Final
Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons
113 – 121
2026-27 · Regular season
Wednesday NBA preview: tip times in ET and Cairo, who’s out and what to watch in all 11 games
All 11 of Wednesday's games tip between 7 and 10:30 p.m. ET (2 to 5:30 a.m. Thursday in Cairo). Here is the injury picture and the storyline for each, from Curry-Dončić to Kawhi's Raptors return and the Lillard-Morant debut.
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In this article
The NBA’s opening night is in the books, and Wednesday, October 21, brings the first full slate of the 2026-27 season: 11 games, 22 teams and the debuts of most of the league’s new pairings. Every game tips between 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET, which is 2 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. on Thursday in Cairo. Below are the tip times, the national TV games and, game by game, who is out, who is in doubt and what to watch.
The availability notes reflect what teams and coaches said through Tuesday afternoon ET. The league’s first official injury report for Wednesday’s games had not been filed when this preview was put together, so late changes are possible. For giveaways, doors times and halftime acts at all 11 arenas, see our Wednesday home-openers guide.
Wednesday’s 11 games at a glance
| Game | Tip (ET, Wed) | Tip (Cairo, Thu) | US TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic | 7:00 p.m. | 2:00 a.m. | Local TV |
| Milwaukee Bucks at Washington Wizards | 7:00 p.m. | 2:00 a.m. | Local TV |
| Minnesota Timberwolves at Miami Heat | 7:30 p.m. | 2:30 a.m. | ESPN |
| Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets | 7:30 p.m. | 2:30 a.m. | Local TV |
| Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | 2:30 a.m. | Local TV |
| Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies | 8:00 p.m. | 3:00 a.m. | Local TV |
| Indiana Pacers at New Orleans Pelicans | 8:00 p.m. | 3:00 a.m. | Local TV |
| Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets | 8:30 p.m. | 3:30 a.m. | Local TV |
| Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers | 10:00 p.m. | 5:00 a.m. | ESPN |
| Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers | 10:00 p.m. | 5:00 a.m. | Local TV |
| Sacramento Kings at LA Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | 5:30 a.m. | Local TV |
Cairo is on UTC+3 until the end of October, seven hours ahead of New York. All 11 games are home openers.
Hawks at Magic, 7 p.m. ET
Sean Sweeney’s first game as Orlando’s coach comes with an open question about his best player. Franz Wagner practiced fully on Tuesday and plans to play after a right shoulder injury kept him out of the preseason finale. Anthony Black (ankle) said Tuesday that he does not know yet whether he will play, Jason Beede reported, and Jonathan Isaac (knee) and Jase Richardson (back) are day-to-day. Noah Penda is out with a partially torn right hamstring. Atlanta will be without Mouhamed Gueye, who had surgery this week on a fractured left foot, and Henri Veesaar (torn ACL). Our Wagner story has more on Orlando’s injury list.
Bucks at Wizards, 7 p.m. ET
The Wizards will open without the No. 1 overall pick. AJ Dybantsa has been ruled out with an ankle injury and is day-to-day after that, so his debut waits at least until Friday. That puts more on Trae Young, who promised this week to be more aggressive as a scorer. Tristan Vukcevic (hip) and Jamir Watkins (torn ACL) are also out. Taylor Jenkins has said Milwaukee’s starting five is still open; rookie Nate Ament, who missed the preseason finale with an ankle issue, was a full participant in practice. The Bucks then come home for Friday’s 4 p.m. ET game against the Bulls, which was moved up for the Brewers’ World Series opener.
Timberwolves at Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET
This is the first national TV game of the night and the first real look at two of the season’s biggest new pieces. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball both sat out Minnesota’s preseason finale, so this is their first meaningful game together. Miami counters with Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom Chris Finch called “a locomotive,” alongside Bam Adebayo and Klay Thompson.
Adebayo (groin) and Pelle Larsson (illness) practiced Monday and expect to play, and Dru Smith (calf) was also back on the floor. Vladislav Goldin (ankle) did not practice Tuesday, Ira Winderman reported. Minnesota’s only long-term absence is Donte DiVincenzo, who is still working back from an Achilles injury.
