NBA Games Today Overlap NBC Schedule for 76ers Knicks — Nba Games Today
nba games today will be packed into two overlapping windows, with Game 1 of 76ers vs. Knicks set for 8 p.m. ET on Monday and Timberwolves vs. Spurs starting at 9:30 p.m. on Peacock. The second-round schedule now asks viewers to juggle multiple channels and streams on consecutive nights.
76ers Knicks on NBC
Monday opens with NBC and Peacock carrying Game 1 of the 76ers vs. Knicks at 8 p.m. ET, then Peacock shifting straight into Timberwolves vs. Spurs at 9:30 p.m. That creates the first clear overlap of the round, and it comes with one game on the main NBC window and another entirely on Peacock.
Joel Embiid has already lived through the pressure of this postseason run. He celebrated after Philadelphia defeated Boston in Game 7 of the first-round NBA playoffs in Boston on May 2, 2026, and now the 76ers move into a matchup that lands in prime time while another series tips off 90 minutes later.
NBC's late-night pattern
NBC has avoided airing weeknight games before 8 p.m. ET since opening night, and that schedule choice helps explain why the first two nights of the second round stack so tightly. The network also does not want Central Time teams like the Spurs and Thunder tipping off as late as 9:30 p.m. local time, which puts more pressure on how these games are staggered.
Tuesday brings another split slate. NBC and Peacock will air Lakers vs. Thunder at 9:30 p.m., while Peacock streams Cavaliers vs. Pistons at 7 p.m. The order flips from Monday, but the result is the same for viewers: one night with a late East Coast start and another with a game that begins earlier on streaming.
Odds and playoff separation
The betting board points to a wide gap in several of the second-round series. DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Thunder at -1600 to beat the Lakers and the Spurs at -425 to advance past the Timberwolves, while the Knicks are priced at +320 to win in five games over the 76ers. DraftKings also projects Pistons vs. Cavaliers to be the longest series.
Fans still need Peacock and Amazon, in addition to NBC, and ABC, to follow the second round. That means the overlap on Monday and Tuesday is not just a scheduling quirk; it is the clearest example yet of how the playoff slate is being spread across more screens at once, with the most competitive series and the most lopsided ones sharing the same two nights.
