It’s time for Boston Celtics to start marking their calendars. On Thursday afternoon, the team released its schedule for 80 of the 82 games for the 2024-25 season. The final two matchups will depend on the outcome of the NBA Cup. Should Boston advance into the knockout stage, then they’ll play up to two regular-season games in that format.
Last week, we learned that the Cs would receive their championship rings and raise Banner 18 to the rafters on October 22, when they host the New York Knicks on Opening Night. Not only will it be a night of celebration, but it’ll serve as Boston’s first test in this title defense. New York made waves back in June when they acquired Mikal Bridges in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Bridges brings offensive creativity but is mostly known for his ability on defense. He and OG Anunoby are great defenders to have when trying to slow down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Other schedule leaks included NBA Finals rematches against the Dallas Mavericks on January 25 and February 6, as well as the Christmas Day date with the rival Philadelphia 76ers.
As for new highlights, the Cs will head out West for 14 days at the end of March to take on the Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies. It’ll be their longest road trip of the year, and perhaps one where you may want to take off work so you can stay up and watch.
Of course, one of the most anticipated games each year is when the Los Angeles Lakers come to TD Garden. This season, that matchup will be played on March 8, and it could be one of the last times that LeBron James suits up to take on the Cs in Boston.
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
On the more sentimental side, fans will likely see Marcus Smart take the parquet in another jersey for the first time when his Grizzlies make the trip to Boston on December 7. Last season, he had to miss his return game due to injury.
The lone Celtic champion to sign with a new team this summer was Svi Mykhailiuk. He will be in town with the Utah Jazz to receive his championship ring on March 10.
November 6 will be a big day for Cs fans who were frustrated by Steve Kerr’s rotations at the Summer Olympics. He and the Golden State Warriors will be making their lone visit to North Station and fans will have the chance to tell him how they felt about his benching of Tatum.
The full schedule for the upcoming season can be found on the team’s website.
