NBA opening day: Celtics-Pistons, 76ers-Knicks, Thunder-Spurs results, highlights

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76ers spoil Knicks' ring night with win at the Garden (1:14)

ESPN staff Oct 21, 2026, 12:30 AM ET

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.…