NBA Schedule Launched: Check Out the Must-Watch Games and More

Amidst the rising excitement surrounding the most anticipated NBA Super Bowl 2025, football-savvy viewers in the USA were eagerly waiting for the official NBA schedule launch. On Thursday, August 14, 2025, the National Football League of the United States launched the official schedule for the 2025-26 regular season. The opening night is scheduled for October 21. With the launch of the schedule, our eyes are glued to some of the most promising matchups. 

To know more about the top 10 must-see NBA games and more updates on the NBA games, stick with this article.

Release of the NBA Schedule

CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish released a list of the top 10 must-watch games of next season. The greatest pick from the list is the December 19 match between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. “The Sixers hope to stay healthy this season, but it could be a slow start, as Paul George underwent knee surgery this summer. He's expected to be reevaluated before training camp, so we'll see if he actually misses any regular-season games. If the Sixers are fully healthy, they'll be a solid threat to the likes of the Knicks and Cavaliers near the top of the East.

The Knicks can match up against a healthy Joel Embiid and a Sixers team that has the depth. And don't forget the Knicks made the Eastern Conference finals a season ago. It will be a good litmus test for Philadelphia to see where this team is at early in the season and gauge where they may fall in the pecking order of the East,” said Jasmyn Wimbish on the occasion of launching the official NBA schedule.

Sneak-Peaks into the Top Games

In the 2024 NBL season, the 76ers finished the game at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a record of 24-58. Due to injuries, Joel Embiid played a total of 19 games only. His limited participation in the games played a crucial role in Philadelphia’s disappointing performance in the 2024 season.

However, this season, the Knicks are the top contenders with game-changing players like Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns. The New York Knicks, with great potential, have shown continuous improvements in all their consecutive playoff appearances.

A Dogfight for the Atlantic Division

The tournament between the 76ers and Knicks is expected to be the first test of dominance in the Atlantic Division. On the other hand, the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets are expected to crash next season. The Boston Celtics are expected to encounter ample hurdles without Jayson Tatum on their team.

According to the Eastern Conference, the 76ers’ win over the Knicks in the NBA games suggests they could be able to secure their position against the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers. In the last regular season, the Cavaliers remained dominant, and the Pacers appeared in the NBA finals.

Now, it is time to see whether the 76ers-Knicks game will become a must-see, and it will ultimately depend on the position of Paul George, Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey. However, the extent to which the 76ers and Knicks game will be a must-watch or not will depend on how much their core can excel at full strength. 

Thunder-Nuggets: The NBA Viewed Rivals of the 2025-26 Regular Season

In the undoubtedly best series of the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder witnessed their biggest win with a Game 7 win over the Denver Nuggets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander outwitted Nikola Jokic in the battle of MVP candidates, and the Round 2 series’ outcomes were the toughest ones. The three-time MVP winner almost knocked off one of the greatest teams with his outstanding performance.

As the NBA 2025-26 regular season schedule is out now, the Nuggets and Thunder are scheduled to have all four matchups. The Thunder is placed with the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Los Angeles Lakers for most of the national TV tournaments this upcoming season.

As per the NBA games schedule, the Thunder will face the Nuggets on Sunday, February 1, 2026, and the game will be broadcast on Peacock and NBC. On the other hand, OKC will host Denver on Friday, February 27, 2026. This match will be broadcast on ESPN. The Thunder is also scheduled to lock horns with Denver on Friday, April 10, 2026, which will be shown on Amazon Prime. Considering it as the second last game of the regular season, there is minimal chance for the game to be of much importance by the time it happens. Let us see what we can expect from this penultimate game of the season.

By analyzing the recently launched schedule, the NBA believes the Nuggets and Thunder are rivals worth investing in. The screening of all four of their matches on national television proves the high expectations of the NBA from these two rival teams. Over the last two seasons, Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander have been the top two players, and this will continue this season, too. 

2025-26 NBA Season Open Night Schedule

With the 2025-26 regular session kickstarting on 21st October, Tuesday this year, two games will be played on that night. Both of the games will be aired on NBC and Peacock. For the last two seasons, the NBA season has commenced on the fourth Tuesday of October. However, the 2025 season is scheduled to start one week earlier.

The opening night of this season will feature two high-profile matchups. The Thunder will host the Rockets as they will be raising a championship banner in front of Durant. The second game will be hosted by Steph Curry and the Warriors as they will take on LeBron James, who will be playing his 23rd season, and the Lakers.

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