2026 NBA Rivals Week: The Top Matchups and Storylines to Follow

NBA Rivals Week takes place from Tuesday to Saturday, and among the anticipated matchups are Spurs vs. Rockets, Lakers vs. Mavericks, and Knicks vs. 76ers.

James Harden (1) of the LA Clippers controls the ball against Lebron James (23) of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., on Dec. 20, 2025. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Nestled in between the College Football Playoff National Championship on MLK Day and the NFL Conference Championship Games on Sunday is one of the highlights of the NBA schedule. It is the 2026 NBA Rivals Week, which runs from Tuesday, Jan. 20, through Saturday, Jan. 24. This is the fifth edition of Rivals Week, which began in 2022 as a dedicated week to highlight both traditional rivals and emerging ones.

An 11-game slate comprises the 2026 NBA Rivals Week, with two a day Tuesday through Friday before three contests on Saturday. Some are regional, while others are national, and others don’t carry as much gravitas this week, with one or both contestants struggling. Nonetheless, these are the top matchups to look out for during NBA Rivals Week 2026.

Tuesday, Jan. 20: Spurs at Rockets

Known locally as the I-10 Rivalry, these Texan teams have met 242 times previously, with the Spurs leading the regular season series but the Rockets leading the all-time postseason series. It’s been a while since both were good at the same time, as Houston hasn’t won a playoff series since 2020 and San Antonio hasn’t made the postseason since 2019. However, both could have top-four seeds this year with balanced play, as they are two of the four NBA teams to rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive ratings. Both also possess individual talent and could have three All-Star starters with Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Victor Wembanyama.

Wednesday, Jan. 22: Lakers at Clippers

There’s still a place for local rivalries in the NBA, and while this can no longer be called the Hallway Series—since the Clippers now play in the Intuit Dome instead of Crypto.com Arena—the sheer star power makes this a must-see. Four all-time greats will take the floor in LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden, and while the Lakers are seven games up on the Clippers in the 2025-26 NBA standings, no team has been hotter than the Clips as of late. Their six-game win streak is the longest active in the league, as the Clippers are 13-2 over their last 15 games. They also won an amazing 11 straight over the Lakers from 2020-23; however, the Lakers have exacted revenge as of late, going 7-3 over their last 10 meetings.

Friday, Jan. 23: Rockets at Pistons

This series is nearly as even as it could be, as of their 152 matchups, Detroit has 77 wins while Houston has 75. This year, fans may feel like they are time-traveling back to the 1990s when Grant Hill and Hakeem Olajuwon were stars of the respective teams when watching them compete. That’s because these teams rely on a dying shot—the 2-pointer—more so than any other. Houston leads the NBA in made 2-pointers, while Detroit ranks second. There’s another intriguing subplot of this rivalry; a sibling rivalry will pit twins Amen Thompson of Houston and Ausar Thompson of Detroit against each other.

Saturday, Jan. 24: Knicks at 76ers

When you think of classic NBA rivalries, this is the epitome of that phrase. Outside of each squad matching up with the Celtics, both of these teams are the most frequent postseason opponents of the other, with 76ers vs. Knicks taking place 10 times in the playoffs. It just so happens that they are on pace to clash again in the 2025-26 NBA playoffs, as New York is currently the No. 3 seed with Philly the No. 6 seed.