NBA Schedule Highlights: One Must-See Game for All 30 Teams

From potential Finals previews in October to a mid-January Battle of the Bigs, there is no shortage of games to highlight on the calendar.

August marks the dregs of the NBA offseason, though we did get a burst of excitement in recent days. A slow trickle of schedule news gave way to the full release Wednesday, and with it came the opportunity to circle every rivalry battle and revenge game in sight. From potential Finals previews in October to a mid-January Battle of the Bigs, there is no shortage of games to highlight on the calendar.

With that in mind, let’s dive into the 2022–23 schedule, tabbing one must-see game for all 30 teams.

Atlanta Hawks: Nov. 2 at Knicks
There’s a bit of intrigue Oct. 21 when Atlanta hosts Orlando (as Sports Illustrated’s Rohan Nadkarni noted yesterday), but it’s hard to pick against any chance for Trae Young to play at Madison Square Garden. Neither the Hawks nor the Knicks are playoff locks entering 2022–23, adding some early standings jockeying to the likely theatrics that will ensue. 

Boston Celtics: Oct. 18 vs. 76ers
It’s been a rumor-filled offseason for the defending Eastern Conference champs, and there’s still an outside chance a certain two-time champion joins the fold in Boston for opening night. Regardless, there will be plenty of tension and excitement as the Celtics kick off the season against a bitter rival.

Brooklyn Nets: Nov. 22 at Philadelphia
Ben Simmons will presumably make his return to Philadelphia just before Thanksgiving. Will Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving join him? This is one worth tuning into regardless, at least for the pregame introductions.

Charlotte Hornets: Oct. 29 vs. Warriors
It’s always a treat in Charlotte when Steph Curry comes to town, and his return this season comes in the first weeks of the NBA calendar. Perhaps LaMelo Ball will put on a show even if his team can’t quite hang with the reigning champions.

Chicago Bulls: Dec. 28 vs. Bucks
The Bulls were summarily dismissed by Milwaukee in the first round of the 2022 playoffs, bringing a stark reminder of where Chicago sat in the Eastern Conference pecking order. This post-Christmas matchup will provide a barometer for whether the Bulls have made any progress in their attempted return to relevance.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Dec. 6 vs. Lakers
LeBron James’s new extension with the Lakers will keep any Cleveland rumors at bay for now, though this matchup sports excitement beyond any theoretical audition. The Cavaliers are a team on the rise, and Dec. 6 will be a chance to make a statement on a national stage. Watching Evan Mobley battle Anthony Davis should be a delight.

Dallas Mavericks: Dec. 25 vs. Lakers
Luka Dončić has turned the Mavericks into a Christmas Day fixture, though this year’s matchup marks Dallas’s first home Christmas game since a Finals rematch against LeBron and the Heat in December 2012. We should see a competitive contest, even if Dallas takes a step back after Jalen Brunson’s departure.

Denver Nuggets: Oct. 21 at Warriors
The Nuggets were undermanned in a gentleman’s sweep against the Warriors to start last year’s postseason. How does Denver stack up against the best of the West with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. on the floor? We’ll get our first returns on that front during a trip to San Francisco on Oct. 21.

Detroit Pistons: Nov. 4 vs. Cavaliers
Detroit is looking to take a step toward contention this season, and this contest is a solid measuring stick against a team further ahead in its respective rebuild. Add the intrigue of the continued Mobley vs. Cade Cunningham debate, and we have a sneaky-exciting contest on our hands.

Golden State Warriors: Jan. 19 at Celtics
Plenty of eyes will be tuned to the first Finals rematch the month before, but there’s likely more interest when the Warriors return to the scene of their championship clincher. This is must-watch TV as long as both teams avoid some dreaded load management for their respective stars.

Houston Rockets: Dec. 5 vs. 76ers
Any animus in Houston regarding James Harden’s departure has largely dissipated—in large part thanks to the current debacle in Brooklyn—leaving us with a feel-good return home for the franchise legend. The Rockets will likely be heavy underdogs, though the matchup should be a good early test for exciting young talents Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Şengün.

Indiana Pacers: Feb. 3 vs. Kings
Tyrese Haliburton will get a chance to dice up his former team in what could be an annual revenge game. Perhaps the Kings turn the corner in 2022–23, but it’s just as likely they’re lamenting the Haliburton trade by February. 

Los Angeles Clippers: Jan. 5 at Nuggets
There may not be a more interesting team in the league entering the season than the Clippers, who at full strength could make a fair claim as the championship favorite. Circle matchups against the Lakers, Warriors, Suns on your calendar, as well as any games against the Nuggets in a bubble rematch. If both teams are healthy, this could be a Western Conference finals preview.

