Celtics vs. Bulls: Oct. 26 Tipoff, TD Garden Doors and Injury Report

Pre-game update for Monday, October 26, 2026: The Boston Celtics host the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden in a 2026–27 NBA regular-season game. The NBA game page and TD Garden list a 7:30 p.m. start in Boston, while the Celtics’ official schedule identifies League Pass as the watch listing. The latest NBA injury report currently linked for this game is dated October 25 at 11:15 p.m. ET; it lists Nic Claxton and Devin Carter as out, with Noa Essengue and Patrick Williams questionable. Starting lineups are not confirmed in the official pages reviewed, and no final score is posted before tipoff. TD Garden lists Boston Garden Society entry at 5:30 p.m. and general-public doors at 6:30 p.m.

Celtics vs. Bulls: game details

Tipoff time and Boston daylight saving time

The NBA game page lists Monday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET, and TD Garden lists the event for 7:30 p.m. For the venue’s local time on that date, this is 7:30 p.m. in Boston, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC−04:00), equivalent to 23:30 UTC on Monday, October 26. Boston is still observing daylight saving time on October 26, 2026. The U.S. change back to standard time occurs at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026, so the game is not at 7:30 p.m. EST (UTC−05:00). When adding a calendar reminder, use Boston or America/New_York and check that the October 26 date has been retained.

The start time is the same in the NBA and venue listings. If a later official notice changes the schedule, use the NBA game center or TD Garden event page as the source of truth. For viewers outside Boston, convert from the stated Boston time for October 26 rather than applying the UTC offset from a different date; daylight-saving rules can change the offset later in the season.

TD Garden entry times

TD Garden lists Boston Garden Society doors at 5:30 p.m. EDT (21:30 UTC) and general-public doors at 6:30 p.m. EDT (22:30 UTC) on October 26. These are venue entry times, not tipoff times. Ticket holders should follow the access information attached to their ticket, since premium or society access may differ from general admission. Recheck the venue’s event page and its “Know Before You Go” information before traveling in case building, ticket, or entry instructions change.

The event listing identifies TD Garden in Boston as the venue and confirms that the Celtics host the Bulls. Fans attending in person can use the venue’s official event page for ticket availability, directions, parking, and current building guidance. Do not assume that the general-public door time applies to every ticket category.

Where to watch

The Boston Celtics’ official NBA schedule marks the October 26 matchup against Chicago as a League Pass game. NBA Communications says its Tap to Watch tool helps fans find available local, national, international, and League Pass telecasts through NBA and partner platforms. The listing is a useful starting point, but viewing rights and services can vary by location. Check the NBA App or NBA.com’s Tap to Watch listing for your region before tipoff rather than assuming the same channel or subscription applies everywhere.

For live updates, open the official NBA game page for game ID 0022600121. It is the direct source for the game’s status, box score, play-by-play, and final result. A scheduled listing or an injury report does not establish that the game has started or finished; wait for the game center to show the corresponding status before sharing a live score or recap.

Latest injury report and player availability

The latest report linked on NBA Official for this matchup is timestamped October 25, 2026, at 11:15 p.m. ET—11:15 p.m. in Boston, EDT (UTC−04:00), or 03:15 UTC on October 26. In the report’s October 26 game entry, the listed statuses are:

• Chicago Bulls: Nic Claxton — out, left hamstring strain; Noa Essengue — questionable, right head contusion; Patrick Williams — questionable, right adductor/groin soreness or tightness.
• Boston Celtics: Devin Carter — out, illness.

These are the statuses in the report at that timestamp. “Questionable” does not confirm that a player will be available, and an injury status is not a starting-lineup announcement. NBA Official says reports are updated continually and that teams submit game-day reports during a specified window; check the league’s injury-report page again closer to tipoff for any newer submission. The page currently links the October 25 report series for this game.

No official NBA suspension announcement for either team appeared in the league materials reviewed for this update. Suspension notices can be separate from injury reports, so check NBA Official and the teams’ official updates again if disciplinary news is announced before the game. The injury report alone should not be treated as confirmation about a suspension.

Starting lineups and final score

No confirmed starting five for either team appeared in the official pages reviewed for this pregame update. The injury report shows the league-listed availability statuses, while the game page and team schedule confirm the fixture and tipoff. Those are different kinds of information: a player may be listed as questionable without a final decision, and a prior game’s starters or a projected lineup do not confirm who will start against the other team.

The NBA game page still presents the October 26 matchup as scheduled, and no final score is posted in the official game information checked. After the game, return to the same page and wait for its status to show a final result before citing the score. This is especially useful for searches such as “Celtics vs. Bulls score” made before tipoff, when a preview or schedule entry is not a result.

Season context

At the time of this check, the official NBA team pages show Boston at 1–1, seventh in the Eastern Conference, and Chicago at 1–2, 10th in the East. Those standings are a snapshot before this game and can change as other results come in. The NBA’s 2026–27 schedule release also noted that Boston and Detroit had the East’s two best records in 2025–26. That is background from the previous season, not a forecast for this matchup or a substitute for current availability.

Before tipoff, confirm the date and start time on the NBA game page, check the latest injury report and any team lineup announcement, and use the Celtics’ schedule or NBA Tap to Watch for the current viewing option in your location. After the final buzzer, use the same NBA game center for the official score and box score.

Official sources

Game time, status, and result: NBA game page, CHI at BOS, game ID 0022600121. Boston venue, tipoff, and entry times: TD Garden event listing. Boston watch listing and team record: Boston Celtics’ NBA schedule. Chicago team record: Chicago Bulls’ NBA schedule. Availability rules and latest report links: NBA Official injury-report page and its October 25, 11:15 p.m. ET report. Schedule and Tap to Watch information: NBA Communications’ 2026–27 schedule release. U.S. daylight-saving rules: NIST Daylight Saving Time Rules.