NBA fans, welcome to opening day.
Emphasis on the day. For the first time, the NBA is starting a new season with a matinee matchup, as the game between the Celtics and Pistons will tip off at 3 p.m. ET from Little Caesars Arena.
Traditionally, the NBA has featured two tilts on the first day of the season—one involving the reigning league champions so they can hoist a banner (like the Knicks will do later Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden) and the other featuring a matchup between two star-powered teams. Last year, for example, the 2025 champion Thunder hosted the Rockets at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the nightcap was a Lakers-Warriors clash at 10 p.m. ET starring Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Steph Curry.
Following one of the most exciting postseasons and busy offseasons in recent memory, the NBA is opening up the 2026–27 by trying something new. Here’s the full schedule for Tuesday’s tripleheader, with all three games airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock:
- Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons, 3 p.m. ET
- Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks, 7 p.m. ET
- Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs, 9:30 p.m. ET
So … why is the NBA doing this?
It’s all part of an experiment with NBC in the second season of its 11-year broadcasting rights deal. As Sports Illustrated’s Liam McKeone spelled out when the schedule was released in August, the NBA wants to capitalize on the thrilling Knicks-Spurs Finals and captivating offseason that saw many stars on the move.
In order to build on that momentum, the NBA aimed to expand NBC’s game offerings on the first day of the season, and adding a third game was thought as the best way forward. Instead of tacking on another contest to the night slate and overlapping the Knicks’ championship festivities, the NBA opted for a 3 p.m. ET tipoff that’ll be wrapped up long before a banner is raised at MSG.
Starting the season with afternoon games has long been an MLB tradition, as the annual Opening Day begins with games around 1 p.m. ET and continues all night. It’s a baseball holiday. The NBA is trying to do the same Tuesday, and it’s difficult to see it not working out.
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It’s a win for both international fans, who don’t have to stay up super late to catch the season-opening action, and those of us at work looking for, uh, a bit of distraction in the form of Cade Cunningham ankle breakers. Sure, ratings for a 3 p.m. ET Celtics-Pistons matchup might not be as high as a prime-time 8 p.m. ET clash, but NBC will have eyeballs on its network all day long.
Let the season begin.
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