## 2025-26 NBA Schedule Unveiled: Key Dates and Matchups Announced **Report Provider:** beIN SPORTS (Author: Brian Martin) **Date of Release:** August 13, 2025 **Period Covered:** 2025-26 NBA Season The National Basketball Association (NBA) has officially released key portions of its 2025-26 regular season schedule, including Opening Night, Christmas Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day games. The full schedule, encompassing 80 of each team's 82 games, is expected later in the week. ### Key Schedule Highlights: * **Opening Night (Tuesday, October 21, 2025):** * The 80th NBA season will commence on NBC with a doubleheader. * **Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET):** This game features the reigning Kia MVP and NBA Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Thunder raising their 2024-25 championship banner against Kevin Durant and the Rockets. * **Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET):** This matchup marks the 57th career meeting between LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Notably, LeBron James will make history by playing in his 23rd NBA season, and Lakers teammate Luka Dončić will play in his first season opener with the team. * This marks the first NBA game on NBC in over two decades. * **Opening Week on ESPN:** * **Wednesday, October 22, 2025:** * **Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (7 p.m. ET):** A clash between Eastern Conference powerhouses, with the Cavaliers visiting the Knicks. * **San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks (9:30 p.m. ET):** This game will feature the professional debuts of the top two picks in the 2025 NBA Draft: Cooper Flagg (No. 1 pick for Dallas) and Dylan Harper (No. 2 pick for San Antonio). It will also feature Victor Wembanyama's return after his second season was cut short due to a shoulder injury. * **Thursday, October 23, 2025:** * **Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers (7:30 p.m. ET):** A rematch of the 2025 NBA Finals Game 7, where the Thunder defeated the Pacers. * **Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors (10 p.m. ET):** A matchup between former MVPs Nikola Jokić (Nuggets) and Stephen Curry (Warriors). * **Peacock Exclusives (Monday, October 27, 2025):** * **Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons (7 p.m. ET):** An Eastern Conference game. The Pistons are looking to build on their significant turnaround last season, which saw them snap a 12-game losing streak against Cleveland and achieve their first winning season since 2016. * **Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves (9:30 p.m. ET):** This game renews a rivalry that saw the Timberwolves win six consecutive games against the Nuggets, including two playoff games in the 2024 Western Conference semifinals. * **NBA on Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25, 2025):** * Five marquee matchups will be broadcast on ABC & ESPN. * **Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (Noon ET):** The Knicks, who have the most Christmas Day appearances (57) and tied-most wins (25), will host the Cavaliers. * **San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (2:30 p.m. ET):** This marks Oklahoma City's first Christmas Day game since 2018. * **Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors (5 p.m. ET):** The Warriors will be making their 13th consecutive Christmas Day appearance. * **Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers (8 p.m. ET):** This game features LeBron James (NBA's all-time leading scorer) against Kevin Durant (8th all-time leading scorer). * **Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m. ET):** The final game of the Christmas Day slate features the ongoing rivalry between these two teams. * **MLK Day (Monday, January 19, 2026):** * Four matchups will be featured on NBC & Peacock, marking the 40th edition of NBA on MLK Day. * **Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks (1 p.m. ET, Peacock):** An Eastern Conference matchup featuring teams that made significant offseason roster changes. Milwaukee added Myles Turner and moved on from Damian Lillard, while Atlanta acquired Kristaps Porziņģis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. * **Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock):** A rematch of the top seeds from last season in the East (Cavs) and West (Thunder). * **Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks (5 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock):** Cooper Flagg will play his first NBA game at Madison Square Garden. * **Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons (8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock):** The Pistons, coming off a significant turnaround, will host the Celtics. The schedule release also highlights the availability of games exclusively on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform, starting with a doubleheader during the opening week. The Emirates NBA Cup 2025 group play schedule will also be announced.
2025-26 Opening Night, Christmas Day and MLK Day schedules unveiled
Read original at beIN SPORTS →The 2025-26 NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster tipped off Tuesday on “Good Morning America” and “The TODAY Show” with the unveiling of the must-see Opening Night doubleheader and MLK Day slate on NBC, as well as another star-studded NBA on Christmas Day on ABC & ESPN and more. On Wednesday, the release of Amazon’s game schedule on Prime Video for the 2025-26 regular season will be announced along with the complete Group Play schedule for the Emirates NBA Cup 2025.
Lastly, later in the week, the entire 2025-26 regular season schedule will be unveiled.> Opening Night on NBC (Tuesday, Oct. 21)The TODAY Show reveals 2025-26 NBA schedule for Opening Night, MLK Day and more as part of the NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster.Houston at Oklahoma City (7:30 p.
m. ET) Golden State at Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET)As announced on “The TODAY Show,” the 80th NBA season tips off on Oct. 21 on NBC in the same place last season ended – Oklahoma City – as reigning Kia MVP and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder raise the 2024-25 championship banner and receive their championship rings before hosting Kevin Durant and the new-look Rockets.
The Opening Night doubleheader — featuring the NBA on NBC for the first time in more than two decades — concludes with the latest chapter in the LeBron James-Stephen Curry rivalry as the two icons meet for the 57th time in their careers. History will also be made as James becomes the first player in history to play a 23rd NBA season, while teammate Luka Dončić plays in his first season opener with the Lakers.
