The 2026-27 NBA season starts on Tuesday 20 October 2026 with an opening-night tripleheader: Boston at Detroit, Philadelphia at New York and Oklahoma City at San Antonio. The 82-game regular season runs to Sunday 11 April 2027, with the NBA Cup group stage from 30 October, five games on Christmas Day and All-Star Weekend in Phoenix on 19 to 21 February. Every game is on our NBA schedule calendar; the next games, key dates and how to watch are below.
Key facts
| Opening night | Tuesday 20 October 2026: Celtics at Pistons, 76ers at Knicks, Thunder at Spurs |
| Regular season | 82 games per team, 20 October 2026 – 11 April 2027 |
| NBA Cup | Group play from Friday 30 October; championship game Friday 11 December 2026 |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December 2026, five games |
| All-Star 2027 | Friday 19 – Sunday 21 February 2027, Phoenix |
| Rivals Week | 26 – 30 January 2027 |
| Playoffs | Play-In Tournament then playoffs from mid-April 2027 |
Next NBA games
The next games on the NBA schedule with tip-off times in US Eastern and UK time.
| Date | Game | Tip-off (ET / UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 20 Oct | NBA Season Tip-Off 2026-27 | All day |
See every fixture on the calendar →
Key dates
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Opening night tripleheader: Boston at Detroit (3pm ET), Philadelphia at New York (7pm ET), Oklahoma City at San Antonio (9:30pm ET) |
| Friday 30 October 2026 | NBA Cup group play begins |
| Friday 11 December 2026 | NBA Cup championship game |
| Friday 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day, five games |
| 26 – 30 January 2027 | NBA Rivals Week |
| Friday 19 – Sunday 21 February 2027 | NBA All-Star 2027, Phoenix |
| Sunday 11 April 2027 | Regular season ends |
| Mid-April 2027 | Play-In Tournament, then the NBA Playoffs |
Christmas Day 2026 games
| Tip-off (ET) | Game |
|---|---|
| 12:00pm | San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks (Finals rematch) |
| 2:30pm | Miami Heat at Boston Celtics |
| 5:00pm | Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers |
| Evening | Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Late | Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors |
How to watch
Tickets
Tickets are sold by each team through Ticketmaster and the NBA’s official resale marketplace. Opening night and Christmas Day games sell out fastest.
Frequently asked questions
When does the 2026-27 NBA season start?
The 2026-27 NBA regular season starts on Tuesday 20 October 2026 with three games: Boston at Detroit, Philadelphia at New York and Oklahoma City at San Antonio.
What are the NBA Christmas Day games in 2026?
Five games on Friday 25 December 2026: Spurs at Knicks, Heat at Celtics, 76ers at Lakers, Thunder at Timberwolves and Nuggets at Warriors.
When is the 2027 NBA All-Star Game?
NBA All-Star 2027 is in Phoenix from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 February 2027.
When does the NBA regular season end?
The regular season ends on Sunday 11 April 2027, followed by the Play-In Tournament and the playoffs.
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