Top 10 NBA games featuring Gonzaga players: How to watch, best matchups between former Zags

Domantas Sabonis vs. Chet Holmgren headlines the best matchups between Zags in the 2024-25 NBA season

Apr 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) defends during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Turn on NBA League Pass on any given night during the 2024-25 season and there’s a good chance of spotting a former Gonzaga men’s basketball player somewhere on the court or the bench.

With 11 Zags now in the association - Boston Celtics rookie Anton Watson being the newest - Gonzaga’s representation at the pro level spans coast-to-coast from Los Angeles to Washington D.C., Toronto to Orlando and places in between. 

As the NBA released its full 2024-25 schedule Thursday, here are the top 10 games of the season featuring former Bulldogs.

THUNDER @ NUGGETS, OCT. 24

Dec 29, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther (3) controls the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) guards in the third quarter at Ball Arena. / Photo by Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports

From college teammates in 2021-22 to now second-year pros on title-contending teams, Chet Holmgren and Julian Strawther will cross paths once again when the Thunder take on the Nuggets in a matchup between the top two seeds in the Western Conference last season. 

Both teams seem poised to make a push for the top of the standings once again in 2024-25. NBA.com’s latest power rankings have OKC and Denver at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, as the only two teams who finished in the top 10 in both offensive rating and defensive rating last season. Both are among the five teams with the shortest odds to win the 2025 title as well (OKC sits at +700, Denver at +950 according to DraftKings). 

All eyes will be on the matchup between Holmgren and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic in the post. The two squared off four times last season, with the Thunder coming out victorious in three of the meetings as Holmgren averaged 19.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.8 blocks against the Serbian big man and company.

“He’s a really talented guy, but this is his first year. He’s still learning everything: the game, how quick it is, where is [he at] an advantage, where is [he at] a disadvantage,” Jokic said of Holmgren to the Denver Post after the Nuggets beat the Thunder 128-95 on Oct. 29. “I think he needs experience. I think he needs to be a little bit fatter, to be honest. But yes, he has a talent that is unique.”

The Thunder visit the Nuggets on Nov. 6 as well. The two won’t square off again until March 9 and 10 in OKC.

GRIZZLIES @ LAKERS, NOV. 13 (ESPN)

Feb 28, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) dribbles as Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clark (15) defends during the first half at FedExForum / Photo by Petre Thomas, USA TODAY Sports

Two teammates from Gonzaga’s loaded 2018-19 squad face off in Los Angeles when Brandon Clarke’s Grizzlies take on Rui Hachimura’s Lakers on Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. PST.

For Clarke, he looks to fully bounce back from an Achilles injury he suffered in March 2023. He managed to play six games down the stretch of last season, though injuries plagued Memphis in a forgettable 27-55 campaign. With Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. back, the Grizzlies should be competitive in the West again.

SPURS @ LAKERS, NOV. 15 (ESPN)

Apr 14, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Zach Collins (23) signs autographs before a game against the Detroit Pistons at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Zach Collins and Hachimura were both freshmen on Gonzaga’s first Final Four team in 2017. They each took separate paths to the pros — Collins was a one-and-done while Hachimura played another two years in college — though both were picked highly in their respective drafts (Collins was picked 10th overall in 2017, Hachimura was the ninth pick in 2019).

They’ve had their ups and downs along the way. Collins only played 39 games in a three-year span due to injuries. Hachimura missed the first 39 games of the 2021-22 season due to personal reasons. Neither really gelled with the teams that drafted them.

With a little patience and a change of scenery, things have improved for both Hachimura and Collins. The former signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Lakers in June 2023 after a few standout performances in the playoffs. A few months later, Collins earned a two-year, $34.8 million extension with the Spurs, who first signed the 6-foot-11 forward after he missed all of the 2020-21 season with the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Both former Zags are now featured as key pieces on their respective teams, as Collins looks to fit in with Victor Wembanyama and Hachimura gets his touches after LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers and Spurs meet Nov. 15 at 4:30 PM PST on ESPN.

THUNDER @ SPURS, NOV. 19 (TNT)

Apr 10, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) shoots as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) defends during the first quarter at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Go ahead and circle all three OKC-San Antonio games on the calendar this season — and every season after that for as long as Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama are on their respective teams. Last year’s rookie sensations represent the future of the league as do-it-all 7-footers who can impact the game in ways that were previously never before seen. It’s not a conventional rivalry, but it’s shaping up to be one that lasts for at least the next decade barring injuries.

