tuesday’s schedule and some of the biggest storylines, followed by the latest NBA news and updates from around the league.
NBA opening day schedule — Tuesday, Oct. 20
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Celtics at Pistons | 3 p.m. | NBC/Peacock |
| Sixers at Knicks | 7 p.m. | NBC/Peacock |
| Thunder at Spurs | 9:30 p.m. | NBC/Peacock |
Celtics at Pistons: A new look for Boston
The Pistons won 60 games last season, establishing themselves as one of the East’s most formidable regular-season teams. Now comes the challenge of doing it again.
Cade Cunningham remains the centerpiece, with Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson giving Detroit a talented young foundation. The Pistons have also added shooting and made several adjustments to their supporting cast.
Boston, meanwhile, enters the season looking considerably different. Jaylen Brown is gone, having been traded to Philadelphia, while George joins Jayson Tatum in a reworked Celtics lineup.
Boston remains a legitimate contender, though questions about its depth, health and ability to replace Brown’s production aren’t going away overnight.
The opener should provide an interesting first look at how those pieces fit together.
Sixers at Knicks: LeBron arrives on ring night
This is the main event. The Knicks will celebrate their first championship since 1973 before facing a Sixers team that underwent one of the most dramatic offseason transformations in recent memory.
James and Brown join Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in a lineup loaded with offensive possibilities. Of course, collecting star players and getting them to function as a cohesive unit are two different things.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse spent the preseason working on pace, ball movement and defensive rebounding. The results were encouraging in stretches, although turnovers and questions about the bench remain.
The Knicks have fewer mysteries. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns lead a veteran roster that already knows how to win together. And with a championship banner going up before tipoff, Madison Square Garden figures to be quite a scene.
Philadelphia would certainly enjoy spoiling the celebration.
Thunder at Spurs: Western Conference rivals meet again
The final game of opening night offers another terrific matchup.
The Spurs eliminated the Thunder in seven games during last season’s Western Conference finals, and both teams enter the new season with championship expectations.
Victor Wembanyama has already established himself among the NBA’s most imposing players, while San Antonio continues building around its young superstar.
Oklahoma City counters with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, a trio that has already delivered an NBA championship.
These are two of the league’s deepest, most talented teams, and both figure to spend the season competing for positioning near the top of the West.
It’s only Game 1 of 82, but there’s nothing wrong with getting an early look at what could be another playoff preview.
Latest NBA news and updates
Opening night is only the beginning. With the regular season underway, expect injury updates, lineup decisions, roster moves, trade chatter and plenty of reaction from around the league.
For more coverage of the opening-day tripleheader, including highlights and developing storylines, check out ESPN’s NBA coverage and the official NBA schedule.
And for the latest reports from NBA insiders, reporters and team correspondents, follow the Hoops Wire news feed below.
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