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 2026-27 regular season tips off Tuesday, October 20, 2026 and runs through April 11, 2027. Opening night is an NBC tripleheader, headlined by the Knicks raising their championship banner at Madison Square Garden:
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.
