The 2026-27 NBA regular season tips off tonight with an opening-day tripleheader, headlined by the New York Knicks raising their first championship banner in 53 years at Madison Square Garden.
The NBA has taken a unique path this season, kicking off the slate in the afternoon at 3 p.m. ET with the Boston Celtics visiting the Detroit Pistons, according to reports. Three games will fill the calendar through the evening, with the final game tipping off at 9:30 p.m. ET, all broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
Ring night at the Garden
The marquee matchup comes at 7 p.m. ET as the defending champion Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers, according to reports. It will be the first time in 53 years a championship banner is raised to the rafters in New York, with commissioner Adam Silver on hand to present rings to Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the squad. The Knicks secured the 2026 title by defeating San Antonio 4-1 in June, sealed by Brunson’s 45-point performance in a 94-90 Game 5 victory.
Trying to spoil the party will be a revamped 76ers squad featuring LeBron James making his Philadelphia debut alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, according to reports. The night concludes with a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals as the Oklahoma City Thunder visit Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
A season of storylines
The league’s 81st campaign runs through April 11, with the NBA Cup group stage beginning October 30 and Christmas Day headlined by a Finals rematch between the Knicks and Spurs, according to reports. International games include Mexico City, Paris and Manchester, where the first regular-season game in Manchester tips off January 17. With six of the league’s best teams on the floor tonight, the season could hardly ask for a stronger start.
