The 2021-2022 NBA season tipped off this Tuesday, October 19. Due to the past two abbreviated seasons, this will be the third NBA season to take place within the past 365 days. Founded in 1946, the NBA will commemorate its 75th anniversary, during its 76th season, with a special diamond logo across all uniforms and league merchandise.
As part of the 75th-anniversary celebration, the NBA will announce the 75th greatest players chosen by a panel of players, media, coaches, and executives. This year, the league will return to normal with an 82-game regular season. During the league’s season opener, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks will open up the season against the Brooklyn Nets in a rematch of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Fans have returned to NBA arenas throughout the country and Canada to watch their favorite teams battle it out on the hardwood. For those who will not be in attendance, you can find out how to watch opening night and Week 1 of the NBA season below.
The Games – Start Times and Channel
Tuesday, October 19 — Results
| Game | Tip-off time | Channel |
| Brooklyn Nets 104 at Milwaukee Bucks 127 | 7:30 PM | TNT |
| Golden State Warriors 121 at Los Angeles Lakers 114 | 10:00 PM | TNT |
Basketball returns on TNT when the Bucks begin to defend their title in a season-opening matchup against the Nets. The Nets have had a tumultuous off-season and will be without PG Kyrie Irving to open the season. They were without him during their playoff elimination against the Bucks and nearly eliminated the Eastern Conference champions when Kevin Durant’s toe was on the 3-point line during one of the most clutch shots in NBA history. SG James Harden is healthy and when paired with Durant, the Nets are still a force in the Eastern Conference without Irving. If Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to play at the high level he did during the Bucks championship run then the NBA season opener will be the game of the night.
The Western Conference will tip-off at 10 PM ET, on TNT, in a battle between two titans of California. Steph Curry and the Warriors will travel to the Staples Center to take on LeBron James and the Lakers in a 2021 Play-In rematch. California will be the home of a plethora of former All-Stars, as James and Curry will be joined by Carmelo Anthony, Draymond Green, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo, Deandre Jordan, and Andre Iguodala. Warriors SG Klay Thompson is still recovering from his Achilles injury and will not play on opening night.
Wednesday, October 20 — Results
| Game | Tip-off time | Channel |
| Indiana Pacers 122 at Charlotte Hornets 123 | 7:00 PM | Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Southeast |
| Chicago Bulls 94 at Detroit Pistons 88 | 7:00 PM | NBC Sports Chicago, Bally Sports Detroit |
| Boston Celtics 134 at New York Knicks 138 | 7:30 PM | ESPN |
| Washington Wizards 98 at Toronto Raptors 83 | 7:30 PM | NBC Sports Washington |
| Cleveland Cavaliers 121 at Memphis Grizzlies 132 | 8:00 PM | Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Southeast |
| Houston Rockets 106 at Minnesota Timberwolves 124 | 8:00 PM | AT&T SportsNet-Southwest, Bally Sports North |
| Philadelphia 76ers 117 at New Orleans Pelicans 97 | 8:00 PM | NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports New Orleans |
| Orlando Magic 97 at San Antonio Spurs 123 | 8:30 PM | Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Southwest |
| Oklahoma City Thunder 86 at Utah Jazz 107 | 9:00 PM | Bally Sports Oklahoma, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountains |
| Denver Nuggets 110 at Phoenix Suns 98 | 10:00 PM | ESPN |
| Sacramento Kings 124 at Portland Trailblazers 121 | 10:00 PM | NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Northwest |
In a 2021 Western Conference Semifinals rematch, Suns-Nuggets is expected to be a highlight on the second night of Week 1. The Suns are the defending Western Conference champs and PG Chris Paul has returned for his second season in the Grand Canyon State. The Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokić will be looking to avenge their disappointing 4-0 sweep by Phoenix under the bright lights of ESPN.
Thursday, October 21
| Game | Tip-off time | Channel |
| Dallas Mavericks 87 at Atlanta Hawks 113 | 7:30 PM | TNT |
| Milwaukee Bucks 95 at Miami Heat 137 | 8:00 PM | Bally Sports Wisconsin, Bally Sports Sun |
| Los Angeles Clippers 113 at Golden State Warriors 115 | 10:00 PM | TNT |
The debate over the 2018 NBA Draft lives on as Hawks and Mavericks square off on TNT. Trae Young and Luka Doncic will always be connected from their draft-day trade. Fans across the league have been saying that the Hawks made a mistake by not drafting Luka, however, Young had his best season after leading the Hawks deep in playoffs, even eliminating the Knicks in Madison Square Garden.
Friday, October 22
| Game | Tip-off time | Channel |
| Charlotte Hornets at Cleveland Cavaliers | 7:00 PM | Bally Sports Southeast, Bally Sports Ohio |
| New York Knicks at Orlando Magic | 7:00 PM | MSG, Bally Sports Florida |
| Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards | 7:00 PM | Bally Sports Indiana, NBC Sports Washington |
| Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers | 7:30 PM | ESPN |
| Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics | 7:30 PM | NBC Sports Boston |
| New Orleans Pelicans at Chicago Bulls | 8:00 PM | Bally Sports New Orleans, NBC Sports Chicago |
| Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets | 8:00 PM | Bally Sports Oklahoma, AT&T SportsNet-Southwest |
| San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets | 9:00 PM | Bally Sports Southwest, Altitude |
| Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers | 10:00 PM | ESPN |
| Utah Jazz at Sacramento Kings | 10:00 PM | AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain, NBC Sports California |
Can the 76ers rise to the top of the Eastern Conference? That’s the question many fans want to know, as last year’s No.1 seed had a brutal exit in the playoffs. All off-season, the City of Brotherly Love has not shown much love to Ben Simmons after he showed that he is not willing to shoot in the 4th quarter when it matters to most. If he and Joel Embiid can get on the same page against the Nets on ESPN then Philly will be in for a long season.
