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ago 11 2026Madison Square Garden has been waiting 53 years for this night. On Tuesday, October 20, the New York Knicks will raise the championship banner for the first time since 1973 and receive their rings before opening the 2026-27 season, according to the NBA's schedule announcement.
The league unveiled the opening week matchups and five Christmas games, a list that serves as a summary of the most active offseason in recent years: LeBron James from purple and gold to blue and red, Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami, and LaMelo Ball to Minnesota.
Tuesday, October 20: Triple opening session
Boston at Detroit — 21:00 (peninsular time). The top two seeds in the Eastern Conference regular season, Pistons (60-22) and Celtics (56-26), missed the conference finals and have rebuilt their rosters.
Philadelphia at New York — 01:00 Wednesday. The Knicks receive their ring and then face an unrecognizable Sixers team, with Jaylen Brown and LeBron James making their debuts.
Oklahoma City at San Antonio — 03:30 Wednesday. Rematch of the Western Conference Finals that the Spurs won 4-3. Both teams faced each other twelve times last season across the regular season, NBA Cup, and playoffs.
Wednesday, October 21
Minnesota at Miami — 01:30 Thursday. Giannis's debut with the Heat, and also LaMelo Ball's debut as the Wolves' point guard.
Golden State at Lakers — 04:00 Thursday. California showdown between the two only players who averaged at least four three-pointers per game last season: Curry (4.4) and Luka Dončić (4.0).
Thursday, October 22
Cleveland at Philadelphia — 01:00 Friday. LeBron makes his home debut against the franchise where it all started and where he won the 2016 championship, and which he considered during free agency.
Denver at Oklahoma City — 03:30 Friday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, back-to-back MVP, against Nikola Jokić, three-time MVP. Between them they account for five of the last six awards.
Friday, October 23
New York at Boston — 01:00 Saturday. The most repeated matchup in league history: over 500 meetings since December 1946 and fifteen playoff series.
Houston at San Antonio — 03:30 Saturday, in Austin. Wembanyama against Kevin Durant on neutral ground, in the city where the small forward played his only college season twenty years ago.
Friday, December 25: NBA Christmas
Fifth consecutive year with five games and seventy-ninth Christmas matchday since 1947.
San Antonio at New York — 18:00. Rematch of the 2026 Finals. The last time they met at the Garden, on June 10, OG Anunoby made the game-changing block in the fourth quarter of Game 4.
Miami at Boston — 20:30. Classic rivalry in which the Celtics have won ten of the last eleven regular season matchups.
Philadelphia at Lakers — 23:00. LeBron returns to Los Angeles and can make history in two ways: after being the first father to share a team with his son, he and Bronny could become the first to face each other in an NBA game.
Oklahoma City at Minnesota — 02:00 Saturday, December 26. LaMelo Ball's Christmas debut alongside Anthony Edwards.
Denver at Golden State — 04:30 Saturday, December 26. Curry and Jokić, the two players who redefined their positions, close out the day.
The announced games correspond only to the highlighted matchups of the opening; the complete 82-game schedule will be revealed later.