Game on. 🎮 NBA Tip-Off, October 21st on NBC and Peacock. pic.twitter.com/AALohb2D0a— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) August 12, 2025Following those games, the opening week of the season continues with a pair of ESPN doubleheaders featuring title contenders, rising stars, former MVPs and a 2025 Finals rematch.
> Opening Week on ESPN (Wednesday, Oct. 22)Malika Andrews joins Good Morning America to reveal the 2025-26 NBA schedule for Opening Week on ESPN as part of the NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster.Cleveland at New York (7 p.m. ET)San Antonio at Dallas (9:30 p.m. ET)The NBA on ESPN campaign debuts with All-Star guards meeting at Madison Square Garden as Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers visit Jalen Brunson and the Knicks in a clash of teams that finished first and third, respectively, in the Eastern Conference last season.
Then, the top two picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, Dallas’ Cooper Flagg (No. 1) and San Antonio’s Dylan Harper (No. 2), make their professional debuts against each other in a game that also features the return of 2023 No. 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama. His All-Star second season was cut short due to a deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder.
> Opening Week on ESPN (Thursday, Oct. 23)Oklahoma City at Indiana (7:30 p.m. ET)Denver at Golden State (10 p.m. ET)Exactly four months and one day after the Thunder defeated the Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals to win the first NBA title of the OKC era, the teams will meet again on the third night of the new season.
That clash is followed by a pair of former champions and multi-time Kia MVPs – Curry and Denver’s Nikola Jokić – squaring off in the Bay as both players and teams eye another title run.In addition to games broadcast on NBC television, this season will also feature several games available exclusively on Peacock – NBC’s streaming platform – beginning with a doubleheader during the season’s opening week.
> Peacock Exclusives (Monday, Oct. 27)Cleveland at Detroit (7 p.m. ET)Denver at Minnesota (9:30 p.m. ET)The first NBA game on Peacock features the Pistons hosting the Cavs in an Eastern Conference clash. The last time these teams met in March, Detroit had a statement win — snapping a 12-game losing streak to Cleveland and locking in Detroit’s first winning season since 2016.
Which team will make an early-season statement this time around?In the nightcap, a rivalry born in the 2024 playoffs renews when Minnesota hosts Denver. Anthony Edwards’ Wolves have won six straight against Jokić’s Nuggets — a run that began with Games 6 & 7 in the 2024 Western Conference semifinals and continued with a regular-season sweep last year.
Can the Wolves keep their streak alive or will the new-look Nuggets have an answer?As announced on “Good Morning America,” the NBA continues its tradition of playing games on Christmas Day with five marquee matchups on ABC & ESPN for the 78th edition of holiday hoops.> NBA on Christmas Day (Thursday, Dec.
25, ABC & ESPN)Cleveland at New York (Noon ET)San Antonio at Oklahoma City (2:30 p.m. ET)Dallas at Golden State (5 p.m. ET)Houston at Los Angeles Lakers (8 p.m. ET)Minnesota at Denver (10:30 p.m. ET)No team has appeared in more Christmas Day games (57) and has more Christmas Day wins (25, tied with the Lakers) than the Knicks.
They will host the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden to tip off this year’s slate of holiday games.Next up, the defending champion Thunder host Wembanyama and the Spurs in Oklahoma City’s first Christmas Day game since 2018. The action continues to head West as Golden State appears in its 13th straight Christmas Day game when it hosts Klay Thompson and the Mavs.
In primetime, the top two active scorers in NBA history — James, the No. 1 all-time leading scorer, and No. 8 Kevin Durant — meet for their 44th head-to-head matchup and fifth on Christmas Day. Then, the holiday hoops marathon ends in Denver with another round in the growing Wolves-Nuggets rivalry.Another full day of NBA basketball comes your way on Monday, Jan.
19, with the 40th edition of the NBA on MLK Day, featuring four matchups on NBC & Peacock.> MLK Day (Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, NBC & Peacock)Milwaukee at Atlanta (1 p.m. ET, Peacock)Oklahoma City at Cleveland (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)Dallas at New York (5 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)Boston at Detroit (8 p.
m. ET, NBC/Peacock)The MLK Day slate begins on Peacock with an Eastern Conference matchup between two teams that shook up their rosters in the offseason — Milwaukee added Myles Turner while moving on from Damian Lillard, while Atlanta added Kristaps Porziņģis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.The NBC tripleheader tips off in Cleveland, where last season’s No.
1 seeds — the Cavs in the East and the Thunder in the West — retake the spotlight after facing off in two of last season’s most highly anticipated regular-season matchups.In a season of firsts for this year’s No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg will play his first NBA game at Madison Square Garden when Dallas visits New York on MLK Day.
A season ago, Cade Cunningham and the Pistons pulled off one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in league history. Now, as they look to keep ascending, they’ll face a perennial playoff team and title contender when Jaylen Brown and the Celtics come to Motown to close out the holiday slate.The 2025-26 NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster continues over the week as dates and opponents for 80 of each team’s 82 games, along with two games designated as TBD dates and opponents as part of the Emirates NBA Cup, will be revealed.
