New York NBA Basketball 2025-2026: Tickets and Best Prices

One of the most fascinating spectacles you can attend in the United States is an NBA game. Whether it's because basketball is your passion or because you want to experience the madness and atmosphere that this sport awakens in New York, it's a unique sensation that you have to experience at least once in your life.

There are two NBA teams in New York, the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. Both compete from October to April in the regular season and from April to June in the playoffs if they qualify. Tickets for the new 2025-2026 season are already on sale. Don't miss out!

The New York Knicks play at the legendary Madison Square Garden, located in the heart of Manhattan. The team was founded in 1946 and is one of the longest-running teams in the league. Although they have only won two titles (the last one in... 1973!), they are the most famous team in the NBA. What's more, it's finally a pleasure to watch them play: last season they made the playoffs and they have superstars such as point guard Jalen Brunson and starting center Karl-Anthony Towns.

Best games of the 2025-26 season: excitement returns to Madison

After a spectacular 2024-25 season—with 51 wins, a playoff berth, and a trip to the Eastern ConferenceFinals—the Knicks are back and hungry for more. The new season kicks off on October 21, 2025, and the arrival of reinforcements such as Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson, alongside the core of Brunson, Bridges, and Towns, promises to fill Madison Square Garden with atmosphere and excitement.

Here are the best NBA games at Madison Square Garden for the new season. Don't miss out on your ticket to experience it!

• October 22, 2025: New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (regular season). Kick off the Mike Brown era at Madison Square Garden with a matchup against one of the East's strongest rivals.
• October 24, 2025: New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics (regular season). A clash between two historic rivals in a new tournament format that promises intensity from the start.
• December 25, 2025 (Christmas): New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (regular season). The Garden's Christmas classic, a must-see for fans and the most special atmosphere of the year.
• January 19, 2026 (MLK Day): New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks (regular season). A nationally televised event featuring the highly anticipated debut of Cooper Flagg at the Garden.

A few years ago, the Brooklyn Nets changed venues and now play at the modern Barclays Center in Brooklyn. They are rebuilding with Jordi Fernández at the helm; their leaders are Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton, with support from Cam Johnson. Although they are not usually the favorites, the show is equally guaranteed.

Best games of the 2025-26 season: a breath of fresh air, promising young players

The Nets closed out 2024-25 with 26 wins and are now preparing for a rebuilding season full of excitement. At the Barclays Center, we will see Cam Thomas and new draft picks looking to shine. It's a great time to bet on a team that wants to make a name for itself. Check out the most anticipated games, with tickets at very affordable prices!

• November 2, 2025: Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers (regular season, home opener). Debut at Barclays Center against former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, setting the emotional tone from the very first game.
• November 3, 2025: Brooklyn Nets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (national TV). A big game televised by Peacock that marks a moment of high visibility for Brooklyn.
• January 1, 2026 (New Year's Day): Brooklyn Nets vs. Houston Rockets (Kevin Durant) (regular season). Kevin Durant's return to Barclays Center in a matchup steeped in history and emotion.
• January 19, 2026 (MLK Day): Brooklyn Nets vs. Phoenix Suns (regular season). A televised game on one of the most significant dates on the calendar, ideal for generating great interest.

NBA tickets can be purchased quickly and easily online. Hellotickets has an agreement with the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets to sell their tickets to fans anywhere in the world.

Tickets can also be purchased on the day of the game at the box offices of major stadiums, such as Madison Square Garden or the Barclays Center. However, this is not recommended for several reasons: limited availability, long lines at the ticket windows, and you will have little choice in seating.

The price varies depending on the teams playing, but the average price is approximately €150 per ticket for both the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. The minimum price is usually €50 for a less important game and a seat far from the court. The maximum price is well over €1,000 for a courtside seat.

It is important to note that ticket prices change every day, just like the price of a plane ticket. If there is high demand and few tickets left, the price will be higher, while if demand is low, the price will drop.

Prices also fluctuate throughout the season. The Knicks' Christmas games are the most expensive of the year, as the city is filled with international and American tourists who want to go to Madison Square Garden. However, towards the end of the regular season (April), tickets are usually cheaper because fans of both teams prefer to wait for the playoffs.

To save money when buying NBA tickets when traveling to New York, it is important to keep in mind that ticket prices change constantly. In other words, prices go up or down every day depending on demand, just like a plane ticket.

The problem is that the Knicks and Nets sell most of their stadium to season ticket holders before the season starts. Therefore, tickets often sell out, so demand is always high. With this in mind, there are a few things you can do to save money.

