The 2026 NBA season tips off tonight, Tuesday, October 20, on NBC and Peacock with three highly anticipated matchups.
First, at 3:00 PM ET, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics face Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Then, at 7:00 PM, Jalen Brunson and the reigning champion New York Knicks go head-to-head with LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Later, at 9:30 PM, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in a rematch of the Western Conference Finals.
See below to find out how to watch each game, as well as additional information on how to live stream NBA games on Peacock.
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Kurt HelinBoston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons Game Preview:
The Boston Celtics finished 56-26 last season, securing the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and their 12th straight playoff appearance, currently the longest active streak in the NBA.
Joe Mazzulla, the youngest coach in the league, was named 2025-2026 Coach of the Year.
However, the success was short-lived, as the Celtics lost 3-1 to the Philadelphia 76ers in the First Round of the NBA playoffs.
65 days later, the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown, the 2024 Eastern Conference Final and Finals MVP, to the 76ers in exchange for six-time All-Star F Paul George, two first-round picks (2028 and 2031), and two second-round picks.
Boston also acquired Mitchell Robinson in the offseason, fresh off his championship run with the New York Knicks. Robinson was second in the league in offensive rebounds per game (4.2).
Tatum, who returned to the lineup in March after missing the first 64 games of the regular season recovering from an Achilles tear, returns as a cornerstone of the franchise.
“Last year was very tough for me,” Tatum said. “I kind of remember these days of training camp, and I would just be in the weight room the whole time, watching the team practice, and it was just tough to digest and go through it. So now being on this side and knowing what it felt like to have to watch the whole time, it’s just a different level of appreciation of just getting to be a part of everything and the game that I love with my teammates.”
The Pistons finished with 60 wins for the first time in 20 years, claiming the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They went on to earn their first playoff series victory since 2008, defeating the Orlando Magic in seven games, before falling to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Detroit now looks to build on that success with J.B. Bickerstaff, the runner-up to Mazzulla in last season's Coach of the Year voting, at the helm.
After a lengthy offseason of negotiations, Detroit re-signed C Jalen Duren on a 5-year, $200 million deal on October 2. Duren is coming off of the best regular season of his career, where he was named an All-Star and to the All-NBA 3rd Team for the first time.
RELATED:Duren made himself clear: ‘I want to be a Piston for life’
How to watch Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons:
- When: Tonight, Tuesday, October 20
- Time: 3:00 PM ET
- Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
- TV: NBC
- Live Stream:Peacock
2026 NBA Opening Night Schedule:
- Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons - 3:00 PM ET on NBC and Peacock
- Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks - 7:00 PM ET on NBC and Peacock (Ring ceremony is at 6:30 PM ET on NBC and Peacock)
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs - 9:30 PM ET on NBC and Peacock
How to watch 2026-27 NBA games on NBC and Peacock?
The NBA is back on NBC and Peacock for the 2026-27 season with 100 regular-season games across its three marquee nights of the week: Peacock NBA Monday, beginning Oct. 26; Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, beginning Oct. 27; and Sunday Night Basketball, beginning Jan. 24, 2027.
All NBA games presented by NBC Sports will stream live on Peacock and all Peacock-exclusive games on Monday nights will also be presented on NBCSN. Telemundo, NBCUniversal’s Spanish-language broadcast network, will present 10 Sunday Night Basketball games as well as the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 21, 2027.
What is the full 2026-27 NBA on NBC and Peacock schedule?
You can see the full schedule of 2026-27 NBA games airing on NBC, Peacock, NBCSN, and Telemundo here.
How do I sign up for Peacock to watch NBA games?
Peacock is available across a variety of devices. To get started, find or download the Peacock application on your device or head directly to PeacockTV.com to create a Peacock account. Then, you’re ready to watch!
Sign up here to start streaming.
What other sports can I watch on Peacock?
Peacock offers one of the most comprehensive live sports streaming lineups available today, bringing together the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, Premier League, NCAA football, NCAA basketball, golf, motorsports, and major global sporting events in a single service.
What devices does Peacock support?
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.
