The NBA officially returns Thursday. After an offseason full of drama and excitement, the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks return to the court for the first preseason game of the 2025-26 NBA season.
The contest will take place outside the United States. Both teams will play their first two preseason games in Abu Dhabi. The 76ers and Knicks were allowed to open their training camps earlier than every other team to adjust for the two international games.
Over the course of the next couple weeks, NBA teams will engage in 65 preseason games to prepare for the regular season. With the NBA preseason starting Thursday, here’s everything you need to know before regular-season games get underway.
NBA preseason schedule
The 76ers and Knicks will open the 2025-26 NBA preseason Thursday. They’ll be followed by the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. After that, multiple NBA preseason games will take place every day through Oct. 17.
Here is a full NBA preseason schedule:
(All times Eastern)
Thursday, Oct. 2
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks, 12 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 3
Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 4
New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 11 a.m.
Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat, 8 p.m.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 5
Oklahoma City Thunder at Charlotte Hornets, 5 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 6
Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.
Detroit Pistons at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m.
Atlanta Hawks at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.
Denver Nuggets vs. Toronto Raptors, 10 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 7
Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m.
Indiana Pacers at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 8
San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.
Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m.
Boston Celtics at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m.
Toronto Raptors at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m.
Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 9
Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls, 8 p.m.
Detroit Pistons at Milwaukee Bucks, 8 p.m.
Charlotte Hornets at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 10
Phoenix Suns vs. Brooklyn Nets, 8 a.m.
Boston Celtics at Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m.
Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m.
Utah Jazz at San Antonio Spurs, 8 p.m.
Sacramento Kings at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 11
Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m.
Atlanta Hawks at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m.
Charlotte Hornets at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 12
Brooklyn Nets vs. Phoenix Suns, 7 a.m.
Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards, 3 p.m.
Miami Heat at Orlando Magic, 6 p.m.
Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls, 7 p.m.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics, 7 p.m.
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers, 9:30 p.m.
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers, 9:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 13
Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks, 6 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs at Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m.
Washington Wizards at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz, 9 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 14
Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Milwaukee Bucks, 8 p.m.
Houston Rockets at New Orleans Pelicans, 8 p.m.
Chicago Bulls at Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m.
Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 15
Memphis Grizzlies at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m.
Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 16
Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons, 7 p.m.
New Orleans Pelicans at Orlando Magic, 7 p.m.
Houston Rockets at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Chicago Bulls, 8 p.m.
Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz, 9 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 17
Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m.
Charlotte Hornets at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m.
Indiana Pacers at San Antonio Spurs, 8 p.m.
Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m.
Memphis Grizzlies at Miami Heat, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.
Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
NBA preseason international games
In addition to Thursday’s game in Abu Dhabi, there are five other international games on the NBA preseason schedule.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, both the 76ers and Knicks will once again play in Abu Dhabi. That same day, the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat will play in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Two days later, the Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors will face each other in Vancouver.
In the middle of the preseason, two games will take place in China. The Phoenix Suns will take on the Brooklyn Nets in Macao on Friday, Oct. 10. Both teams will square off again in Macao on Sunday, Oct. 12. That’s the final international game on the NBA preseason schedule.
When does the 2025-26 NBA season begin?
Opening night of the 2025-26 NBA regular season begins Tuesday, Oct. 21. Four teams will take the court that first night. First, the Houston Rockets will play the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:30 p.m. ET. Later that evening, the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Golden State Warriors at 10 p.m. ET.
The following day, 24 teams will take the court to open their seasons.
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