Buy tickets in advance

The most important way to save on NBA ticket prices is to buy tickets as far in advance as possible. Tickets for the Knicks and Nets go on sale in mid-August, and that's when prices are lowest for all games of the season. If possible, this is the best time to buy them. This is similar to booking a flight or hotel.

If there are still more than two months to go before the game, ticket prices will have changed, but they will not have risen significantly yet.

The biggest problem is if there are less than two weeks to go: in that case, you will have no choice but to pay a higher price, as there will be high demand and few tickets available.

Choose a less attractive opponent

Another key factor in determining the price of the game is who the Knicks or Nets are playing. A game against one of the best teams in the league or one of the most famous (such as the Lakers) can be up to three times more expensive than a game against a lesser team. Obviously, the big games are the ones in highest demand, but if it's the experience that matters to you and you have some flexibility with your dates, you can save money by attending a less attractive game.

Choose a seat behind the basket

The last tip for saving money is to choose a seat that offers a good experience but is not overly expensive. Seats behind the basket (regardless of whether you're close to or far from the court) are always cheaper than seats on the side of Madison Square Garden or Barclays Center.

However, the best value seats are those located in the corners. These tickets have an acceptable viewing angle and are significantly cheaper than a ticket in the center of the side.

A ticket for the New York Knicks costs an average of €148 per ticket. The minimum price is €52 for a less important game towards the end of the season.

The most expensive time of the regular season (before the playoffs) to go and see the Knicks is at Christmas, as this is when demand is highest. If they qualify for the playoffs, the average price ranges from €200 for the first round to an estimated €1,000 if they reach the NBA Finals.

A ticket for the Brooklyn Nets has an average price of €172 per ticket. The minimum price is €55 if the opponent is not very attractive and there is nothing at stake at the end of the regular season, just before the playoffs.

The average cost of a playoff ticket to see the Nets is €225 in the first round and is estimated to cost around €850 if they reach the NBA Finals.

The only way to avoid fake tickets is to buy from official websites, such as Hellotickets. There are websites run by companies that sell unauthorized resale tickets. Not all of their tickets cause problems, but there is a chance that they are duplicates and, even if they refund your money later, you will not be able to enter the stadium.

There are also people outside the stadium offering tickets. They don't do it openly, but walk up to fans and discreetly ask if anyone is looking for tickets.

These tickets are always fake. They will take you to a secluded spot to collect the cash for the tickets. When you are blocked from entering, the scalper will have disappeared with your money.

Your NBA game experience will largely depend on the seat you choose when purchasing your ticket. Although basketball arenas have less capacity than soccer stadiums, they are huge venues for how small the court is, and a ticket in the back rows is really far from the players.

What are the best seats at Madison Square Garden?

The best seats at Madison Square Garden are in sections 1 through 12. In the corners or behind the basket (sections 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9), you can experience the game up close, and although you can't see the game very well, the experience is fantastic. The 100 sections are also highly rated because they offer the best view of the basketball and are still close to the court.

What are the best seats at the Barclays Center?

The best seats at the Barclays Center are in sections 1 to 31. The corner sections, which offer good value for money in terms of how well you can see the game, are 3, 13, 19, and 29. It is better to choose one of the back rows in these sections than one of the front rows in sections 200.

When you book tickets on the Hellotickets website, you can view an interactive map and select the seats that interest you most based on how close you want to be to the court. You can check the different prices and see an image to get an idea of the distance to the court.

There are 82 NBA games played in New York from October to April: 41 New York Knicks games at Madison Square Garden and another 41 Brooklyn Nets games at Barclays Center. If either team qualifies for the playoffs, the number will be higher.

Yes. In the 2025-2026 NBA season, both the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets will play several home games during the Christmas holidays. The league schedules games between December 20 and January 2, so it's almost certain that at least one game will coincide with your trip.

In addition, the NBA holds very special games at Christmas, with a unique atmosphere at Madison Square Garden or the Barclays Center, making basketball part of the festive experience in New York.

Unfortunately not, as the NBA regular season starts in October and ends in April, with the playoffs ending in June.

If you're traveling to New York in the summer and want an alternative to the NBA to experience American sports, you can go see the New York Yankees or the New York Mets, two baseball teams that are in the middle of their season in the summer. Baseball teams in NYC play a lot of games, so it's easy to catch one of them. You may not even like baseball, but you're guaranteed to enjoy the typical scene of baseball caps, the national anthem, and hot dogs.

You can buy tickets for the New York Yankees here and tickets for the New York Mets here.

Alternatively, if you're traveling in late August or September, the American football season will already be underway. In New York, the New York Giants and the New York Jets play. There are few games, but you can check if any dates suit you at this link for Giants tickets and this other link for Jets tickets.

