DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons will open the 2026-27 regular season at home against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in a matchup featuring the top two seeds from last season’s Eastern Conference standings.
The game at Little Caesars Arena is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally on NBC.
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The FULL 2026-27 NBA Season schedule will be announced today at 3:00pm/et!
NBA Schedule Release presented by @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/nRmuopxKG9
The Pistons announced their full regular-season schedule Thursday (Aug. 13).
Single-game tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster, the Detroit Pistons app and Pistons.com, as well as by calling 313-PISTONS.
Tickets are also available at the Xfinity Box Office at Little Caesars Arena, which is open Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m.
Detroit’s home schedule includes several high-profile matchups.
LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers will make their first and only visit to Little Caesars Arena on Nov. 4.
Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to visit Detroit on Nov. 8, while the Pistons will host Tyler Herro and the Milwaukee Bucks on Black Friday, Nov. 27.
James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers return to Detroit on Dec. 18, following their 2026 NBA playoff series against the Pistons.
Detroit will host a New Year’s Day game for the third consecutive season when Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic visit Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 1, 2027.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is scheduled to make his first two trips to Detroit as a member of the Miami Heat on Feb. 25 and April 4.
Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will make their lone visit to Detroit on March 27.
The Pistons will also host the 2026 NBA champion New York Knicks on Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App as part of the second annual NBA Pioneers Classic.
The game will help kick off Black History Month and honor Chuck Cooper, Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton and Earl Lloyd, the first Black players in NBA history.
The Pistons and Knicks will wear commemorative jersey patches and warm-up shirts for the game.
New York will also visit Detroit on Feb. 17.
Pistons to participate in NBA Cup
The fourth annual Emirates NBA Cup returns this season, with each team scheduled to play four Group Play games, two at home and two on the road, from Oct. 30 through Nov. 27.
Detroit will host the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 20 and the Bucks on Nov. 27 as part of Group Play.
Eight teams will advance to the single-elimination Knockout Rounds.
The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in local markets from Dec. 4-9, with the championship scheduled for Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Detroit scheduled for 19 national TV appearances
The Pistons are scheduled to appear on national television 19 times during the regular season.
Detroit will play twice on Peacock and seven times across NBC and Peacock, including the season opener against Boston. The Pistons also have five games scheduled for ESPN and the ESPN App and five on Amazon Prime Video.
A complete local television and radio broadcast schedule will be announced later.
Pistons preseason schedule
Detroit will play four preseason games before the regular season begins:
- Oct. 5 vs. Phoenix, 7 p.m., Little Caesars Arena
- Oct. 10 at Washington, 7 p.m., Capital One Arena
- Oct. 14 at Minnesota, 8 p.m., Target Center
- Oct. 16 vs. Toronto, 7 p.m., Little Caesars Arena
2026-27 theme nights
The Pistons also announced several theme nights for the upcoming season.
The Oct. 20 home opener against Boston will be presented by Ticketmaster, followed by Los Pistons night against Charlotte on Oct. 28.
Other theme nights include Cup Nights presented by Xfinity on Nov. 20 against Toronto and Nov. 27 against Milwaukee; a Holiday Game presented by Kroger against Cleveland on Dec. 18; 313 Day presented by Ally against Brooklyn on March 13; Casino Night presented by BetRivers against San Antonio on March 27; Kids Day presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan against Miami on April 4; and Fan Appreciation presented by Hutch’s Jewelry against Indiana on April 7.
Detroit will also host six In It For My City Nights presented by Ally during the season.
The Pistons said a complete promotional schedule will be released in early October.