With multiple games scheduled in a day, the NBA games are strategically lined up to draw in more fans throughout the season. Some games, typically those between larger teams and markets, are often declared headliners.
This season, the NBA has a few new tricks up its sleeve, including changes to the league’s doubleheader schedule.
Thunder-Clippers Clash is Starting Late Due to a New NBA Decision
On Tuesday, November 4, at 11:00 p.m. EST, the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder will face off against each other at the Intuit Dome in California. And while fans are ready to hype a matchup between the defending champions and LA, there’s one thing most people are irked by — the 11:00 p.m. EST time slot.
Although a few fans remained unaware of the change, the announcement was made back in August, before the 2025-26 regular season began.
Coast 2 Coast Tuesday headlines a 6-game slate 🍿
🏀 Shai, Thunder seek 8-0 start vs. Clippers
🏀 Magic and Hawks battle in Atlanta
🏀 Giannis back at it coming off game-winner
🏀 East’s top two records meet in 76ers/BullsCatch tonight’s action on NBC, Peacock and NBA League… pic.twitter.com/IWCoa1rklP
— NBA (@NBA) November 4, 2025
As per reports, the NBC will begin “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday,” which ultimately pushes the second leg of NBA games to the 11:00 p.m. slot.
Many blamed the league for picking a bad time, highlighting how advertisements and other delays will push the game to an 11:30 p.m. kickoff.
What Are NBC and Peacock’s “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday” Games?
As mentioned, the NBC, starting with the Golden State Warriors-Clippers matchup on October 28, dolled out their “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday” scheme. Broadcasting unique bi-coastal NBA doubleheaders, the league aims to attract a younger audience.
Furthermore, reports state that the experiment seems to be working as the league has garnered the most pre-Christmas viewers since Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant’s LA Lakers on December 16, 1996.
According to Nielsen Big Data + Panel and digital data from Adobe Analytics, the Warriors-Clippers matchup (11:00 p.m. EST) and the New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks game (8 p.m. EST) drew in a total of three million viewers during primetime across NBC and Peacock.
Interestingly, the day also featured Game 4 of the World Series. Not only did the league almost triple its audience on a Tuesday since last year, but it also ended up bringing in a large number of under-35 viewers.
“Coast 2 Coast Tuesday” Schedule in November — 11:00 P.M. Slot
- Week 3: November 4, Thunder at Clippers
- Week 4: November 11, Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings
- Week 5: November 18, Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers
- Week 6: November 25, Clippers at Lakers (Emirates NBA Cup Group Play)
As of now, the “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday” games are scheduled all the way up to Week 25 in April 2026.