2025 - 2026 NBA on ESPN Schedule

The current logo used for ESPN's NBA live game broadcasts (2022-present). (📸 Photo courtesy of SportsVideo.org)

| ⦿ Thursday, August 14, 2025

• A jam-packed Opening Week on ESPN schedule includes two straight nights of primetime doubleheaders (Wednesday, Oct. 22 & Thursday, Oct. 23), plenty of star power, & 2025 #1 overall pick Cooper Flagg's NBA debut (Spurs vs. Mavericks - Wednesday, Oct. 22 - 9:30 PM ET on ESPN).

• First-ever Thanksgiving Eve tripleheader on Wednesday, November 26, with games from the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup 🏆 Group Play stage, involving Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, & Stephen Curry.

• Customary practice continues on ESPN and ABC this Christmas with the televising of ALL five Christmas games -- Thursday, December 25 -- Cavaliers at Knicks (12:00 PM ET), Spurs at Thunder (2:30 PM ET), Mavericks at Warriors (5:00 PM ET), Rockets at Lakers (8:00 PM ET), & Timberwolves at Nuggets (10:30 PM ET).

On Thursday (Aug. 14) of this week, the National Basketball Association (NBA), in conjunction with ABC and ESPN, announced the complete broadcast schedule for the 2025-26 NBA regular season. ESPN goes into its 24th NBA season boasting a star-studded lineup across its platforms.

As a general rule, NBA games will air on ESPN most Wednesday nights during the regular season, with select Friday games beginning in January (once college football and NFL seasons wind down). ESPN resumes its investment in NBA coverage during the 2025-26 season with a spectacular group of play-by-play commentators, game analysts, sideline reporters, studio hosts, & studio analysts.

Season-Opening Action:

The 2025-26 NBA regular season gets going with two worthwhile doubleheaders on ESPN during the first week of regular season action. On Wednesday, October 22, Donovan Mitchell and the 2024-25 East No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers are set to duel against the reigning Clutch Player of the Year, Jalen Brunson, and the New York Knicks at 7:00 PM (ET). Later that evening, two No. 1 overall picks battle it out on the basketball floor as 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama leads the San Antonio Spurs into a Southwest Division matchup against 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks at 9:30 PM (ET).

The following night (Thursday, October 23), ESPN is set to nationally broadcast two more Opening Week game matchups. To begin the doubleheader, ESPN has the 2025 NBA Finals rematch as Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers host 2025 Kia NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:30 PM (ET). After Thunder-Pacers, ESPN heads to San Francisco for a matchup highlighted by a pair of former MVP winners. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets take on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors at 10:00 PM (ET).

First-Ever Thanksgiving Eve Tripleheader:

ESPN is the home of the first-ever Thanksgiving Eve NBA tripleheader on Wednesday, November 26. The games start at 5:00 PM (ET) with Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons visiting Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics. At 7:30 PM (ET), Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves are set to tussle with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder in a rematch of the 2025 Western Conference Finals (a series in which Oklahoma City bested Minnesota in a gentleman's sweep). The night concludes at 10:00 PM (ET) with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors welcoming the Houston Rockets and former teammate and two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant to Chase Center in San Francisco.

All three game matchups come from the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup Group Play stage.

Christmas Day Star Power:

This year, ESPN will once again have the responsibility of televising all five Christmas Day games presented by State Farm on Thursday, December 25. Game coverage starts at 12:00 PM (ET) from Madison Square Garden, where Darius Garland and the Cleveland Cavaliers compete against Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks. At 2:30 PM (ET), Devin Vassell and the San Antonio Spurs travel to Oklahoma City for a showdown with Jalen Williams and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Coverage continues at 5:00 PM (ET) as Cooper Flagg — playing his first-ever Christmas game — leads the Dallas Mavericks into a Western Conference battle against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. At 8:00 PM (ET), Los Angeles plays host to a Western Conference game that features a pair of future Hall of Famers, as Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets clash with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The full Christmas lineup wraps up with the 10:30 PM (ET) nightcap. In this game, Julius Randle and the Minnesota Timberwolves — fresh off two consecutive Western Conference Finals matchups — come into Denver to play Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets.

Additional NBA on ESPN Schedule Highlights:

• Eight appearances each for the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. 

• Seven appearances each from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, & San Antonio Spurs.

• Thanksgiving Eve tripleheader on Wednesday, November 26 — Pistons vs. Celtics (5:00 PM ET), Timberwolves vs. Thunder (7:30 PM ET), & Rockets vs. Warriors (10:00 PM ET).

• Winners of four of the last MVP awards get together in Oklahoma City on Friday, February 27, as Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets go up against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

• The 2026 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game will be on Friday, February 13, live from Los Angeles, California.

Coupled with ESPN's expansive regular season offerings, ESPN is the exclusive home of the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals, the 2026 NBA Draft, and first-round and second-round playoff games.

