The NBA just announced its full schedule for the upcoming season, and the Boston Celtics have some intriguing dates worth noting. Fans can find the full schedule here, but here are some of the highlights.
Important Dates/Stats
Boston opens their season against the Philadelphia 76ers at home on October 18 at 7:30 p.m. EST, which will also mark the first game of the entire NBA season. Celtics vs. 76ers is the featured East Coast game on Opening Night, and it will be followed by the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Golden State Warriors.
The Celtics also got a Christmas Day game for the second straight year, which will once again be played at TD Garden against the Milwaukee Bucks. Their other games against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will be on February 14 and March 30.
Another stat to note is that the Celtics have 13 back-to-backs this upcoming season. This is important information, as it has been widely speculated that big man Al Horford could end up resting for at least one of the two games of Boston’s back-to-backs.
The team’s official website also mentioned a few interesting tidbits about the team’s schedule. Three separate times will the Celtics play the same team twice in a row in the same arena – once at home against the Orlando Magic, once on the road against the Charlotte Hornets, and another time at home against the Toronto Raptors.
On top of that, the Celtics only play on Thursday four times of the 25 available Thursdays – and all of them will be in January. So, if you want to schedule something with your friends but don’t want to miss the Celtics, Thursday is probably a safe bet.
Rivalry Games
Golden State and Boston will meet for their NBA Finals rematches on December 10 and January 19, while the Miami Heat will get their chances at revenge over the Celtics on October 21, November 30, December 2, and January 24.
For all the old school rivalry fans out there, Boston’s matchups against the Lakers will be on December 13 and January 28. And for those itching for more drama, the Celtics will take on the Brooklyn Nets on December 4, January 12, February 1, and March 3.
Homecomings/Revenge Tours
As for homecomings and potential revenge tours, Malcolm Brogdon and the Celtics will take on the Indiana Pacers on December 21, February 23, and March 24, while Danilo Gallinari will have his chances to face off against the Atlanta Hawks on November 16, March 11, and April 9.
In addition, since Derrick White joined the team at the trade deadline last season, he never got the chance to play against his old team, the San Antonio Spurs. Those games will be on January 7 and March 26.
Former Celtics assistant Coach Will Hardy and the Utah Jazz will take on the Celtics on March 18 and March 31. That will also be a chance for Danny Ainge to say hello to his old team as well.
National Television
Those who prefer NBC Sports Boston will be disappointed to know that the Celtics have 24 nationally televised games in the upcoming seasons – three more than last year. Eleven will take place on ESPN, eight on TNT, and five on ABC. Included in their nationally televised games are all four contests against the 76ers, both matchups against the Lakers, and December 10 against the Warriors, among others.
Home/Road Trips
The good news about this season is that Boston lays claim to their longest homestand since 1980, according to the Celtics’ official website. They play seven-straight games at TD Garden from December 16 through December 29.
Unfortunately, that also means the team will go through their fair share of road trips. This includes a six-game road trip from December 4 to December 13 and two five-game trips, one in late October and one in late November.
