The NBA unveiled the schedule for its first ever In-Season Tournament on Tuesday. Now, it has released the rest of the 2023-24 schedule – well, almost all of it.
The In-Season Tournament makes it so certain regular season matchups are not known until other stages of the competition are complete. Still, the NBA’s 2023-24 schedule release on Thursday gives basketball fans – and players – a chance to begin circling the calendar for the best matchups.
From reunions to rematches, there is plenty of intrigue across the 2023-24 NBA schedule. Here are 10 of the most-anticipated matchups for the upcoming NBA season, which begins on Tuesday, Oct. 24.
Oct. 24: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
The Nuggets will raise their first ever NBA Finals banner to open the 2023-24 NBA regular season.
Nikola Jokic and Co. will welcome LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers back to Denver on Oct. 24. The Nuggets swept the Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Finals, paving the way for them to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time.
Oct. 24: Phoenix Suns vs. Golden State Warriors
Between Chris Paul and Kevin Durant, there is plenty of history on both sides in the other matchup as part of the NBA’s opening night doubleheader.
Paul won’t have to wait long to face his former teammates from Phoenix, as the Warriors will host the Suns. He will make his Golden State debut alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green – all of whom won a pair of championships with Durant during his time in the Bay.
This will be the first of four matchups between the Suns and Warriors in 2023-24 with plenty of potential for a postseason series, as well.
Oct. 26: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
It’s always a heavyweight battle when Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid go up against one another. That will be no different in 2023-24, though there could be elevated stakes for both sides this season.
The Bucks and Sixers made dramatic changes following disappointing playoff exits last season. Milwaukee replaced Mike Budenholzer with new head coach Adrian Griffin, while Philadelphia brought in Nick Nurse to take the vacancy left behind by Doc Rivers. The Sixers are also caught up in more offseason chaos, this time surrounding James Harden.
Oct. 26: Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers
It’s been almost five years since James and Durant have faced off on an NBA court. Their last matchup came on Christmas Day in 2018, but the two generational players are set to reunite on Oct. 26 when the Lakers host the Suns.
Durant never got to face James during his tenure in Brooklyn. Now on the reloaded Suns, Durant will look to rise past James in the Western Conference.
Oct. 27: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
Speaking of postseason series, the Heat and Celtics will square off in a rematch of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA’s opening week.
Miami jumped out to a 3-0 series lead before Boston forced an improbable Game 7. The Celtics were unable to complete a historic comeback, though, as the Heat won Game 7 in Boston and advanced to the 2023 NBA Finals.
Dec. 9: NBA In-Season Tournament Championship
The first ever NBA In-Season Tournament champion will be crowned on Dec. 9 in Las Vegas.
The league introduced the new event for the 2023-24 NBA season. All games will count towards the regular season standings with the exception of the championship.
The tournament will tip-off on Nov. 3, and group play will continue until Tuesday, Nov. 28. From there, the quarterfinals will take place on Monday, Dec. 4, and Tuesday, Dec. 5, before the semifinals are played on Thursday, Dec. 7, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Dec. 25: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The NBA is letting its most historic rivalry serve as the main attraction for its 2023 Christmas Day slate.
The Celtics will head west to L.A. to take on the Lakers. It will be their first Christmas Day showdown since 2008, which happened right after the Celtics defeated the Lakers in the previous season’s NBA Finals.
The full 2023 NBA Christmas Day schedule is as follows: Bucks vs. Knicks at 12 p.m. ET, Warriors vs. Nuggets at 2:30 p.m. ET, Celtics vs. Lakers at 5 p.m. ET, Sixers vs. Heat at 8 p.m. ET and Mavericks vs. Suns at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Dec. 28: San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Victor Wembanyama was the talk of the 2023 NBA Draft, but Scoot Henderson is another member of the class with hopes of becoming a star.
Henderson, the No. 3 overall pick, played against Wembanyama during a G League exhibition in Las Vegas last October. He was not on the floor when his Blazers faced Wembanyama’s Spurs in Las Vegas Summer League, so their first matchup in NBA uniforms will come on Dec. 28 in Portland.
Wembanyama will face Brandon Miller, the No. 2 pick from the 2023 NBA Draft, when the Spurs welcome the Hornets on Jan. 12.
Feb. 6: Dallas Mavericks vs. Brooklyn Nets
Kyrie Irving will make his first trip to Brooklyn since being traded from the Nets to the Mavericks last February.
Irving spent four-plus seasons with the Nets and ultimately won one playoff series with the organization before asking out. His time in Dallas got off to a discouraging start, as he, Luka Doncic and the Mavs missed out on the postseason entirely last season.
Feb. 29: Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets
The Heat and Nuggets will meet up for a 2023 NBA Finals rematch on Feb. 29.
Denver handily took care of business Miami the last time the two sides squared off. The Nuggets finished off a gentleman’s sweep on their home floor in Game 5, handing the Heat their second Finals defeat in the last four seasons.
Along with their Feb. 29 matchup, the Nuggets and Heat will battle in Miami on March 13.