Saturday, October 23
| Game | Tip-off time | Channel |
| Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers | 6:00 PM | Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Southeast |
| Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers | 7:00 PM | NBA TV, Bally Sports Sun, Bally Sports Indiana |
| Dallas Mavericks at Toronto Raptors | 7:30 PM | Bally Sports Southwest, TSN |
| Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls | 8:00 PM | NBC Sports Chicago, Bally Sports Detroit |
| New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves | 8:00 PM | Bally Sports New Orleans, Bally Sports North |
| Milwaukee Bucks at San Antonio Spurs | 8:30 PM | Bally Sports Wisconsin, KENS |
| Phoenix Suns at Portland Trailblazers | 10:00 PM | NBATV, Bally Sports Arizona, Root Sports Northwest |
| Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers | 10:30 PM | Bally Sports SoCal, Bally Sports Southeast |
The late night game on NBA TV will be a matchup of some of the NBA’s best guards when the Blazers host the Suns. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are trying to take the Blazers to the next level under new head coach Chauncey Billups. They will have their hands full against Chris Paul and Devin Booker in what should be an explosive offensive matchup.
Sunday, October 24
| Game | Tip-off time | Channel |
| Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets | 4:00 PM | YES, Bally Sports Southeast |
| Orlando Magic at New York Knicks | 7:00 PM | Bally Sports Florida, MSG |
| Boston Celtics at Houston Rockets | 7:00 PM | NBATV, NBC Sports Boston, AT&T Sportsnet – Southwest |
| Philadelphia 76ers at Oklahoma Thunder | 7:30 PM | NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports Oklahoma |
| Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings | 9:00 PM | NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports California |
| Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers | 9:30 PM | Bally Sports Southeast, Spectrum SportsNet |
Only one national game will take place on Sunday in an interconference matchup between the Rockets and Celtics. The Celtics have a new head coach and are looking to make a big step this season in a tough Eastern Conference. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will have to have a breakout season after a disappointing 2021 campaign. With the Rockets being a young team, the Celtics are favored to have a good performance on the national stage.
Where to Watch All of the Week 1 NBA Games
With a full schedule of NBA games across the country, fans have plenty of choices when it comes to watching each game from tip-off to the last shot.
NBA TV: Fans can get a free 7-day trial with an NBA TV subscription for only $6.99/month or $59.99/year to watch nationally broadcasted games on the only network with 24/7 NBA coverage.
NBA League Pass: Fans can watch live games from their favorite out-of-market teams with one of the packages provided by NBA League Pass. For $119.99/yr. or $17.99/mo. fans can watch all the games from an out-of-market team with Team Pass. Catch every game from any out-of-market team for only $28.99/mo. or $199/yr. with League Pass. Upgrade to a commercial-free experience with League Pass Premium and watch every game from an out-of-market team for only $249.99/yr. or $39.99 mo. Blackout restrictions apply. All League Pass plans include live audio for every game of the season and offline viewing capability. Don’t miss a game this season and check out our in-depth coverage on NBA League Pass.
Subscribers to live TV streaming services can check out our chart below to see if your service will be streaming today’s games.
| Channel | DirecTV Stream | fuboTV | Hulu with Live | Sling Orange | Sling Blue | YouTube TV |
| $69.99 | $64.99 | $64.99 | $35 | $35 | $64.99 | |
| Altitude | 84.99 | |||||
| AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh | 84.99 | X | ||||
| AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain | 84.99 | X | ||||
| AT&T SportsNet Southwest | 84.99 | X | ||||
| Bally Sports Arizona | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Carolinas | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Detroit | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Florida | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Great Lakes | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Indiana | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Kansas City | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Midwest | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports New Orleans | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports North | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Ohio | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Oklahoma | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports San Diego | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports SoCal | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports South | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Southeast | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Southwest | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Sun | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Tennessee | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports West | 84.99 | |||||
| Bally Sports Wisconsin | 84.99 | |||||
| Marquee Sports Network | 84.99 | X | ||||
| MSG | 84.99 | X | ||||
| MSG+ | 84.99 | X | ||||
| NBC Sports Bay Area | 84.99 | X | X | X | ||
| NBC Sports Boston | 84.99 | X | X | X | ||
| NBC Sports California | 84.99 | X | X | X | ||
| NBC Sports Chicago | 84.99 | X | X | X | ||
| NBC Sports Northwest | X | X | X | |||
| NBC Sports Philadelphia | X | X | X | |||
| NBC Sports Washington | 84.99 | X | X | X | ||
| Root Sports Northwest | 84.99 | X | ||||
| Spectrum SportsNet | 84.99 | |||||
| Spectrum SportsNet LA | 84.99 | |||||
| SportsNet NY | 84.99 | X | X | X | ||
| SportsTime Ohio | 84.99 | |||||
| YES Network | 84.99 |
*Due to the NBA’s blackout restrictions, local fans may have to watch some games on regional sports networks as coverage varies based on location.