The last time Madison Square Garden hosted a Knicks game of consequence, OG Anunoby delivered the now-iconic, go-ahead tip-in in Game 4 of the NBA Finals that became the prevailing image of the team’s championship run.
Four months later, meaningful basketball returns to MSG, where the Knicks will face the revamped Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night as the main draw of the NBA’s opening-day slate.
It’s a fitting headliner, as the Knicks and Sixers are two of the teams with the most on the line. But they’re certainly not alone.
As the 2026-27 NBA regular season gets underway, here are the biggest storylines across the association:
Can the Knicks repeat?
A team has not successfully defended an NBA championship since 2017-18, when the dynastic Golden State Warriors went back-to-back.
There have been eight different champions in the eight years since — a trend the Knicks will try to buck this season after ending their 53-year title drought in June.
The Knicks boast enviable continuity, with all five starters and four of the top five reserves from their title run returning this season.
The one subtraction — game-wrecking 7-footer Mitchell Robinson, due to second apron payroll implications — was a big one. But the Knicks hope the addition of veteran center Andre Drummond can at least help lessen that blow.
Perhaps the bigger issue is that the Eastern Conference looks much better this season, both at the top and in terms of overall depth. The Sixers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers are among the teams that should take significant leaps, while the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons remain squarely in the mix.
“The way we approached it last year was to take it one day at a time, every single day,” Knicks star Jalen Brunson said.
“Obviously, we know what it takes, but [it’s about] just going into this with the same mindset for this journey. Even though it’s a new journey — it’s a different journey — the approach has to be the same, if not better.”
How quickly can the Sixers mesh?
There’s no denying the upside of the new-look 76ers, who added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James this offseason to a core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
But superteams have gotten off to slow starts before.
Just look at James’ 2010-11 Miami Heat, who started 9-8 in their first season together and lost in the NBA Finals to a Dallas Mavericks core that had much more experience playing together.
So, expect some growing pains as the Sixers learn how to play together.
How can the ball-dominant James, Brown and Maxey co-exist? Can the oft-injured Embiid play frequently enough to help with the cohesion? Is there enough depth at center after Ariel Hukporti’s season-ending Achilles tear?
These are the questions facing the 76ers in a championship-or-bust season.
Still, it’s bad business to bet against a lineup led by James, Embiid, Brown and Maxey, who have combined for 36 All-Star selections.
The Sixers are tied with the Knicks (+900) for the NBA’s third-best championship odds, according to DraftKings.
Who wins the West?
The NBA’s title favorites are the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs (both +270), who appear to be on a collision course for another epic Western Conference Finals.
For the sake of payroll flexibility, the Thunder’s roster has changed from their 2025 championship team, with Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins all traded away this summer.
But the core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and — after a rough postseason — Chet Holmgren remains intact, and the draft addition of 7-3 Aday Mara gives the Thunder even more size to combat the Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs.
That said, the Spurs are, in many people’s eyes, the team to beat in the West, now a year more experienced after last year’s unexpected run to the Finals.
“I couldn’t imagine a better motivation,” Wembanyama, 22, said last month of the Spurs’ Finals loss to the Knicks — a five-game series in which San Antonio’s inexperience loomed large.
Over the summer, San Antonio signed forward Tobias Harris as a veteran presence and late-game shotmaker to complement the ascending trio of Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.
It’s up to the rest of the West to make this more than a two-team race.
The Nugget added DeMar DeRozan but lost Peyton Watson.
The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired sharp-shooting LaMelo Ball — forming a dynamic backcourt duo with Anthony Edwards — and bid farewell to Julius Randle and Naz Reid.
And the Los Angeles Lakers finally found a rim-running center (Walker Kessler) to pair with Luka Doncic, among a series of other moves as they enter their post-James era.
Did the Heat add enough around Giannis?
If not for the 76ers’ star-powered overhaul, the Heat’s offseason would be an even hotter topic.
Miami acquired two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in a franchising-altering trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, but it had to part with considerable depth to make the deal happen.
The Heat now employ arguably the NBA’s most imposing frontcourt, pairing Antetokounmpo with Bam Adebayo, a three-time All-Star.
But will that be enough for the Heat to truly contend?
Miami is counting on veterans Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bobby Portis to knock down shots as the beneficiaries of the defensive attention Antetokounmpo commands.
But there are serious questions about Miami’s play-making, with defensive-first Davian Mitchell set to start at point guard and not much behind him. The Heat were finalists for James and — perhaps even more than the Sixers — really could have used him.
Still, a healthy and motivated Antetokounmpo can help a team overcome more than a few holes.
Will the Pacers return to contention?
After pushing the 2025 NBA Finals to a seventh game, the Pacers fell off a cliff last season, finishing 19-63 — the second-worst record in the NBA.
Of course, the context is important. Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton missed all of last season as he recovered from the torn Achilles he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals.
Haliburton is now healthy and hopeful to lead the Pacers back to contention. Their roster is different from the one that went to the Finals, but Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and TJ McConnell remain in place.
And in anticipation of Haliburton’s return, the Pacers traded in February for center Ivica Zubac to replace Myles Turner, who left in free agency before last season.
Indiana’s ceiling hinges on Haliburton’s ability to return to form after the long layoff. Haliburton looked sharp this preseason, including a game in OKC where he scored 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting with three assists and three rebounds in 18 minutes.
Can anyone unseat SGA?
Gilgeous-Alexander could join exclusive company. If he’s named NBA MVP again, he would become the fourth player in NBA history to win the award three seasons in a row.
The others? Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Larry Bird.
It would make Gilgeous-Alexander the 10th NBA player to win at least three MVP awards at any point — a list that also includes Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic.
A master of efficiency and at getting to the free-throw line, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged more than 30 points per game and shot better than 50% from the field four seasons in a row.
His top competition for MVP this season figures to include the 2026 runner-up Jokic, as well as Wembanyama, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year who finished third in MVP voting.
Some could also see Doncic — who has four top-five MVP finishes — overdo to win the award, especially if his Lakers have a good season.