NBA Games Today’s Schedule: Is There Basketball on TV Tonight, Feb. 17?

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The NBA schedule does not resume until Thursday, February 19.

NBA fans will have to wait a little bit longer to watch basketball again on TV as there are no games on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The NBA All-Star break extends through Wednesday, February 18, with games resuming on Thursday, February 19.

For now, fans will have to turn to college basketball to watch hoops on TV. No. 1 Michigan takes on No. 7 Purdue in a Big Ten clash at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Peacock. No. 16 North Carolina battles ACC rival NC State at 7 p.m. Eastern.

Additionally, South Carolina squares off against No. 12 Florida on SEC Network. No. 9 Nebraska battles Iowa at 9 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming NBA schedule.

NBA Schedule Resumes on Thursday, February 17, With Celtics vs. Warriors

Adam Silver Sends Strong Message to NBA Teams Who Are Tanking

NBA All-Star Weekend not only provides a break for most players, but it also serves as a time for commissioner Adam Silver to set the tone on potential upcoming changes to the league. One challenge Silver appears ready to address is NBA teams tanking in an attempt to land a better draft pick. There have been plenty of rumors that the NBA could abolish the current draft lottery.

“Are we seeing [tanking] behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view,” Silver told reporters on February 14, per NBC Sports.

“Which was what led to those fines [of Jazz and Pacers], and not just those fines but to my statement that we’re going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams’ behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice.”

Did the Rule Changes Fix the NBA All-Star Game?

As for the actual NBA All-Star Game, it appears the recent rule changes resulted in a more competitive product. The NBA switched from the more traditional format to four one-quarter games with three different teams.

It is worth noting that past rule changes also led to immediate results which temporarily appeared to increase the level of competition at the All-Star game. This includes having two captains select teams in a live draft, but eventually the game reverted back to being less serious in nature.

It will be worth watching to see if the new NBA All-Star format wears off in the coming years. The NBA has at least found a fix to save the exhibition game, even if it ends up being a temporary solution.