NBA preseason: Raptors visit the Knicks at Madison Square Garden

The NBA's two-week preseason reached its closing stretch on Thursday 15 October 2026 with a marquee Madison Square Garden tip-off as the Toronto Raptors visited the New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET, part of a two-game Thursday slate that also featured the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Houston Rockets. The 2026-27 regular season opens on Tuesday 20 October, and Thursday was the Knicks' final home exhibition before coach Mike Brown's revamped rotation faced its first real test. New York fans used the warm-up to see new free-agent signings fit alongside Jalen Brunson, while Toronto's rebuild under a new sporting staff showcased its young backcourt. The night also opened NBA ID Member Days, a free streaming promotion across 15 and 16 October offering up to 14 preseason games through League Pass. US media framed the Garden game as a soft curtain-raiser for an Eastern Conference race many analysts expected to be the tightest in a decade, while early-season power rankings dominated NBA coverage through the day.