NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks are going to open both of their title defenses against LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Knicks will travel to Philadelphia to face the 76ers on Oct. 30 on the opening night of NBA Cup games, the league announced Wednesday.
The teams already are scheduled to meet in the Oct. 20 season opener at Madison Square Garden, when the Knicks will get their NBA championship rings before James plays his first game since signing with the 76ers last month.
The NBA revealed the schedule for opening night and Christmas on Tuesday, and along with the NBA Cup schedule on Wednesday also announced the national TV schedules for games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents Day. It will release the entire 2026-27 schedule on Thursday at 3 p.m. EDT.
This is the fourth season of the NBA Cup, the league's in-season tournament. Games in the group stage will be played Oct. 30, Nov. 6, Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 24, Nov. 25 and Nov. 27, when the Knicks will host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat.
The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in the title game last year, then became the first NBA Cup champions to refuse to hang a banner to acknowledge the achievement. They will hang the banner they really wanted — their first since 1973 — on opening night after beating the Spurs again for the NBA championship in June.
The Knicks-76ers matchup in East Group B will open a Prime Video doubleheader, followed by the Lakers at Golden State in West Group C.
Quarterfinal play will be Dec. 4 and 5, with the semifinals on Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9, all at team sites. The championship game will be Dec. 11 at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the first time it has been staged outside Las Vegas.
Holiday Hoops
The two holiday schedules revealed Wednesday, both to be televised as NBC Sports quadruple-headers, were highlighted by LaMelo Ball's return to Charlotte on Feb. 15. The Hornets traded their point guard to Minnesota in the offseason.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 18) games: Detroit at Cleveland, Philadelphia at Atlanta, Minnesota at New York, and Houston at Memphis.
The Presidents Day (Feb. 15) games: Minnesota at Charlotte, Philadelphia at Dallas, San Antonio at Miami, and Indiana at Golden State.
Going global
San Antonio and New Orleans will play two games in Europe in January. Victor Wembanyama returns to France for the Paris game on Jan. 14, and the teams will meet again Jan. 17 in Manchester, England.
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