If Houston’s got lift-off, New York’s got motion: The 2025-26 NBA schedule has landed — and the Knicks finally have a path to chase the crown.

All 30 teams released their pre- and regular-season schedules in mid-August, and the Knicks enter the new campaign as one of the heavy favorites to make a run at the NBA Finals.

Here are 10 things to keep an eye on with just over a month until preseason tips off in early October:

34 NATIONAL TV GAMES

Only four teams have 30+ nationally televised games this season — the Knicks, Warriors, Thunder, and Lakers — all tied at 34.

With the league’s new media rights deal in full effect, NBA basketball is more accessible than ever. The Knicks will appear 13 times on ESPN or ABC, with the remaining 21 games split between new partners NBC/Peacock (11 games) and Amazon Prime Video (10 games).

That means the days of TNT and ESPN monopolizing national broadcasts are over. Knicks fans can still tune in to MSG Networks locally, with only a few games blacked out.

First Look on New Platforms

Oct. 24: Celtics @ Knicks (Prime)
Oct. 28: Knicks @ Bucks (NBC/Peacock)

THE OPENER

OCT. 22 | CAVALIERS @ KNICKS | 7 P.M. | ABC/ESPN

Have the Knicks already been crowned kings of the East — a little too early? Cleveland might have something to say.

With Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, and Damian Lillard now out of the picture, the conference feels wide-open. But it was the Cavaliers who posted the East’s best record last season, and injuries played a major role in their second-round exit to Indiana.

Cleveland not only swept the Knicks, 4-0, last season, but posted 37- and 19-point blowouts in the process. Did Mitchell Robinson’s late return narrow the gap? What about adding Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele?

New York can’t be kings until they take out last season’s top seed.

Remaining vs. Cleveland

Christmas Day @ Knicks
Feb. 24: @ Cavs

The Heat Check

Nov. 11 | Grizzlies @ Knicks
Nov. 12 | Magic @ Knicks

This early-season back-to-back might be the toughest test out of the gate. Memphis and Orlando are built to grind opponents down — blue-collar playoff teams with deep rotations and physically punishing styles.

Clarkson and Yabusele deepen the Knicks’ bench, and Mike Brown is expected to deploy a longer rotation than Tom Thibodeau ever did. But the Grizzlies and Magic will test New York’s toughness and depth from the jump. Will the Knicks be able to answer the bell on fatigued legs?

And how will they look against the new-look Magic with Desmond Bane now in Orlando?

THE GUT CHECK

Jan. 5 | Knicks @ Pistons

There’s real belief in Detroit that a healthy Jaden Ivey and Isaiah Stewart could have turned last year’s playoff matchup into an upset. The Pistons get their shot at revenge early in the new year.

Little Caesars Arena was one of the most hostile environments the Knicks faced last postseason. Detroit has embraced its Bad Boy roots again, and last year’s 1–2 regular-season record vs. the Pistons helped fuel that fire.

The Knicks can’t afford to let the Pistons gain that same confidence again should the two teams meet in the playoffs.

Other Games Against Pistons

Feb. 6 @  Detroit
Feb. 19 @ New York

TEMPERATURE CHECKS

Rockets: Feb. 21 @ NYK  | Mar. 31 @  HOU
Magic: Nov. 12, Dec. 7 @ NYK |  Nov. 22 @ ORL
Hawks: Dec. 27, Apr. 6  @ ATL |  Jan. 2 @ NYK
Trail Blazers: Jan. 11  @ POR | Jan. 30 @ NYK

The Knicks struggled against a certain archetype last season: gritty, physical teams with elite point-of-attack defenders who disrupted flow for 48 minutes.

Detroit’s Ausar Thompson is one of only a handful of players who hurt the Knicks last season. Amen Thompson (Houston), Dyson Daniels (Atlanta), Jalen Suggs (Orlando), and Jrue Holiday (Portland) all lead the charge for aggressive, stingy defenses.

These are key matchups on the Knicks’ 2026 schedule. They are temperature checks. How will the Knicks fare when things get hot?

THE IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT

Group Stage Games: Oct. 31 – Knicks @ Bulls | Nov. 14: Heat @ Knicks | Nov. 26: Knicks @ Hornets | Nov. 28: Bucks @ Knicks

Recent history suggests the NBA Cup is no gimmick. The Thunder won the 2025 edition — then won the championship. The Pacers made the 2024 Cup final and reached the NBA Finals a year later.

For a team as deep and talented as New York, the In-Season Tournament could be a springboard.

If the Knicks win their group — capped with a marquee game against the Bucks — they’ll be in position to raise their first banner of any kind since 1993. The Lakers even hung their NBA Cup banner in Crypto.com Arena next to their Minneapolis titles.

This could the Knicks’ launching pad.

THE LONG ROAD STRETCHES

Five-game road trip: Nov. 16–26 (Heat, Mavericks, Magic, Nets, Hornets)
18-Day streych: Feb. 22–Mar. 13 (9 of 11 games on the road)

Road trips test more than stamina — they build chemistry. The Knicks’ core remains intact, and these long trips are where bonds are forged and kinks get worked out.

This is Year 2 of the Jalen Brunson–Karl-Anthony Towns era. Championship teams sharpen their edge away from home — especially with tests like Denver and both Los Angeles teams, which loom on the West Coast swing.

THE KING AND THE FUTURE

Feb. 1: Lakers @ Knicks
Mar. 1: Spurs @ Knicks

Not all gifts come on Christmas. Some come on the first of the month.

LeBron James is in the twilight of his career, and last season, he put up a 33-point triple double to stun the Knicks on their own home floor. Victor Wembanyama one-upped the King on Christmas Day: 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Wemby returns to NBA action after training with both Shaolin monks and Kevin Garnett this summer. And LeBron returns for what could be the second-to-last (or actual last) season of his Hall of Fame career.

The Garden was electric for these two matchups last season. You won’t want to miss it this time around.

THE FINAL DATA POINTS

Mar. 29 | Knicks @ Thunder
Mar. 31 | Knicks @ Rockets

The final stretch of the schedule softens — Charlotte, Toronto, Atlanta, Boston — but this late-March trip through OKC and Houston? That’s the truth serum.

The Thunder are title favorites. The Rockets signed Kevin Durant and are gunning for them. These are the league’s elite.

If the Knicks want to know where they truly stand, they’ll find out here. So will everyone else. The world will be watching these two marquee matchups.

THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE SEASON

Mar. 4 | Thunder @ Knicks

Yes, the Pistons and Cavs matchups matter. But when the Thunder come to New York, it’s a referendum on everything.

This is a championship-or-bust year in NYC, and the Knicks looked overmatched in both games against OKC last season — a 10-point loss on the road, followed by a 25-point blowout at MSG.

Losing to the champs is one thing. Looking like you don’t belong in the same gym is another.

The Knicks need to prove they belong, not just among the league’s elite, but in the legitimate championship contender conversation. A win at home over the reigning champs accomplishes just that.

Originally Published: August 18, 2025 at 3:24 PM EDT