The NBA finally released the regular season schedule!
At 4 p.m. ET on Friday, the league revealed the full regular season schedule for all 32 teams. Here, we’ll take a look at trends and patterns to take a look at, and also important or exciting games to look out for. Let’s get started.
Patterns/Stretches/Things to note
The league continues to decrease back-to-back games. The Celtics only play 13% of their games on such terms this year. There continue to be no stretches of four games in five nights, and this year the league eliminated the possibility of eight games in 12 days.
The Celtics will play 27 of their 82 games this year on national TV. NBATV will televise 12 of their games, tied for the most with the Warriors. This is an uptick from last year’s 25 nationally televised games.
Boston will play 37 games on the weekend. The most they’ll play in one month will be 15 games, which occurs in three separate months.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Boston gets lucky this season- they don’t have a super long road trip this year. The longest stretch of games they’ll play away from home is five. They’ll leave home on the 2nd of November and return on the 13th. In that span, they’ll face the Pacers, Nuggets, Suns, Jazz, and Trailblazers. The team’s longest home stretch is also five, from January 21-30.
The NBA didn’t load up one part of the Celtics schedule- it’s pretty fair, with the tough competitions balanced out with easier ones throughout the year. They won’t face Houston, Golden State, or Los Angeles until the end of December.
Games to Watch For
October 16: First game of the year, against Philly. The teams will reignite their rivalry in Boston.
October 19: A visit to Toronto to face the Raptors. They get a shot at the new-look franchise.
November 9: Gordon Hayward makes his return to Utah as Boston faces the Jazz.
November 30: The first contest against the Cavs, post-LeBron, in Boston.
December 25: A Christmas day matchup against the 76ers at the TD Garden.
December 27: The first game against a true contender, against the Rockets in Houston.
January 26: A marquee matchup as the Warriors come to town to face the Celtics.
February 7: LeBron comes to Boston for the first time as a Los Angeles Laker.
March 5: The Celtics travel to face the Warriors on the road.
March 9: Boston moves down the state of California and takes on the Lakers at Staples.
March 18: Isaiah Thomas returns to town in a Nuggets uniform.
April 9: Boston closes out the season against the Wizards in DC.
Via NBCS Boston
The Celtics are going to have a fun season this year. Mark your calendars: the season’s coming up fast!