{"id":90646,"date":"2024-08-15T15:47:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T19:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=90646"},"modified":"2024-08-15T19:27:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T23:27:39","slug":"celtics-schedule-10-key-games-of-the-2024-25-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/15\/celtics-schedule-10-key-games-of-the-2024-25-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Celtics Schedule: 10 Key Games of the 2024-25 Season"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With the full NBA schedule released it&#8217;s to evaluate some of the biggest games. The defending champion <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/06\/18\/4-reasons-why-the-celtics-won-the-nba-championship\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Boston Celtics<\/a> have 34 National TV games and plenty of notable matchups. Let&#8217;s explore Boston&#8217;s most important games of the upcoming season.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Put it on your fridge, on your desk or wherever else you want \ud83d\udda8\ufe0f\u2618\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p>Printable schedule: <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cteQdgUQTx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/cteQdgUQTx<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/c7VldVr9Em\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/c7VldVr9Em<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Boston Celtics (@celtics) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/celtics\/status\/1824196915447165414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Celtics Schedule: 10 Key Games of the 2024-25 Season<\/h2>\n<h3>Celtics vs Knicks: October 22nd (7:30 P.M. TNT)<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Celtics-Knicks will tip off the NBA season. Notably, this will also be the Celtics ring ceremony night. In a night filled with celebration, the Celtics will face one of their toughest opponents and a budding rival. Both teams are also two of the most iconic franchises in the league. During the offseason, the Knicks traded for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bridgmi01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mikal Bridges<\/a>. Pairing him with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/anunoog01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OG Anunoby<\/a> gives them two elite defensive wings, which is a clear move to help them match up with the Celtics star wing duo of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tatumja01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jayson Tatum<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/brownja02.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jaylen Brown<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Celtics&#8217; elite defensive backcourt of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holidjr01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jrue Holiday<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/whitede01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derrick White<\/a> facing off against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/brunsja01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jalen Brunson<\/a> is also exciting. The Celtics won the title due to incredible balance and well-rounded play the Knicks look to replicate a similar style. Overall this has all the elements of a great matchup and could end up being an Eastern Conference Finals preview ring night will certainly be a special one in Boston.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Celtics vs Bucks: October 28th (7:30 P.M. NBA TV)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For years the Celtics and Bucks have been considered the top two teams in the East. Notably, the Celtics will play the Bucks three times before the calendar flips to 2025. While the Celtics won the NBA title Milwaukee is coming off a disappointing season which included a 3-seed and their second consecutive first-round exit. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bucks have a lot to prove this year and the duo of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/antetgi01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lillada01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Damian Lillard<\/a> is expected to improve. Furthermore, watching Jrue Holiday take on his former team is always exciting. Even though it\u2019s a regular season game, if the Bucks can win this game and or multiple games in the season series it would be a big statement early on in the season.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the Celtics, it will be important to take care of business against one of their biggest challengers in the East.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Celtics @ Warriors:\u00a0<\/strong><strong>November 6th\u00a0<\/strong><strong>(7:30 P.M. ESPN) \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 2022 finals rematch is always exciting. Last year the teams split the season series with both squads winning at home. Notably, the Celtics&#8217; win was a 52-point blowout while the Warriors&#8217; win was a close overtime affair. Later in the season, the Celtics will travel to Golden State for a primetime matchup on Martin Luther King Day. However, the first matchup between the two teams at T.D. Garden will perhaps be more anticipated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will be interesting to see Tatum and Brown go against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kerrst01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steve Kerr<\/a> after separate controversies involving both stars in the Olympics. Due to this and the 2022 finals the Celtics will likely have some extra motivation against the Warriors. While the Warriors are a fringe playoff team with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a>\u00a0on the team they will always be an exciting watch and they could be competitive in any given game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Celtics vs Hawks: November 12th (7:00 P.M.)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NBA Cup adds an extra sense of excitement and intrigue to the regular season. The Celtics&#8217; first group play game of the NBA Cup will be against the Hawks. They will also take on the Cavs, Bulls, and Wizards in group C. While this appears to be an easy group nothing is guaranteed. Furthermore, the Hawks beat the Celtics twice last season adding to the importance and upset potential of this game. The Hawks improved their defense however, they are typically a run-and-gun style team led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/y\/youngtr01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trae Young<\/a>. As a result, this matchup could be a highly entertaining three-point battle.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Celtics vs Heat:\u00a0<\/strong>December 2nd<strong> (7:30 P.M.)\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to their frequent playoff matchups, the Celtics-Heat will always be a notable matchup. Many consider this the top rivalry in the league even if the Heat are no longer an elite squad. Regardless they can\u2019t be counted out against the Celtics and this matchup will likely produce a competitive game. