The NBA returned with a bang Tuesday.
The 2026-27 season tipped off with a tripleheader, beginning with a rare daytime game between the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics. That set up ring night at Madison Square Garden as the New York Knicks, the defending champs, hosted the Philadelphia 76ers. The evening concluded with a rematch of the 2026 Western Conference finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Each game brought its own headlines, and it started off in Detroit. The Pistons defeated the Celtics 121-113 after a big fourth quarter from Duncan Robinson, who helped Detroit go on a 23-0 run after being down 22 points. It marked the franchise’s largest come-from-behind win over the Celtics across the past 30 seasons, according to ESPN Research.
The Knicks raised a championship banner for the first time in 50 years. But the new-look 76ers, with Jaylen Brown and LeBron James teaming up with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, spoiled New York’s night with a 106-100 victory. Maxey led the 76ers with 28 points to go with four rebounds and five assists. Brown added 19 points, Embiid had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and James tallied 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Jalen Brunson put up a team-high 21 points for the Knicks.
Five months after defeating Oklahoma City in Game 7 to reach the NBA Finals, San Antonio welcomed its Western Conference rival in another battle. The Thunder and the Spurs returned most of their cores, setting up a contest full of familiar matchups and tension. There was plenty of the latter as Oklahoma City beat San Antonio 116-104. Back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 32 points on 13-of-27 shooting. Spurs star Victor Wembanyama struggled with 12 points on 1-of-13 shooting, but he added six blocks.
Here are all of the top moments and highlights from the NBA’s season opening tripleheader.
