NEW YORK — The street sweepers cleaned the ticker tape off the roads of Champions Way a month ago. Last season’s title and its ensuing parade is now old news.
As for breaking news? As of Thursday at 3 p.m., the Knicks have their marching orders: an 82-game regular-season slate serving as the road to repeating as champions in 2027.
Training camp is officially around the corner, and schedule-makers have cemented the journey New York will embark on — only this time. They aren’t hunters.
The Knicks will be hunted — and there will be a target on their backs beginning on Day 1.
Nationally televised games: 34
The Knicks are in a four-way tie with the Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers for the maximum-allowable 34 nationally-televised games for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Thirteen games will be aired on ABC or ESPN: Nov. 11 vs. Cleveland, Jan. 6 at Golden State, Jan. 13 at Boston, Jan. 22 at Atlanta, Dec. 12 at Miami (ABC), Christmas Day vs. San Antonio (ABC/ESPN), Jan. 30 vs. Los Angeles Lakers (ABC), Feb. 3 at Detroit, Feb. 13 vs. Golden State (ABC), Feb. 17 at Detroit, Feb. 27 vs. Philadelphia (ABC), March 14 vs. Boston (ABC) and March 28 at Orlando.
Ten games will be aired on Amazon Prime Video: Oct. 23 at Boston, Oct. 30 at Philadelphia, Nov. 14 at Indiana, Nov. 27 vs. Miami, Jan. 28 vs. Atlanta, Feb. 11 at Philadelphia, Feb. 25 vs. Oklahoma City, March 4 at Dallas, March 11 at Los Angeles Lakers and April 9 vs. Detroit.
The remaining 11 nationally-televised games will air on NBC or NBC Sports Network: Oct. 20 vs. Philadelphia, Oct. 27 vs. Detroit, Dec. 1 at Chicago, Dec. 21 at Cleveland, Jan. 11 vs. Denver, Jan. 18 vs. Minnesota, Feb. 7 at Oklahoma City, March 7 at San Antonio, March 30 at Orlando, April 4 vs. Boston and April 6 at Atlanta.
Knicks games will also stream on DAZN the 2026-27 NBA season.
Preseason schedule
— Oct. 8 vs. Washington
— Oct. 13 at Toronto
— Oct. 15 vs. Toronto
The Knicks will tune-up against three potential playoff opponents in their 2026 preseason slate. The Washington Wizards have been reimagined with All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis alongside No. 1 overall pick A.J. Dybantsa. And with or without Kawhi Leonard, the Toronto Raptors are a formidable Eastern Conference opponent, though the Knicks have won 13 games in a row against their rivals in the north.
First 6 games
— Oct. 20 vs. Philadelphia
— Oct. 23 at Boston
— Oct. 25 vs. Orlando
— Oct. 27 vs. Detroit
— Oct. 28 at Chicago
— Oct. 30 at Philadelphia
Talk about gut-check time: The Knicks will need to shake the hangover from last season’s title run off early — because they’ll host LeBron James and a Sixers team angling for their throne on ring night before a trip to Boston to face Jayson Tatum (and Mitchell Robinson) in a rivalry matchup against the Celtics.
It’s Sixers, Celtics, Magic, Pistons, new-look Bulls and Sixers again straight out of the gate for your reigning, defending NBA champions. The first six games will be telling as the Knicks look to be the first repeat champs in nine years.
Thankful for one thing
The Knicks will play 12 games from Nov. 7 through Nov. 29. All but one of those opponents are projected to make the playoffs.
They’ll face the Cavaliers three times in three weeks and battle a four-game road trip with stops in Indiana, Toronto and Minnesota. The Knicks have one of their toughest stretches of the season rolling right into the holidays, but there’s one thing — aside from a championship, of course — the team can be thankful for.
The Knicks do not play on Thanksgiving, and they’ll spend the holiday in their own beds with home games on both sides of the great feast.
The Knicks will also play in an NBA Finals rematch at Madison Square Garden against the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas.
How many games on the road?
The Knicks have a Dec. 1-2 road back-to-back against the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. Then comes the NBA Cup — which could be a slate of road games depending on where the Knicks finish in group stage play. And when they return from Cup play, the Knicks have to fly out for a five-game road trip with stops in Miami, Houston, New Orleans, Washington and Cleveland.
The team could go a long time away from home, and it’s only one of three long road trips on the year.
West coast swings
The Knicks will bring in the New Year in Phoenix as they embark on a five-game road trip with stops in Denver, Portland, Golden State and Sacramento, the latter two opponents representing Mike Brown’s previous coaching stops before joining the Knicks in the summer of 2025. They have a second West Coast swing in March, with games against Dallas, San Antonio and both Los Angeles teams.
Hardest stretch of the season
Jan. 11 vs. Denver, Jan. 13 at Boston, Jan. 14 vs. Miami, Jan. 16 vs. Dallas, Jan. 18 vs. Minnesota, Jan. 20 vs Toronto, Jan. 22 at Atlanta, Jan. 24 vs. Los Angeles Clippers, Jan. 26 vs. Phoenix, Jan 28 vs. Atlanta, Jan. 30 vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Another stretch of 10 playoff opponents in the span of 11 games. The Eastern Conference has improved across the board, and as a result, so has the Knicks’ schedule.
Working in their favor: The Knicks will play nine of these 11 games at home. It was during this portion of last season’s schedule that the Knicks lost nine of 11 games.
The home stretch
— April 4 vs. Boston
— April 6 at Atlanta
— April 8 at Milwaukee
— April 9 vs. Detroit
— April 11 vs. Indiana
The Knicks will conclude their 2026-27 regular season with a five-game slate against the Celtics, Hawks, Bucks, Pistons and Pacers.