Celtics game could tip off while you're at work. Why it starts at 3 p.m.

The Boston Celtics ' first game of the 2026-2027 regular season is Tuesday, Oct. 20, against the Detroit Pistons .

Boston will tip off its season with a midday matchup at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The team is entering its first season after star player Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers .

The Celtics are coming off a 125-120 win over Brown and the 76ers in Philadelphia on Friday in their final preseason game.

The Celtics-Pistons game is the earliest of three games on the NBA's opening day schedule Tuesday, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs . The Knicks are expected to raise their championship banner and receive their rings before taking the court.

According to the injury report ahead of Tuesday's Celtics game, guard Devin Carter (#22) is out due to an illness.

Here's what to know about today's Celtics game, including why it tips off so early in the day.

What time does Celtics vs. Pistons game start?

The Celtics vs. Pistons game is set to tip off at 3 p.m. ET, according to the NBA schedule .

Fans can watch the Celtics vs. Pistons on NBC. They can also stream it on Peacock or Fubo .

How to listen to Celtics game on the radio

You can listen to the Celtics game on on 98.5 FM The Sports Hub , the flagship station of the Boston team, according to its website. You can also listen on Sirius XM .

If you live in Providence, you can listen to coverage of the game on WPRV 790 AM.

Why does the Celtics game start so early in the day?

The Celtics game starts early in the afternoon to accommodate three in NBA games on opening day: Celtics vs. Pistons at 3 p.m. ET, Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks at 7 p.m. ET, and Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET.

It'll be the first time in 15 years that more than two games will be played on the first day of the NBA season, and the first-ever NBA opening-day tripleheader broadcast nationally.

It's an experiment conceived by the NBA and NBC entering Year 2 of their massive 11-year, $27-billion media rights partnership , with the goal of turning opening night into an all-day event.

NBC saw an opportunity to generate excitement ahead of the two primetime windows that have typically defined the NBA's regular season debut. The network pointed to strong viewership for its 2026 Major League Baseball Opening Day doubleheader, which also began with an afternoon game.

Mark Giannotto of USA TODAY contributed to this report.

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