Look back at the Knicks' path to the 2026 NBA championship.
When the defending champs happen to play in the world’s most famous arena, every game is worth watching.
The New York Knicks are coming off one of the most amazing playoff runs in sports history, and we all want to know if the success of the spring can carry over to the fall and winter. The Knicks will be tested early and often as they try to defend their title.
Here are 10 must-see matchups from the Knicks’ 2026-27 schedule, listed in chronological order.
1. Season opener against LeBron, Sixers
- Tues., Oct. 20 — Sixers vs. Knicks (7 ET, NBC/Peacock)
For the first time in 53 years, the Knicks will raise a championship banner to the iconic ceiling of Madison Square Garden. Then they’ll begin their title defense against what could be the most talented team in the Eastern Conference. Knicks-Sixers feels like the No. 1 marquee matchup in the East, and we’ll get it (at least) four times, including on opening night.
2. Early-season clash against Celtics
- Fri., Oct. 23 — Knicks vs. Celtics (7 ET, Prime)
The Celtics have been the league’s best team over the last 10 years and the only Eastern Conference team with a winning record (12-11, including playoffs) against the Knicks over Jalen Brunson’s four seasons in New York. But going back to their conference semifinals series in 2025, the Knicks have won seven of the last 10 meetings. The two rivals will tip off Prime’s first double-header of the season.
3. Pistons charge into MSG
- Tues., Oct. 27 — Pistons vs. Knicks (8 ET, NBC/Peacock)
If they had met in the playoffs, it would likely have been a different story. But the Pistons owned the Knicks last season, winning their three meetings by an average of 28 points and registering both the No. 1 offense and the No. 1 defense against New York. So there’s plenty of intrigue as these teams renew what could be a great rivalry over the next couple of years.
4. Eastern Conference Finals rematch
- Sat., Nov. 7 — Knicks vs. Cavaliers (8 ET, League Pass)
The Knicks swept the Cavs in the Eastern Conference finals, winning the four games (including one they trailed by 22 points in the fourth quarter) by an average of 19.3 points. But there was some truth to what Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said about the Cavs’ analytical advantage, in that they had the higher shot quality over the course of the series. But they shot poorly, while the Knicks were red hot. Their four early-season meetings are opportunities for the Cavs to prove that they are, indeed, on the Knicks’ level.
5. Renewed rivalry with Pacers
- Fri., Nov. 13 — Knicks vs. Pacers (7 ET, Prime)
The Knicks are the defending champs, but their previous two trips through the playoffs came to an end against the Pacers, who are back to full strength after playing a season without Tyrese Haliburton. Their first meeting of the season will be an NBA Emirates Cup game in Indiana.
6. Giannis, Heat visit MSG
- Fri., Nov. 27 — Heat vs. Knicks (7 ET, Prime)
Knicks-Heat is one of the best rivalries of the last 30 years, and a new chapter begins this season with Giannis Antetokounmpo (29-14 against the Knicks in his career) moving to Miami. This will be the fourth game of a five-game, nine-day homestand, the Knicks’ longest of the season.
7. Finals rematch tips off Christmas Day
- Fri., Dec. 25 — vs. San Antonio (12 ET, ABC/ESPN)
This will be the sixth straight year that the Knicks hosted the noon game on Christmas, and the Finals rematch will obviously have the most juice of those six games. The Finals was just the second playoff series in the 30 years of play-by-play data in which the winning team came back from double-digits in all four of its wins.
The Knicks and Spurs will meet twice in the 2026-27 NBA regular season in rematches of the 2026 NBA Finals: Christmas Day and March 7.
Their Dec. 25 matchup marks the first time in nine years that Christmas Day features a rematch of the previous season’s Finals (CLE at GSW in… pic.twitter.com/FGlXhrgLRw
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 13, 2026
8. Mile-high trip to face Jokić, Nuggets
- Sat., Jan. 2 — Knicks vs. Nuggets (5 ET, NBA League Pass)
After winning 13 of his first 14 career games against the Knicks, Nikola Jokić has won only one of the last seven, shooting just 2-for-20 from 3-point range in two losses last season. But he remains the league’s toughest individual matchup and the Knicks no longer have Mitchell Robinson to eat some minutes against the three-time MVP.
9. Dončić, Lakers visit Madison Square Garden
- Sat., Jan. 30 — Lakers vs. Knicks (8:30 ET, ABC)
An AWS NBA Rivals Week matchup of the league’s two most popular franchises also pits Jalen Brunson against the guy he used to back up in Dallas. Brunson and Luka Dončić have faced each other just four times since the former’s move to New York, with the Knicks’ only win in those four games having come this past February. Brunson shot just 4-for-15, but had 13 assists and just one turnover.
10. Last two champions battle in OKC
- Sun., Feb. 7 — Knicks vs. Thunder (9:30 ET, NBC/Peacock)
The last two NBA champions (and maybe the favorites in the respective conferences this season) will face off for the first time at the end of Week 16. The Knicks have lost the last six (and 17 of the last 20) meetings, scoring just 104.7 points per 100 possessions over the two games last season.
