GAME NIGHT: What Will HEADLINE The NBA's OPENING NIGHT!? | Finals REMATCH On Christmas Day?!

August 11, 2026

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5 min read

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The NBA schedule is set to drop this week, and the hosts of Locked On NBA Game Night, Danny Cunningham and Hayes, decided to build their own mock schedule for the league’s three biggest regular-season days: Opening Night, Christmas Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Their goal was to pick the most compelling matchups based on storylines, rivalries, and the need to showcase the league’s new star power. The exercise revealed a league in transition, where the Eastern Conference is suddenly deep with talent and the NBA’s new young stars are ready to take center stage.

Opening Night: A New King in the East

For Opening Night, the hosts agreed on a clear headliner: the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The logic was straightforward. The Knicks are the defending champions, so they get ring night. But the real draw is LeBron James, who has joined the 76ers. As Hayes put it, “LeBron, new team, new city against the defending champs in New York. I feel like that’s the direction the NBA will go.” The matchup also serves as a quiet playoff rematch, though that storyline has been overshadowed by LeBron’s move.

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What you'll learn

1 (01:44) **Show Introduction and Marquee Day Calendar** - Danny Cunningham and Hayes preview the episode: picking dream schedules for the NBA's biggest regular-season days.
2 (02:50) **Opening Night: The Layup Matchup** - Both hosts agree on the first game: Sixers at Knicks.
3 (06:14) **Opening Night: The Second Game** - Hayes and Danny pick different matchups for the second slot.
4 (11:45) **Christmas Day: The Early Slots** - The hosts build their five-game Christmas Day slates, starting with the noon and 2:30 PM games.
5 (17:59) **Christmas Day: The Primetime Slots** - The hosts finish their Christmas Day lineups with the 5, 7:30, and 10 PM games.
6 (25:00) **Martin Luther King Jr. Day: The First Two Games** - The hosts begin their four-game MLK Day schedules, focusing on young talent and city heritage.
7 (29:14) **Martin Luther King Jr. Day: The Final Two Games** - The hosts finish their MLK Day slates with star power and a must-see rivalry.

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Show Notes

On this edition of Locked On NBA Game Night, Danny Cunningham (Locked On Cavs) and Haize (Locked On Bulls) preview the NBA’s upcoming schedule release. The guys discuss what games they need to see this season and build out their ideal slates for Opening Night, Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the NBA.

Image Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Images Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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