NBA Games: Schedule, Live Scores & How to Watch
A quick reference for how the NBA schedule works, where to check live scores, and how to catch every game — regular season through the Finals.
"NBA games" run nearly every night for more than half the year — from the October tip-off through the June Finals. Looking for today's matchups and tip-off times? Here's the fastest way to find them, plus how the schedule works and how to watch.
2026-27 NBA Games Schedule
The NBA hasn't released the full 2026-27 game-by-game schedule yet — it typically drops in mid-August. Here's what's confirmed so far, in the same date-by-date format you'd see on a live scoreboard:
Once the season is underway, for today's exact matchups, tip-off times, and TV channels, the official real-time sources are the NBA.com schedule and the ESPN NBA schedule — both update by the minute with times, networks, and ticket links.
Regular-season games run from October through April, followed by the play-in and playoffs.
National TV Windows
Not every game airs nationally — most nights are regional. Here's when you're most likely to find an NBA game on a national channel without hunting for it:
| NIGHT | NETWORK |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | TNT / truTV |
| Wednesday | TNT / truTV |
| Friday | Amazon Prime Video |
| Sunday | ABC / ESPN |
| Christmas Day | Full slate across ABC, ESPN, and Prime Video |
Local and out-of-market games not on a national window are covered by regional broadcasts or NBA League Pass.
How Many NBA Games Are There in a Season?
Every team plays 82 regular-season games — 41 at home, 41 on the road — for 1,230 total games league-wide. That's followed by the play-in tournament (seeds 7 through 10 in each conference) and a four-round playoff bracket that ends with the NBA Finals in June.
Where to Check Live Scores
For real-time scores, box scores, and play-by-play, the official sources are NBA.com and ESPN's NBA scoreboard — both update live during every game. We don't run a live scoreboard here, so we'd rather point you to the source than show you stale numbers.
How to Actually Watch
Once you know when a game is on, the next question is how to watch it without cable. We cover every option — free and paid — in our full watch guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many NBA games are played in a season?
Each team plays 82 regular-season games (1,230 league-wide), followed by the play-in tournament and playoffs.
Where can I check live NBA scores?
NBA.com and ESPN both run official real-time scoreboards with live box scores and play-by-play.
What nights are NBA games nationally televised?
Tuesday/Wednesday on TNT, Friday on Prime Video, Sunday on ABC/ESPN, plus a full Christmas Day slate.
