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The NBA makes its triumphant return to NBC and its debut on Peacock on Tuesday, October 21 with a jaw-dropping double-header. After the Oklahoma City Thunder raise their championship banner in front of Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets, Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors will visit Luka Doncic’s Los Angeles Lakers. The night’s live coverage begins at 6:30 PM on NBC and Peacock. Both the Warriors and Lakers are looking to make inroads in the Western Conference after losing in the second and first round, respectively, in last season’s playoffs, both at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. As the 2025-26 season tips off, Golden State and Los Angeles are balancing competing with aging stars and figuring out the futures of their rosters. Read on for all the information you need on how to watch this California showdown. Click here to sign up for Peacock! Warriors vs Lakers preview The Lakers will be without one superstar as LeBron James sits out the early weeks of the season with a back injury, but Los Angeles still has a stud to lean on. Doncic is back for his first full season as a Laker and is plenty capable of carrying a team. Last time we saw Doncic was in the first round of last season’s playoffs, when he put up numbers that rivaled his stunning 2024 postseason run in spite of the Lakers losing to the Timberwolves. The Warriors, meanwhile, are coming off a long offseason spent solidifying their roster. The most notable move was ending the standoff with former seventh overall pick Jonathan Kuminga, who signed a two-year, $48.5 million extension at the end of September. Golden State also signed key free agents Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton. The Kuminga situation is still in flux, as a trade is still a possibility at some point, but in any case, the Warriors are putting an experienced cast around Curry. Why isn’t LeBron James playing on Opening Night vs the Warriors? The Lakers announced in October that the James was dealing with sciatica on his right side and would be reevaluated in November. This marks the first time in 23 seasons that James will miss opening night. What injury does LeBron James have? How long will be out for? According to the Mayo Clinic, sciatica “refers to pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve travels from the buttocks and down each leg.” It is often caused by a herniated disc or overgrowth of bone that puts pressure on the lumbar spine nerve roots. The Mayo Clinic says that cases can clear up with treatments in a few weeks or months, which fits with the Lakers’ timeline of 3-4 weeks from mid-October. Luka Doncic weight loss 2025 offseason Much was made about Luka Doncic’s offseason quest to slim down, especially after the discourse around the role that his conditioning played in his shocking trade from the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic reportedly worked hard on his physique over the summer, even being dubbed “Luka Doncic 2.0” by Men’s Health. That is why it was interesting to see the Lakers list his weight at 244 pounds at media day, 14 pounds heavier than the Mavericks listed him at last season’s media day. Of course, that discrepancy can be explained in a number of ways; the Mavericks could have been reporting an outdated weight last year, and Doncic could be heavier than he looks because he put on muscle. Regardless, Doncic looks to be in better shape and headed for another season among the league’s best players. Luka Doncic odds to win NBA MVP 2025-26 Per DraftKings Sportsbook, Doncic has the third-highest MVP Odds at +380, trailing only Nikola Jokic (+220) and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+275). Both James and Curry are tied for the 18th-highest odds at +15000. How to watch Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers: When: Tuesday, October 21 Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA Time: 10:00 PM ET TV Channel: NBC Live Stream: Peacock How to watch Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma Thunder: When: Tuesday, October 21 Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK Time: 7:30 PM ET TV Channel: NBC Live Stream: Peacock How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here. NBA on NBC Schedule Here is the schedule for the first month of NBA games on NBC and Peacock:
