The NBA’s 2023-24 regular season schedule is starting to come together, and as the league finalizes all 30 teams’ schedules, some of the biggest games on key dates are starting to come out via Shams Charania.
Earlier on Thursday, Charania reported that the opening night schedule will feature two big time Western Conference battles as the Lakers will be in Denver for the Nuggets’ ring night, followed by a Suns-Warriors showdown in the Bay. Later in the evening, Shams reported out the NBA’s five-game slate for Christmas Day, in which those same four teams will be involved along with a handful of others that are staples of the Christmas schedule.
NBA’s Christmas Day games for the 2023-24 season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium:
Bucks @ Knicks
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 11, 2023
The Knicks hosting the first game of Christmas is a classic when New York is at least a competitive team, and getting Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the Garden is an easy choice. Then the Sixers will visit Miami for what should be a matchup of two of the East’s best (and potentially a showcase for a new Heat superteam featuring Damian Lillard). The midday game will be in Los Angeles, where the league will go to an old standby with the Celtics and Lakers squaring off. Then the Suns star quartet will play host to Luka Doncic and the Mavs in a budding rivalry in the West, followed by the Warriors visiting the defending champions in Denver to end the night.
The league now has to navigate life going up against the NFL on Christmas Day, and with the Niners hosting the Ravens in the nightcap, they sent the Warriors on the road but will have a bit of conflict in the first half with the 49ers game. The Eagles host the Giants in the midday game for the NFL, which likely contributes to the Sixers going on the road to Miami for an earlier window as a lead-in for that in Philly fans.