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/butleji01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Butler<\/a>\u2019s future with the Heat is up in the air adding an extra element of interest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Celtics vs 76ers: December 25th (5:00 P.M. ABC)<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/09\/nba-christmas-day-games-for-the-2024-25-season-revealed\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Christmas Day<\/a> is always one of the most exciting and notable days of the NBA regular season. This year the Celtics will take one 76ers on the primetime Christmas slot. The Celtics also played the 76ers on Christmas in 2018. In one of the biggest moves of the offseason, the Sixers signed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/georgpa01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paul George<\/a>. This is arguably the best surrounding roster of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/embiijo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joel Embiid<\/a>\u2019s career and the 76ers are eager for success. While the Celtics have largely dominated this matchup in the Tatum-Brown era most games have been pretty close. As a result, this game projects to be very competitive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Celtics @ Nuggets: January 7th (10:00 P.M. TNT)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Celtics-Nuggets delivered two gritty wire-to-wire games last season with Denver winning both. Now that the Celtics instead of the Nuggets are defending champs the dynamics of this matchup have changed quite a bit. Nevertheless, watching the past two champions will be highly exciting. As will watching the Celtics take on the league\u2019s consensus top player <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jokicni01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nikola Jokic<\/a>. Both teams also play a very entertaining brand of basketball with the Celtics having elite three-point shooting and the Nuggets having incredible ball movement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Celtics vs Mavericks: February 6th (7:30 P.M. TNT)<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/06\/05\/lwos-nba-finals-preview-and-prediction\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"> finals rematch<\/a> is always one of the more notable dates on the NBA schedule.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Celtics-Mavericks finals rematch will first take place in Dallas on January 25th. However, for Celtics fans the home finals rematch on February 6th will be more exciting. The Celtics beat the Mavericks in a dominant five games. Watching the Mavericks return and the two squads face off again will give T.D. Garden some extra energy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/i\/irvinky01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyrie Irving<\/a>\u2019s return to Boston is always notable. As is the matchup between the Jays and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/doncilu01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luka Doncic<\/a>. One interesting thing to watch is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/porzikr01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kristaps Porzingis<\/a>\u2019 return. Recent <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/10\/brad-stevens-provides-injury-update-on-celtics-star-kristaps-porzingis\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">reports<\/a> are suggesting the big man could be out for the first half of the season due to a foot injury he suffered in the finals. It would be awesome if Porzingis was back on the floor for the finals rematch and given his timeline it\u2019s possible this could be his first game back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Celtics vs Lakers: March 8th (8:30 P.M. ABC)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Celtics-Lakers have a historic rivalry. While it\u2019s been more important in previous years it\u2019s always noteworthy when these iconic franchises face off. By winning their 18th NBA Championship Celtics officially surpassed the Lakers for most championships. Last year the teams split the season series with both teams winning on the road. The Celtics had a dominant Christmas Day performance in LA. However, the Lakers without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LeBron James<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Davis<\/a> surprisingly beat the Celtics in Boston. Watching LeBron play against Tatum and the rest of the Celtics crew is always entertaining. Additionally, this matchup will feature several Olympic teammates. This could be one of LeBron&#8217;s last games in Boston adding an extra element of intrigue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Celtics vs Thunder: March 12th (7:30 P.M. ESPN)<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, the Thunder are <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsbook.fanduel.com\/navigation\/nba?tab=nba-finals\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">favorites<\/a> in the Western Conference. The Celtics are favorites to repeat as champions making this the favored finals matchup. As preseason predictions start to roll out this will be a common finals pick. Notably, the Thunder beat the Celtics once last year in a close four-point game. Unfortunately, the first game between these two squads didn&#8217;t get a National TV broadcast. Nevertheless, the second game did and there&#8217;s plenty to be excited about in this matchup. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team\u2019s similar five-out style and all-around excellence make this an intriguing matchup. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gilgesh01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-15_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> is also one of the league\u2019s top stars. Overall, this potential finals preview checks off all the boxes of a great regular-season game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the full NBA schedule released it&#8217;s to evaluate some of the biggest games. The defending champion Boston Celtics have 34 National TV games and plenty of notable matchups. Let&#8217;s explore Boston&#8217;s most important games of the upcoming season. Put it on your fridge, on your desk or wherever else you want \ud83d\udda8\ufe0f\u2618\ufe0f Printable schedule: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4779,"featured_media":90653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,4,1608,30,20,25,26,16,15,62,12,22,13],"tags":[240,187,1090,306,1417,450,798,142,267,239,138,406,38,1133,1484,72,1489],"class_list":["post-90646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celtics","category-hawks","category-basketball","category-mavericks","category-nuggets","category-warriors","category-lakers","category-heat","category-bucks","category-nba","category-knicks","category-thunder","category-76ers","tag-anthony-davis","tag-damian-lillard","tag-derrick-white","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-jalen-brunson","tag-jaylen-brown","tag-jayson-tatum","tag-jimmy-butler","tag-joel-embiid","tag-jrue-holiday","tag-kristaps-porzingis","tag-kyrie-irving","tag-lebron-james","tag-luka-doncic","tag-mikal-bridges","tag-nikola-jokic","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4779"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}