Holmgren came out victorious in two of the three head-to-head meetings last season, both by double-digit margins, despite monster numbers from Wembanyama, who averaged 20 points, 13 rebounds and 4.3 assists in those battles. The Spurs figure to be more competitive after adding Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes in free agency, as well as drafting UConn’s Stephon Castle with the fourth overall pick. Whether that’s enough to keep up in the competitive West remains to be seen, but count on Wembanyama and Holmgren to put on a show whenever they square off, regardless of the outcome.

The Nov. 19 matchup, which tips off the second annual NBA Emirates Cup, is slated for 6:30 p.m. PST on TNT. OKC and San Antonio meet on Oct. 30 (ESPN) and March 2 as well.

THUNDER @ MAGIC, DEC. 19 (TNT)

Jan 13, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) shoots between Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) and forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. / Photo by Alonzo Adams, USA TODAY Sports

An intriguing interconference matchup between playoff hopefuls pits two former Minnehaha Academy teammates against one another when Holmgren’s Thunder visit Jalen Suggs’ Magic on Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. PST.

Once one-and-dones at Gonzaga, Holmgren and Suggs both appear to be set up for lengthy NBA careers should they stay healthy. Holmgren’s reputation speaks for itself, and while Suggs didn’t get off to the smoothest of starts as a pro due to injuries, he’s one of Orlando’s building blocks for the future after he emerged as one of the league’s best on-ball defenders and helped the Magic reach the playoffs last season. Earning NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors as a third-year pro is quite the feat, which should set up Suggs for a lucrative rookie-scale extension sometime in the near future.

The Magic and Thunder meet one another time on Nov. 4 in OKC.

SPURS @ NUGGETS, JAN. 4 (NBA TV)

Nov 26, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther (3) controls the ball against San Antonio Spurs guard Malaki Branham (22) as center Nikola Jokic (15) defends against forward Zach Collins (23) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. / Photo by Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports

The greater Henderson-Las Vegas area will be well-represented when Collins and Strawther take the floor during the Spurs-Nuggets game in Denver on Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. PST.

The last time Jokic and Wembanyana went head-to-head, the Spurs pulled off a late comeback to stun the Nuggets, 121-120, which cost Denver a chance at the No. 1 seed in the West. 

RAPTORS @ WIZARDS, MARCH 24 (NBA TV)

Apr 7, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Kelly Olynyk (41) and guard Gradey Dick (1) defend against Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

One of the only nationally televised games for the Raptors and Wizards pits two Gonzaga icons in Kelly Olynyk and Corey Kispert against one another in the nation’s capital on March 24 at 4 p.m. PST. 

Hard to say if either team will be competing for a playoff spot at this point in the year, but Zags fans are going to need something to hold them over in between the first and second weekends of the NCAA Tournament.

THUNDER @ KINGS, MARCH 25 (TNT)

Feb 11, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) shoots beside Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Playoff implications could be at stake when two dynamic big men from Gonzaga go head-to-head in Sacramento, California, on March 25 at 7 p.m. PST.

After adding DeMar DeRozan this offseason, Sacramento has committed to winning now with Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox at the helm of one of the most exciting offenses in the league. The Lithuanian forward had another historic campaign in 2023-24 and earned All-NBA Third Team honors for the second-straight season, though it wasn’t enough to secure the Kings a spot in the playoffs this time. Sabonis and company hope their continuity gives them an edge in 2024-25.

Holmgren and Sabonis were among the six players who started all 82 games last season. Should health be on their side again, they’ll see each other on Nov. 25 in Sacramento (NBA TV) and Feb. 1 in OKC. 

LAKERS @ PACERS, MARCH 26 (ESPN)

Mar 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) defends a shot by Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. / Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Nembhard and Hachimura, two former Zags who represented their home countries in the Olympics this summer, cross paths in a late-season matchup between the Lakers and Pacers on March 26 at 4:30 p.m. PST.

Nembhard, who signed a three-year, $59 million extension this offseason, hit one of the biggest shots of his basketball career against the Lakers during his rookie season, as he nailed a deep 3-pointer over LeBron James as time expired to give the Pacers a 116-115 victory. Since then the 6-foot-5 guard’s career has continued to ascend in the right direction, evidenced by the hefty extension, and has completely surpassed all expectations for a former second-round pick.

On the other side, Hachimura looks to carve out a significant role in JJ Redick’s rotation. The 6-foot-8 forward was instrumental in LA’s late playoff push while in the starting lineup, but that was only after Darvin Ham had him coming off the bench for the first half of the season. 

The Pacers and Lakers meet one another time during the regular season on Feb. 8 in LA.

NUGGETS @ KINGS, APRIL 9 (ESPN)

Feb 14, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) shoots the ball over Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second half at Ball Arena. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Two of the NBA’s best bigs in Jokic and Sabonis square off late in the regular season as the Nuggets and Kings will likely be jockeying for playoff position.