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The road to “Knicks in 5” Pt. II starts tonight.
A little over three months after their historic NBA Finals victory, Jalen Brunson and the defending champion New York Knicks will launch their 2026-27 NBA season at Madison Square Garden this evening.
At 7 p.m. ET, they’ll take on LeBron James’ new-look Philadelphia 76ers who, in addition to King James, added Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown over their busy offseason.
Watch 76ers vs. Knicks for free
- When: Oct. 20, 7 p.m. ET (pregame ceremony starts at 6:30 p.m. ET)
- Where: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
- How to watch for free: DIRECTV (five-day free trial)
- Channel: NBC
They join the club’s already-solid nucleus comprised of perennial All-Star Joel Embiid and young guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Half an hour before tip-off, New York will bask in the glory of their summer ’26 championship run one last time before the next season officially gets underway. Players and coaches will receive rings, a banner will be hoisted to the rafters and a video commemorating their journey to owning the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy for the first time in 53 years will play.
“It’s gonna be a great night,” Brunson said, with a smile.
If you want to tune in to today’s primetime Knicks vs. 76ers opening night showdown, here’s what you need to know.
76ers vs. Knicks game time
Today’s (Oct. 20) 76ers vs. Knicks game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET.
As noted above, the pregame ceremony starts a half hour before at 6:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch 76ers vs. Knicks for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the 76ers vs. Knicks game for free.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for trying live TV for free. Right now, you can take advantage of a five-day free trial before payment kicks in. We recommend the MySports Genre Pack ($49.99/month) or the MyNews Genre Pack ($39.99/month). Both include NBC among their 20+ sports-focused channels.
Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.