Hornets at Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET
Charlotte opens two days after giving Brandon Miller a five-year, $209 million extension, but the backcourt is thin. Charles Lee said Sunday that Kon Knueppel (hamstring) and Coby White (calf) still have no timetable, though both have been taking more contact in practice. Grayson Allen (knee) and Grant Williams (hamstring) are also day-to-day. Brooklyn has ruled out Tyler Bilodeau with a shoulder sprain.
Bulls at Raptors, 7:30 p.m. ET
Kawhi Leonard plays his first regular-season game for Toronto since the 2019 title run, after a deliberately light preseason of two games and 27 points. How many minutes Darko Rajakovic gives him is the first thing to watch. Chicago will be short-handed: Jordan Hawkins and Dailyn Swain are out with illness, K.C. Johnson reported, and Nic Claxton (hamstring) will be re-evaluated in about two weeks. Zach Collins (toe) is hopeful to play.
Jazz at Grizzlies, 8 p.m. ET
Memphis opens without Isaiah Stewart, who will miss at least two weeks with an ankle injury, and rookie Cam Boozer is in line for his first regular-season minutes. Utah is without Jusuf Nurkić, out at least four weeks with a partial plantar plate tear in his right foot, and Kyle Filipowski still has no return timeline.
Pacers at Pelicans, 8 p.m. ET
Tyrese Haliburton, who returned this preseason 472 days after his Achilles injury, is set for his first regular-season game since, and Indiana gets its first official look at Ivica Zubac in the middle. Rick Carlisle called New Orleans’ rebounding “a big, big problem” and named Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Jordan Poole and former Pacer Bennedict Mathurin as the threats. Jamahl Mosley coaches his first game for New Orleans. T.J. McConnell, Aaron Nesmith and Jarace Walker were all listed as day-to-day heading into the game, and Johnny Furphy (torn ACL) is out.
Mavericks at Rockets, 8:30 p.m. ET
Kevin Durant starts his 20th season 1,047 points behind Kobe Bryant for fourth on the all-time scoring list, and Fred VanVleet is back after missing all of last season. Dallas, in Dusty May’s first NBA game as a head coach, lists Santi Aldama (knee) as doubtful, Grant Afseth reported. May is expected to play both of his rookies, Sergio De Larrea and Morez Johnson Jr., alongside Cooper Flagg.
Warriors at Lakers, 10 p.m. ET
The late national game is the one most Cairo viewers will wake up for at 5 a.m. Stephen Curry went through a full practice on Monday after Sunday’s ankle sprain and will play, Steve Kerr said. Brandin Podziemski is questionable with lower back soreness, Charles Bassey (knee) did not practice Monday, and Kristaps Porziņģis did not travel and remains out indefinitely. Jimmy Butler (ACL) and Moses Moody (patellar tendon) are long-term absences.
For the Lakers, Luka Dončić opens his ninth season at home. Collin Sexton (lower leg) practiced fully on Monday, while Bronny James was excused from practice with an illness and Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero sat out. Golden State begins the season $347,568 under its hard cap, the tightest margin in the league.
Suns at Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. ET
Damian Lillard plays his first regular-season game in a year and a half, now alongside Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson in a guard-heavy Portland rotation that Micah Nori plans to run 10 deep. Shaedon Sharpe (meniscus) is out. For Phoenix, Jordan Ott has not said whether Oso Ighodaro or Khaman Maluach starts at center, Luke Kennard (knee) increased his work in practice, and Mark Williams (shoulder surgery) is out.
Kings at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET
The last tip of the night, at 5:30 a.m. in Cairo, brings Domantas Sabonis back from knee surgery for a Sacramento team already hit hard by injuries. Ben Simmons is out for the season with a torn Achilles, Dylan Cardwell (calf) and Maxime Raynaud (knee) are expected to miss at least the first five or six games, and Malik Monk (ankle) could miss time. The Clippers will be without Bradley Beal (knee), Brandon Ingram (partially torn Achilles), Max Strus (plantar fascia) and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot).
What comes next
Thursday is a two-game night on ESPN: Cleveland at Philadelphia at 7 p.m. ET (2 a.m. Friday in Cairo) and Denver at Oklahoma City at 9:30 p.m. ET (4:30 a.m.). Friday has 12 games, starting with Bulls at Bucks at 4 p.m. ET, 11 p.m. in Cairo. The full week, with every Game Center, is in our opening-week schedule, and Tuesday’s tip times are in our opening-night guide.
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