NBA releases 2024-25 season schedule: Knicks vs. Celtics, Timberwolves vs. Lakers to play opening night time
Though NBA motion remains to be months away, the league launched the complete schedule for the 2024-25 season.
The common season begins Oct. 22 when the reigning champion Boston Celtics host the New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT. Olympic teammates LeBron James and Anthony Edwards will face off later within the night when the Minnesota Timberwolves journey to Los Angeles to tackle the Lakers at 10 p.m. ET on TNT.
The primary 5 days of the 2024-25 common season will function 11 nationwide tv video games as a part of @Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024, with two doubleheaders every on @NBAonTNT and @ESPNNBA and a tripleheader on @NBATV.
Nationwide TV schedule for opening week ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/t4NZb9lmBs
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 15, 2024
The next day, Oct. 23, boasts a sturdy 10-game slate highlighted by a conflict of MVPs when Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks tackle Joel Embiid and the 76ers in Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers will then make historical past as the primary sport within the new Intuit Dome at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
5 of the primary seven days of the NBA season can have video games televised nationally both on ESPN or TNT.
How NBA scheduling course of works
Right here’s how the 82-game schedule for every staff breaks down:
- Two video games apiece in opposition to out-of-conference groups (30 video games)
- 4 video games apiece in opposition to in-division opponents (16 video games)
- Both three or 4 video games apiece in opposition to intra-conference opponents (36 video games unfold throughout 10 opponents)
Notable video games
- Hawks vs. Wizards (Oct. 28, 30):The 2 high draft picks get a baseball collection of their first week. How will Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr look?
- Mavericks vs. Warriors (Nov. 12): Klay Thompson returns to the Bay Space for the primary time after leaving this summer time. Feelings might be operating excessive.
- 76ers vs. Nuggets (Jan. 21): Will Embiid lastly play in Denver? He hasn’t performed there since 2019, and he was a really late scratch earlier than the groups’ assembly final season.
- Celtics vs. Mavericks (Jan. 25):The NBA Finals rematch. Dallas will get its first likelihood at revenge this season.
Why nationwide video games imply a lot
Nationwide video games are how the NBA and its broadcast companions attempt to herald essentially the most viewers by highlighting the groups they imagine are most related that season and the celebrities they suppose will deliver essentially the most eyeballs. They’re good indicators of who the league and people networks suppose issues this season.
The league will open its season with the Celtics getting their championship rings at house in opposition to the Knicks, matching up two historic franchises. Then the Lakers host the Timberwolves, because the NBA places James in opposition to an up-and-coming younger star.
The San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama might be on nationwide TV 13 occasions regardless of successful simply 22 video games final season. Boston might be on nationwide TV 26 occasions. The Lakers might be on there 29 occasions and the Knicks might be on nationwide TV 24 occasions. — Mike Vorkunov, NBA enterprise author
In-Season Event variations
For starters, it’s known as the NBA Cup. Final season it was held each Tuesday and Friday night time in November however this yr NBA Cup qualifying video games don’t begin till Nov. 12 and group play will go till Dec. 3, although on the identical days. The ultimate might be held Dec. 17 in Las Vegas.
A reminder that due to the NBA Cup, the NBA has solely scheduled 80 video games for every staff and the opposite two video games are TBD after the groups have completed their event schedules. These video games might be performed between Dec. 10-16, primarily based on how group play goes. — Vorkunov
Christmas Day
The NBA rolled out its 5 marquee video games on its most vital day of the season.
Wembanyama and the Spurs will begin the day without work with a visit to Madison Sq. Backyard. New York is at all times Christmas catnip for the league however now it will get to pair its greatest market with an rising famous person. The Sixers versus the Celtics is a basic rivalry.
Pitting Los Angeles and Warriors in opposition to each other on Christmas is mainly copy-and-paste programming. It could be two groups combating for a playoff spot, and it’s Steph Curry in opposition to James. It could’ve been fascinating to see the Wolves and Nuggets face off after their nice seven-game collection this spring however the NBA break up up that matchup.
Edwards will get a daytime spot in opposition to Luka Dončić and the Mavericks; Nikola Jokić is the ultimate act of a five-game schedule.
It’s price contemplating that the NBA can have competitors once more on its marquee day. The NFL caught two video games on Christmas this yr, even whether it is on a Wednesday. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs will face the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. ET, beginning an hour after Wemby takes Manhattan.
The Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans — the reigning NFL MVP and one in all its up-and-coming groups — play at 4:30 p.m. ET. If there’s any comfort for the NBA it’s that primetime ought to go unencumbered and that the NFL video games might be on Netflix and never broadcast TV.
Whether or not that helps with rankings will stay to be seen — Netflix is fairly massive, as you may need heard. — Vorkunov
Dwelling away from house
The Spurs will play three house video games not at house this season. They’ll play their first two video games after the All-Star break in Austin (in opposition to the Suns and Pistons) and one in all their two video games in opposition to the Pacers in Paris might be thought-about a house sport. — Vorkunov
How this season stacks as much as years prior
This season, groups will common 14.9 back-to-back video games, up about one per staff from final season, however nonetheless down 4.4 back-to-back video games from a decade in the past, in response to the NBA.
Groups additionally common 5 no-travel back-to-back video games this season and 9.8 back-to-back video games with journey.
The NBA tried to keep away from having groups play sure video games on the second night time of back-to-back video games (what it calls “high-profile nationwide TV video games”). Groups that play on Christmas Day, Saturday night time video games on ABC and the 2 TNT video games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, for instance, won’t play on the day earlier than or after these video games. The NBA didn’t schedule groups on ABC for Sunday afternoon video games or NBA Cup video games on the second sport of a back-to-back.
There might be 34 nationally-televised video games that may function groups on the top of a back-to-back. — Vorkunov
Required studying
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(Picture: Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBAE by way of Getty Photographs)
