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Here's What Stands Out About the Celtics' Schedule
After coming within two wins of banner 18, the Celtics added Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari while keeping the mainstays of their playoff rotation.
While rumors of a potential trade for Kevin Durant persist, as currently constructed, some, such as FanDuel Sportsbook, view Boston as the betting favorite to win the championship this season.
For the Celtics, the road through the NBA's 76th season and trying to make good on that projection starts with hosting the Sixers on Oct. 18. That night, TD Garden serves as the site of the league's first game of the 2022-23 season.
It's also when Boston will hold the first of two dedicated Bill Russell tribute games and unveil a special Bill Russell tribute 2022-23 City Edition uniform – a project the league and team had been collaborating on with the 11-time NBA champion. The second of the two dedicated Bill Russell tribute games is on Feb. 12, Russell's birthday, against the Grizzlies.
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Like opening night, some of the Celtics' other noteworthy matchups, such as a Christmas showdown with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks at TD Garden on Christmas -- their seventh-straight appearance on the NBA's Christmas slate -- got leaked before the release of Boston's full schedule.
The same goes for NBA Finals rematches against the Warriors. As Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported, the opening tilt between these two is in San Francisco on Dec. 10. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and company come to Boston on Jan. 19.
Charania also reported that after opening night, the Celtics play the Heat in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch on Oct. 21 in South Beach. It's the start of one of their two five-game road trips.
Takeaways from the release of the full schedule include Boston hosting LeBron James and the Lakers in its lone Saturday home game of the season on Jan. 28 in primetime on ABC. These two rivals will face each other in Los Angeles on Dec. 13; those represent two of the defending Eastern Conference champions 26 nationally televised games.
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Around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, the Celtics have a six-game homestand from Nov. 23 through Dec. 2. Those matchups include facing Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 23. Boston hosts the Heat on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2.
After that, the Celtics have a brutal road trip. It starts with three games in four days, facing the Nets on Dec. 4, the Raptors the next night, and the Suns on Dec. 7. Then comes the previously mentioned matchup with the Warriors in the Bay on Dec. 10.
Two nights later, Boston squares up with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the Clippers. Then, as noted earlier, they take on the Lakers on Dec. 13. That comes on the second half of a back-to-back, another stretch of three games in four days, and caps the Celtics' road trip.
But then Boston has a season-long seven-game homestand from Dec. 16 through Dec. 29. During that stretch, Brogdon will take on his former team, the Pacers, on Dec. 21. Jayson Tatum and company close out the calendar year of 2022 with a home game against the Clippers on Dec. 29.
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Then, the Celtics are away most of January, playing a season-high ten road games that month, including a playoff rematch with the Nets, who Boston swept in the first round. That tilt takes place on Jan. 12 and could come against a Brooklyn team that looks dramatically different than it did in the postseason. Speaking of last season's playoff opponents, the Celtics make another trip to Miami on Jan. 24.
Boston's season ends on the TD Garden parquet against Gallinari's former team, the Hawks, in a matinee game on Apr. 9.
Other takeaways from combing through the Celtics' schedule include seeing they have 13 back-to-backs this season, two less than in the 2021-22 campaign. Eight of those start with games against teams that made the playoffs last season; six end with opponents that did not. Five of Boston's back-to-backs are entirely on the road.
Lastly, in an unusual twist, there are three instances where the Celtics will play the same team in consecutive games in the same city. They host the Magic on Dec. 16 and 18, play the Hornets in Charlotte on Jan. 14 and 16, and face the Raptors in Boston on Apr. 5 and 7.
Further Reading
Report: Celtics Won't Make Robert Williams Available in Kevin Durant Trade Talks
Jaylen Brown 'all-in on Boston' Provided Celtics Prove the Feeling is Mutual (Report)
Celtics' Juhann Begarin, Yam Madar Will Continue Development Overseas
