NBA is back. The Knicks ended a 53-year wait and lifted the 2026 trophy. Now the banner goes up at Madison Square Garden. NBA opening night is October 20, and we’re back to balling. But the NBA is not just a court game anymore. It stopped being that a long time ago. Today it is one of the biggest sports phenomena on the planet and one of the true American staples. Think Thanksgiving dinner. Think Fourth of July. Fans plan their evenings around tip-off the same way. Money and spotlight built that. Sponsors sit on jerseys, courts and every timeout. Broadcast deals put NBA live matches on NBC, Peacock, ESPN and Prime Video. Players are brands, with shoes, podcasts and production companies of their own. One viral dunk travels from San Antonio to a phone on the other side of the world before the crowd stops screaming. The talent pool is global too. Europe and Canada now produce MVPs. So when a game tips off, fans in Belgrade, Toronto and Delhi are watching the same clock. And this season has real heat. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown now wear 76ers colors. Cade Cunningham’s Pistons host opening day. The Thunder and Spurs run back the Western Conference Finals. Here is what the first week of the NBA October schedule looks like.
Get Started with Our NBA Data Feed
NBA APINBA October Schedule: Opening Week (Oct 20-25)
The NBA October schedule starts on October 20, and the regular season runs to April 11, 2027. Here are all the NBA fixtures for opening week: 43 games in six days. This NBA opening week schedule uses Eastern Time (ET) throughout.
Tuesday, October 20: Opening Night
NBA opening night is a tripleheader. It even starts with a matinee. That is rare.
| Time (ET) | Matchup |
| 3:00 PM | Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons |
| 7:00 PM | Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks |
| 9:30 PM | Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs |
Wednesday, October 21
Eleven fixtures. This is the biggest night of the week. Damian Lillard also returns with Portland against Phoenix.
| Time (ET) | Matchup |
| 7:00 PM | Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic |
| 7:00 PM | Milwaukee Bucks at Washington Wizards |
| 7:30 PM | Minnesota Timberwolves at Miami Heat |
| 7:30 PM | Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets |
| 7:30 PM | Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors |
| 8:00 PM | Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies |
| 8:00 PM | Indiana Pacers at New Orleans Pelicans |
| 8:30 PM | Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets |
| 10:00 PM | Golden State Warriors at LA Lakers |
| 10:00 PM | Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers |
| 10:30 PM | Sacramento Kings at LA Clippers |
Thursday, October 22
LeBron plays his first home game as a 76er. The opponent is the Cavaliers, the team many people expected him to join.
| Time (ET) | Matchup |
| 7:00 PM | Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers |
| 9:30 PM | Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder |
Friday, October 23
Friday brings 12 games. The headliner is Knicks at Celtics on Prime Video, two of the last three champions face to face.
| Time (ET) | Matchup |
| 7:00 PM | Dallas Mavericks at Indiana Pacers |
| 7:00 PM | Minnesota Timberwolves at Orlando Magic |
| 7:00 PM | Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards |
| 7:00 PM | New York Knicks at Boston Celtics |
| 7:00 PM | Atlanta Hawks at Charlotte Hornets |
| 8:00 PM | Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat |
| 8:00 PM | Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks |
| 9:30 PM | New Orleans Pelicans at Utah Jazz |
| 9:30 PM | Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs |
| 10:00 PM | Portland Trail Blazers at Sacramento Kings |
| 10:00 PM | Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors |
| 10:00 PM | LA Clippers at LA Lakers |
Saturday, October 24
| Time (ET) | Matchup |
| 6:00 PM | Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets |
| 7:30 PM | Brooklyn Nets at Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 7:30 PM | Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers |
| 8:00 PM | Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls |
| 8:00 PM | San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks |
| 8:00 PM | Houston Rockets at Atlanta Hawks |
| 9:00 PM | New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets |
| 10:00 PM | Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns |
Sunday, October 25
| Time (ET) | Matchup |
| 5:00 PM | LA Lakers at Utah Jazz |
| 6:00 PM | Indiana Pacers at Brooklyn Nets |
| 7:00 PM | Toronto Raptors at Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 7:00 PM | Orlando Magic at New York Knicks |
| 7:00 PM | LA Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 7:30 PM | Detroit Pistons at Philadelphia 76ers |
| 9:00 PM | Memphis Grizzlies at Sacramento Kings |
Tip-off times on the NBA opening week schedule can shift. Check the official NBA app before game day.
Learn Everything About Our Competition Coverage
Basketball API CoverageBuild Your Own NBA App with the Entity Sport NBA API
Every one of those NBA live scores on your phone starts as data. Someone collects it, cleans it and ships it fast. Think of data as the point guard of a fan app. It moves the ball to the right place at the right time.
That is what an NBA API does. It is an NBA data feed. Your app asks, and the API sends back basketball data in a clean, structured format. No copy-pasting. No manual updates.
The Entity Sport NBA API brings that data into your product. It is a basketball API built around what a product needs: schedules, NBA live scores, team stats, NBA player stats and standings. With it, you can build:
- A live score app
- A fantasy basketball platform
- A stats dashboard
- A news site that updates itself
Looking for an NBA API for developers? Opening week of the NBA October schedule is the perfect test bed. You get a light Thursday with two games and a loaded Wednesday with eleven fixtures. Explore the endpoints and documentation on the Entity Sport website, and start building before the season heats up.
Conclusion
The NBA is back. The Knicks are champions. LeBron has a new jersey. NBA opening night starts with a rare matinee and ends with a Western Conference Finals rematch. By Sunday night, 43 games will be in the books.
Bookmark this NBA October schedule. Plan your week around the tripleheader. And if you build basketball products, let the data do the heavy lifting. See you on the court.
Get in Touch with Us
ConnectFAQs
1. When does the NBA October schedule start?
The NBA October schedule starts Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with a tripleheader on opening night. The regular season runs through April 11, 2027.
2. Who won the last NBA championship?
The New York Knicks. They beat the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals for the franchise’s first title since 1973.
3. How many games does each NBA team play?
82 regular-season games per team.
4. Where can I watch NBA live matches this week?
Opening night is on NBC and Peacock. Thursday’s games are on ESPN. Friday’s Knicks at Celtics game is on Prime Video. For the rest, check your local listings.
5. What is an NBA API, and who is it for?
It is a data feed that delivers basketball data, like NBA fixtures, live scores and player stats, straight to software. Developers use it to build live score apps, fantasy platforms and stats sites. The Entity Sport NBA API is built for exactly that.
