The NBA will release its schedule in full on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET, but over the last week there has been a steady trickle of reports offering us a glimpse at some of the biggest matchups on the biggest days of the NBA calendar.
The five Christmas Day games have all been reportedly set, with the Knicks, Celtics, Mavs, Warriors, and Nuggets all getting home games, while the Sixers, Bucks, Lakers, Grizzlies, and Suns will head on the road for holiday basketball. We also knew one part of the opening night equation, as the Warriors will host the Lakers for ring night, as LeBron James and Anthony Davis will get to watch Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green collect their fourth championship rings.
The early game on opening night will unsurprisingly feature the East champs, as the Boston Celtics will get the first game of the season at home, with their divisional rival in the Philadelphia 76ers heading to town.
Sources: NBA’s 2022-23 Opening Night, Oct. 18 on TNT:
– 76ers at Celtics
– And as previously reported: Lakers at Warriors— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022
It’s pretty clear that the league is going with its known commodities for its big tentpole days on the schedule, which means the Brooklyn Nets will likely not be featured heavily on key dates with Kevin Durant’s trade request looming and the expectation that he’s going to make things uncomfortable if necessary to force the Nets into action once camp begins — although, to be clear, he will not consider retirement. As such, the Celtics, Sixers, and Bucks are all going to be heavily featured on the national TV schedule based on what we’ve seen reported thus far.
We’ll get the complete national TV schedule (and every other game) on Wednesday, but for now we can pencil in the opening night plans for October 18.