As always, all ESPN NBA programming (ABC/ESPN) is available on the ESPN App. NBA Today, ESPN's daily weekday NBA studio program, returns for the fifth consecutive season. The show will air Monday through Friday from 3:00 PM (ET) to 4:00 PM (ET). Furthermore, the programming lineup for ESPN's adjoining NBA coverage, including "Inside the NBA", will be announced later this summer. 

The 2025-2026 NBA on ESPN Schedule is listed below, with regular updates on the broadcast schedule and commentators.

| ▣ NBA on ESPN: 2025-26 NBA Preseason & Regular Season Broadcast Schedule (All Times Eastern and Subject to Change)

- Preseason:

| ● Sunday, October 5

. Lakers at Warriors - ESPN, 8:30 PM (ET) -

| ● Sunday, October 12

. Cavaliers at Celtics - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) -

. Nuggets at Clippers - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) -

| ● Wednesday, October 15

. Mavericks vs. Lakers (Las Vegas) - ESPN, 10:30 PM (ET) -

| ● Thursday, October 16

. Rockets at Hawks - ESPN2, 7:30 PM (ET) -

- Regular Season:

| ● Wednesday, October 22 (Opening Week)

. Cavaliers at Knicks - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Spurs at Mavericks - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Thursday, October 23 (Opening Week)

. Thunder at Pacers - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. Nuggets at Warriors - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, October 29

. Cavaliers at Celtics - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Lakers at Timberwolves - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) -

| ● Wednesday, November 5

. Timberwolves at Knicks - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. Spurs at Lakers - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Saturday, November 8

. Suns at Clippers - ESPN, 10:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, November 12
. Magic at Knicks - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Lakers at Thunder - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, November 19

. Warriors at Heat - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Knicks at Mavericks - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, November 26 (2025 Emirates NBA Cup: Group Play 🏆)

. ＊ Pistons at Celtics (East Group A) - ESPN, 5:00 PM (ET) - 

. ＊ Timberwolves at Thunder (West Group A) - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. ＊ Rockets at Warriors (West Group C) - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day 🎄)

. Cavaliers at Knicks - ESPN/ABC, 12:00 PM (ET) - 

. Spurs at Thunder - ESPN/ABC, 2:30 PM (ET) - 

. Mavericks at Warriors - ESPN/ABC, 5:00 PM (ET) - 

. Rockets at Lakers - ESPN/ABC, 8:00 PM (ET) - 

. Timberwolves at Nuggets - ESPN/ABC, 10:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, January 7

. Lakers at Spurs - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. Bucks at Warriors - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, January 14

. Cavaliers at 76ers - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Nuggets at Mavericks - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Friday, January 16

. Bulls at Nets - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Timberwolves at Rockets - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, January 21 — NBA Rivals Week
. Cavaliers at Hornets - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Thunder at Bucks - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, January 28

. Lakers at Cavaliers - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Spurs at Rockets - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Friday, January 30
. Grizzlies at Pelicans - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. Clippers at Nuggets - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Sunday, February 1

. Bucks at Celtics - ESPN, 3:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, February 4
. Nuggets at Knicks - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Thunder at Spurs - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Sunday, February 8 — 🏈 Super Bowl Sunday

. Clippers at Timberwolves - ESPN, 3:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, February 11

. Knicks at 76ers - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. Grizzlies at Nuggets - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Friday, February 13 — 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend (Los Angeles, California)

. 2026 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (Los Angeles) - ESPN, 8:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Friday, February 20

. Mavericks at Timberwolves - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. Clippers at Lakers - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) -

| ● Wednesday, February 25

. Warriors at Grizzlies - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. Celtics at Nuggets - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Friday, February 27
. Cavaliers at Pistons - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Nuggets at Thunder - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, March 4

. Thunder at Knicks - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Hawks at Bucks - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Friday, March 6

. Mavericks at Celtics - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Clippers at Spurs - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) -

| ● Wednesday, March 11

. Cavaliers at Magic - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. Rockets at Nuggets - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Saturday, March 14
. Kings at Clippers - ESPN, 10:30 PM (ET) -

| ● Wednesday, March 18

. Warriors at Celtics - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Lakers at Rockets - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) -

| ● Wednesday, March 25

. Hawks at Pistons - ESPN, 7:00 PM (ET) - 

. Rockets at Timberwolves - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, April 1

. Hawks at Magic - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. Spurs at Warriors - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Wednesday, April 8

. Bucks at Pistons - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - 

. Thunder at Clippers - ESPN, 10:00 PM (ET) - 

| ● Sunday, April 12 (NBA on ESPN Regular Season Finale)

. Teams TBD - ESPN, 6:00 PM (ET) - 

. Teams TBD - ESPN, 8:30 PM (ET) - 

|| Sources 🛈: NBA Communications & ESPN Press Room ||

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