Roughly two months ago, the Celtics returned to the pinnacle of the basketball world. Roughly two months from now, they’ll begin their quest to stay atop the mountain.
No team has repeated since the Warriors in 2017-18. It’s not easy, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. This Celtics team is more equipped than most, given its talent, chemistry and balance. Only time will tell.
It’s a long journey before the playoffs, and it starts in October. The Celtics revealed their regular-season schedule Thursday, and there are many intriguing games on the horizon.
Here’s one person’s opinion on the 10 most compelling regular-season matchups. You’re entitled to your own. Feel free to weigh in below. Which games have you fired up?
(Honorable mention: Bucks, Rockets, Cavaliers, Heat, Suns).
10) March 29, Spurs on the road
Victor Wembanyama is must-see TV. The man is going to win MVP sometime in the not-so-distant future. He should also lead the Spurs to a title at some point in the more-distant future. Regardless, he’s electrifying to watch, and any chance to do so is a treat. Plus, Steph Curry and LeBron James will probably be on the Spurs by then (not actually).
9) Nov. 24, Timberwolves at home
I still think the Nuggets are the best team in the West, but the gap is closing by the day. Jamal Murray looked quite human in the Olympics, while Anthony Edwards is getting more lethal by the day. This could be a Finals preview.
8) Oct. 30, Pacers on the road
This is a sneaky good one. The Celtics swept the Pacers, but the series was pretty darn close. Indiana will be fired up, and the home crowd will be loud. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Pacers steal this one.
7) Dec. 7, Grizzlies at home
It was lovely to see Celtics fans welcome Marcus Smart back last year, but watching him sit on the sideline was a bit anticlimactic. Hopefully he gets to play this time around. We can all collectively say “No! No! Yes! Oh wait…” when he rises up for a contested off-balance 3 and splashes it. Should be fun.
TOP CELTICS SCHEDULE NOTESRing night: 10/22 vs NYKHome on Xmas (PHI), NYE (TOR)Cup home gms: 11/12 (ATL), 11/19 (CLE)✈️42k travel miles (East avg: 40k)13 B2Bs (6=no travel)Longest homestand: 13 days/7 gmsLongest trip: 11 days/6 gms8 fresh gms, 9 tired gms pic.twitter.com/LX6o4Cj2a6
6) March 2, Nuggets at home
The Celtics and Nuggets are the best teams in the NBA, and you can’t convince me otherwise. I love watching these two go head to head. A regular-season win isn’t imperative, but it would be a nice perk for the Celtics after Nikola Jokic Jokic-ed his way to two against Boston last year.
5) Jan. 23, Lakers on the road
Celtics-Lakers still delivers, every time. There’s nothing quite like it in sports, and you can feel the history every time they go head to head. Plus, I think the Lakers will bounce back this year and contend before losing to the Nuggets or Wolves in the Western Conference Semifinals. We shall see.
4) Feb. 6, Mavericks at home
You could argue the first Celtics-Mavericks rematch will be more compelling, but I’d personally go with the matchup at TD Garden. It’ll bring back some old memories. Nope, not Kyrie Irving ones. Remember when the Celtics won the championship at the Garden? That was quite a night.
3) Nov. 6, Warriors at home
Yes, the boos for Steve Kerr will echo throughout TD Garden. Who cares? But this is a chance for Jayson Tatum to go off and prove that he deserved better. Tatum is too classy to give Kerr a look, but hey, maybe he’ll get fiery in the heat of the moment.
2) Dec. 25, 76ers at home
I can think of few things better for a young kid than opening up presents, enjoying time with friends and family, then watching the Celtics beat the 76ers on Christmas Day. The NBA’s done a nice job ramping up the Christmas Day games and making it feel like the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day. It’s an excellent tradition.
1) Oct. 22, Knicks at home
The regular season starts off with a bang (maybe even a Mike Breen “BANG!” if we’re lucky). It will be an emotional night, as the Celtics get their championship rings and the Knicks try to spoil the evening. In my opinion, these are the two best teams in the East. If they both stay healthy, I expect them to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals. This could be quite a preview.