Los Angeles Lakers: Oct. 20 vs. Clippers
We’re not sure if either Los Angeles squad is young enough or durable enough to win the Western Conference, though when healthy, this remains among the premier matchups in the sport. Perhaps Kyrie Irving will join the fray to add additional star power to this marquee battle.

Memphis Grizzlies: Dec. 25 at Warriors
Ja Morant will have to settle for a road date with the Warriors on Christmas in a game that likely means more to the Grizzlies than the defending champs. This season will mark Memphis’s first Christmas Day matchup in what should become a regular occurrence across the next decade.

Miami Heat: Oct. 21 vs. Boston
Jimmy Butler came just short of sending Miami to a second Finals in three seasons in the last seconds of last year’s seven-game battle with the Celtics. Can Miami keep pace with the best of the East once again? An opening-week matchup with Boston marks an early test.

Milwaukee Bucks: Dec. 25 at Celtics
The jewel of the Christmas Day slate features a potential Eastern Conference finals preview. There’s a bit of a revenge factor at play here after Boston summarily dismissed the Bucks in both Games 6 and 7 of last year’s playoff series.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Nov. 30 vs. Grizzlies
Both Minnesota and Memphis can lay claim to being the most exciting young team in the Western Conference, and we should see some fireworks at the rim between Ja Morant and Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves didn’t have an answer for Morant’s furious drives to the basket in the 2022 playoffs. They’re counting on Rudy Gobert to change that calculus.

New Orleans Pelicans: Feb. 4 vs. Lakers
There’s still at least an ounce of bad blood between Anthony Davis and the Pelicans, and New Orleans is now far more than just a spurned former partner. A win against the Lakers could serve as a statement for the Pelicans, who are looking to assert themselves as a rising threat in the West.

New York Knicks: Dec. 25 vs. 76ers
I’m not quite sure what to make of the Knicks, who seem to sport the ceiling of a play-in team as currently constituted. Christmas at MSG is fun regardless, though the potential addition of Donovan Mitchell would certainly add a dose of star power to the proceedings.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Feb. 15 vs. Rockets
The final game before the All-Star break will give both rebuilders a chance to assess the state of their young rosters. Each matchup between Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith Jr. is worth at least a cursory look on League Pass this season.

Orlando Magic: Nov. 7 vs. Rockets
There’s plenty of enticing young talent on these two rosters, and this matchup provides our first regular-season data point for the Paolo Banchero vs. Jabari Smith Jr. debate. Whether Jalen Green or Franz Wagner will be the best sophomore on the floor is a fun subplot.

Philadelphia 76ers: Jan. 28 vs. Nuggets
I’m circling this contest on my calendar annually while both Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokić are in their prime. This is a primetime Saturday-night battle on ABC, giving Embiid a perfect showcase as he eyes his first career MVP.

Phoenix Suns: Oct. 19 vs. Mavericks
The Suns, well, imploded in their season finale last year, a 123–90 loss to the Mavericks that frankly wasn’t as close as the score indicates. Deandre Ayton is somehow back in the fold as Phoenix looks to turn the page, though Dončić is unlikely to let them forget last year’s Game 7 dud anytime soon.

Portland Trail Blazers: March 1 vs. Pelicans
CJ McCollum deserves a lengthy ovation from the Portland faithful, who are right to feel some anxiety about the direction of the franchise at the moment. This could be a crucial game for playoff positioning as the Blazers look to restock their roster and return to the postseason picture.

Sacramento Kings: Oct. 19 vs. Blazers
There’s some sneaky optimism emanating from Sacramento, and this is a roster that on paper could contend for a play-in spot. Opening night against the Blazers—a team on a similar tier—could provide a preview of what to expect as the Kings take on a loaded Western Conference.

San Antonio Spurs: March 29 vs. Jazz
This late-season matchup against the Jazz may have some serious importance from a tankathon perspective. If Donovan Mitchell spends next season in a new location, March 29 could bring some serious Drama for Wembanyama.

Toronto Raptors: Oct. 26 vs. 76ers
Philadelphia blew out a Fred VanVleet–less Toronto squad in Game 6 of last year’s first-round series, and the Raptors have their first chance at revenge early in the season. Consider Toronto a sneaky contender for the Finals as long as VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes are in the lineup.

Utah Jazz: Dec. 9 vs. Timberwolves
It could be a long season in Utah with or without a Donovan Mitchell trade, leaving this October matchup as the central highlight on the Jazz’s calendar. Rudy Gobert deserves nothing less than a raucous ovation after becoming arguably the third-greatest player in franchise history over the last decade.

Washington Wizards: Dec. 10 vs. Clippers
Let’s hope to see a healthy and spry John Wall on the floor in a return to his former franchise. The current on-court product for the Wizards may not be pretty, but at least this matchup gives us some nostalgia. Maybe Wall will even jump on the scorers’ table.