When Does the 2026-27 NBA Season Start? Opening Night Schedule

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)

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Celtics at Pistons

Boston visits Detroit in the first game of the season. The unusual afternoon start matches the two teams that finished with 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 championship banner before the game.

Thunder at Spurs

Opening Night concludes in San Antonio with a rematch of the 2026 Western Conference Finals between the Thunder and 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. The initial schedule assigns 80 games to each team. The remaining two matchups will be set based on NBA Cup Group Play results.

When Does the 2026-27 NBA Regular Season End?

The regular season ends 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 p.m. ET.

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