Ime Udoka’s return to Boston in January and Marcus Smart’s homecoming in February spotlight the Celtics’ 2023-24 schedule that was introduced on Thursday afternoon.
The Celtics will open their season on Oct. 25 at Madison Square Garden in opposition to the Knicks earlier than returning to TD Garden for his or her dwelling opener in opposition to the Heat in a rematch of final season’s Eastern Conference Finals. The starting of this NBA marketing campaign was pushed again every week later than regular this season as a result of FIBA World Cup, which begins subsequent week.
The NBA solely launched 80 of the 82 common season video games for every workforce as a result of league’s inaugural in-season match that can happen in November and December. Each workforce can have 4 group play video games – which is a part of the regular-season schedule and counts towards the standings – to find out who makes the knockout spherical.
But if the Celtics don’t make the knockout spherical, they are going to be assigned two regular-season video games (one dwelling, one away) on Dec. 6 and eight to fill out their 82-game slate. Teams that make the in-season match championship recreation will play 83 video games, although that recreation is not going to depend towards the standings.
Some highlights and ideas from the Celtics’ schedule:
– Smart’s return to Boston will come on Sunday, Feb. 4 with a 6 p.m. recreation in opposition to the Grizzlies in what is probably going essentially the most anticipated recreation of the Celtics’ schedule after Smart was traded to Memphis this offseason following 9 years with the C’s. Smart will face his former teammates for the primary time on Nov. 19 in Memphis, however the level guard’s return to Boston later within the season will definitely be extra particular.
“I’m sure it’ll be an emotional one, and I’m prepared for it,” Smart instructed reporters about his return throughout an interview in early July.
mark your calendars 🗓️👀 pic.twitter.com/89BoaxbH8T
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) August 17, 2023
– Udoka might be again in Boston on Jan. 13 for the primary time since he was immediately and shockingly suspended and later dismissed because the Celtics’ head coach after committing violations of workforce insurance policies, reportedly for having an inappropriate relationship with a feminine member of the group. Udoka, who led the C’s to the NBA Finals in 2022 in his lone season because the coach, will return in his new job main the younger and rebuilding Rockets. His reception at TD Garden might be attention-grabbing, to say the least. The C’s will face Udoka once more eight days later in Houston.
– Sticking with the theme, the third and closing highly-anticipated return of the season will come on March 1 when Grant Williams and the Mavericks go to TD Garden. It will mark Williams’ first time in Boston as an opponent after he was despatched to Dallas in a sign-and-trade this offseason, following the ahead and 2019 first-round choose’s four-year stint with the Celtics. Old pal Kyrie Irving – assuming he’s nonetheless with the Mavericks then – may also return that night time. The Celtics will see their former teammates earlier than the March homecoming after they go to Dallas on Jan. 22.
– For the eighth consecutive season, the Celtics will play on Christmas Day, this time in opposition to LeBron James and the Lakers in Los Angeles. It’ll be the third time the rivals face off on Christmas Day and first time since 2008. If the matchup is something like final season’s two conferences – which had been each wild Celtics extra time victories – it’s certain to be an entertaining one.
– The Celtics will face the Heat 3 times within the common season – assuming they don’t meet within the in-season match – with the lone recreation at TD Garden coming in Boston’s dwelling opener on Oct. 27. The C’s will go to Miami on Jan. 25 and Feb. 11. Those matchups might have some further juice if Damian Lillard is finally traded to the Heat.
– The Celtics’ longest highway journey of the season comes late in March with what needs to be a comparatively simple six-game trek in opposition to the Pistons, Bulls, back-to-back video games in opposition to the Hawks, then the Pelicans and Hornets. Their west coast swing is available in December with matchups in opposition to the Warriors, Kings and Clippers earlier than the Christmas Day showdown with the Lakers.
The longest homestand of the season spans seven video games in 13 days, beginning with the Clippers on Jan. 27 and ending with the Wizards on Feb. 9.
– The Celtics will play 14 back-to-backs this season, which is yet another than final season. Five of the back-to-backs might be at dwelling.
– Celtics followers trying to get a glimpse of superstars will, after all, have loads of probabilities all through the season. Giannis Antetekounmpo and the Bucks go to Boston on Nov. 22 and March 20. Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Nuggets are on the town on Jan. 19. Stephen Curry and the Warriors hit the parquet on March 3 in a nationally-televised recreation on ABC.
The Celtics will get their first glimpse of No. 1 draft choose Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio on Dec. 31, and the highly-touted rookie will make his first journey to TD Garden when the Spurs go to on Jan. 17. James and the Lakers return to Boston on Feb. 1. Reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the 76ers come again Dec. 1 and Feb. 27 in a rematch of final 12 months’s wild seven-game second-round collection. Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and the reloaded Suns make their lone journey to Boston on March 14.
Source: www.bostonherald.com