The preseason (early October)

NBA teams play between five and eight preseason games, usually between the first and third weeks of October, to get ready for the start of the league.
Buying NBA tickets to see these games is usually cheaper, although the intensity is lower and many stars play fewer minutes.

The NBA regular season (October 21, 2025 - April 15, 2026)

During this period, each team plays 82 games, approximately one every two days. There are some key dates during the regular season that you should mark on your calendar:

NBA Playoffs (April 18 - early June 2026)

After the regular season, the top 16 teams (8 from the Eastern Conference and 8 from the Western Conference) face off in a best-of-7 series: quarterfinals, semifinals, and conference finals.

Last season, the New York Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals; the Brooklyn Nets did not qualify for the playoffs (26-56).

NBA Finals (June 4–18, 2026)

With only two teams left standing, the battle for the ring begins. The Finals are played in a best-of-seven series and are the most anticipated sporting event of the year in the US, along with the Super Bowl.

Tickets for these games are the most expensive of the entire season and still sell out quickly.

Knowing all of the above, if you travel to the city before the regular season starts, i.e. during the preseason, I advise you to take a look at the teams' preseason schedule because they usually play friendly games in early October.

However, NBA games taking place in New York are only guaranteed between October and April. From then on, it all depends on whether the New York Knicks or the Brooklyn Nets have managed to qualify for the playoffs and ultimately for the NBA finals.

The NBA is a very family-friendly event, but when it comes to whether children pay for tickets, the truth is that it depends on each team. In the case of the New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden's policy states that children who are two years old or older must have a ticket.

As for the Brooklyn Nets, according to the Barclays Center stadium for all sporting events, children up to 34 inches tall, or 86.36 centimeters, can enter the Barclays Center for free but must share a seat with an adult who has a ticket and is accompanying them. Any child who does not meet this height requirement will need a ticket to enter the stadium and must occupy only their own seat.

If you are going to the stadium with children under the age of two, bring proof of their age with you in case you are asked for it at the entrance. Valid forms of identification are a birth certificate or passport.

When to go to the stadium?

NBA days in New York are experienced in a special way. You can feel it in the atmosphere, and there is more hustle and bustle in the streets than usual in the Big Apple. My advice is not to arrive too close to game time. Inside the stadium, there are fast food outlets, snack bars, and souvenir shops that you can browse while you wait, and you don't want to miss the national anthem.

Madison Square Garden is in the heart of Manhattan, so you can walk there if you're exploring the area after visiting another nearby tourist attraction. On the other hand, it takes a little longer to get to the Barclays Center by public transport, so it's a good idea to take traffic and rush hour into account so you can get to the stadium without rushing. Here's a guide to the New York subway.

On game day, I recommend arriving at least an hour early so you can take your time, go through security, find your seats, soak up the pre-game atmosphere with music and cheerleaders, listen to the American national anthem before the game starts, and watch the players enter the court. It's like something out of a movie!

Can you bring backpacks or cameras?

According to Madison Square Garden policy, bringing unnecessary backpacks or bags to the stadium is discouraged. All bags will undergo strict security checks, which may delay your entry to the stadium. In addition, video cameras, audio recording devices, professional cameras (including telephoto or zoom lenses), selfie sticks, and tripods are not allowed.

As for the Barclays Center, according to its access policy, backpacks or bags larger than 10"x6"x2" or with rigid sides are not allowed. Professional camera equipment, audio and/or video recording devices, selfie sticks, and tripods are also not allowed.

Where to eat before or after the game?

There are many food and drink stands inside the stadium, but prices are significantly higher than outside. For example, a bottle of water can cost around $5, a hot dog around $7, and a soft drink around $6.50.

Since you are not allowed to bring your own food or drinks into the stadium, my advice is that if you are hungry before the game starts, buy something to eat at one of the restaurants around Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center, such as Shake Sack or Five Guys. Or wait until the game is over to go there, celebrate your team's victory, and treat yourself.

Although the NBA is one of the most popular sports in the world, last-minute questions can always arise.

How long does an NBA game last?

Officially, it lasts 48 minutes (4 quarters of 12 minutes each), but between breaks, timeouts, and halftime, most games usually last 2 hours or more. After the first two quarters, there is a 15-minute break during which you can buy something to eat or go to the bathroom.

I don't have an internet connection in New York! How do I access my tickets?

If you don't have an internet connection during your trip to New York, you can always use the one at your hotel and open your tickets there so that they are ready on your phone when you arrive at the venue. You can also go to any public establishment, such as a café or restaurant near the stadium, as they have free WiFi.