Knicks Open NBA Title Defense Against Reshaped 76ers

The 2026-27 NBA regular season opens Tuesday, October 20, with the defending champion New York Knicks hosting the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden and the San Antonio Spurs welcoming the Oklahoma City Thunder. The doubleheader features Philadelphia's revamped roster and a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals. According to CBS Sports, the Knicks begin their championship defense at 7 p.m.

ET, followed by the Spurs-Thunder matchup at 9:30 p.m. ET. New York enters the season after defeating San Antonio in five games in the NBA Finals, while Philadelphia arrives with major offseason additions.

The Knicks swept the 76ers in the second round of last season's playoffs, according to CBS Sports. New York returns its top nine scorers from its championship postseason run, while Philadelphia has added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to a lineup that already includes Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The opening game also marks the start of the Knicks' title celebrations, with the team scheduled to unveil its championship banner before tipoff. Philadelphia's new roster brings together four All-Star players, according to CBS Sports' season preview.

The second game renews the rivalry between San Antonio and Oklahoma City after their seven-game Western Conference Finals series last season. The Spurs advanced before losing to New York in the Finals, and they won four of five regular-season meetings against the Thunder, according to CBS Sports. San Antonio returns with Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper among its key players. The Spurs also added Tobias Harris during the offseason, according to CBS Sports' preview of the season opener.

Oklahoma City remains led by reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but made significant roster changes before the new campaign. The Thunder traded Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Luguentz Dort, while Chet Holmgren missed the entire preseason because of a quadriceps injury, according to CBS Sports. Those changes add uncertainty to Oklahoma City's opening matchup against a San Antonio team that reached the NBA Finals last season. The teams will meet at the Frost Bank Center in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader.

The season-opening schedule places the reigning champions and two teams from last season's Western Conference Finals in the spotlight. Philadelphia's new additions and the Thunder's roster adjustments are among the principal developments entering the 2026-27 campaign.