Tolu Smith averaged nearly a double-double during the Las Vegas Summer League tourney.
Tolu Smith averaged nearly a double-double during the Las Vegas Summer League tourney.
Detroit — The NBA will return to NBC this season, and the Detroit Pistons will be one of a handful of teams that will be featured in its national broadcast. On Tuesday morning, the NBA, Disney and NBCUniversal announced 17 nationally broadcast games that will be prominent features during the 2025-26 season.
On Oct. 27, the Pistons will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena. The game against their divisional rival will mark the first national broadcast for Peacock’s NBA Monday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
Throughout the regular season, Peacock will stream up to three games each Monday night. However, it will mark the establishment with a doubleheader that will conclude with the Minnesota Timberwolves welcoming the Denver Nuggets to Target Center as the nightcap.
During the league’s annual MLK Day showcase, the Pistons will be one of eight teams featured in the national broadcast. They will host the Boston Celtics for a home game on Jan. 19 to end a tripleheader on NBC. The game will mark Detroit’s first home contest on Martin Luther King Jr. Day since 2018. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s road game against the Cavaliers and the New York Knicks’ home game against the Dallas Mavericks will mark the first of three games on Peacock and NBC. MLK Day will begin on Peacock with the Atlanta Hawks facing off against the Milwaukee Bucks at State Farm Arena.
The NBA will release the rest of its 2025-26 schedule on Thursday. The Pistons’ nationally televised games on noteworthy days are a testament that the franchise has reestablished its relevance.
Last season, the Pistons became the first team in league history to triple their win total from the previous year. They went 44-38 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in six years. Detroit’s season ended in a six-game series against the Knicks during the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
Cade Cunningham catapulted into All-NBA and All-Star level amid Detroit’s resurgence. He averaged 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 6.1 rebounds through 70 games.
The season will begin with an NBA doubleheader on NBC/Peacock on Oct. 21. The Thunder will receive their championship rings and raise their first banner before facing the new-look Houston Rockets, who acquired future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant in a trade with the Phoenix Suns in June. The Golden State Warriors will travel to Los Angeles for a Pacific Division contest against the Lakers.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
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