An early revenge sport towards the rival that ended their title protection. A string of reunions for members of the 2023-24 championship squad. The primary sport again in New England for an area phenom. Possibilities to observe a pair of growing older legends.
With the Celtics’ full schedule for the 2025-26 NBA season now out, listed below are seven video games followers ought to have circled on their calendars:
Wednesday, Oct. 22 vs. Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m.)
Opening evening. The primary true have a look at this revamped Celtics roster, with a beginning 5 that’ll barely resemble the one Boston fielded for the previous two seasons.
We all know Jaylen Brown and Derrick White will likely be a part of that beginning unit, assuming each are wholesome when the season suggestions off. As for the opposite three spots? That’s anybody’s guess.
Will the Celtics promote Sixth Man of the 12 months Payton Pritchard to fill Jrue Vacation’s vacant guard spot, or plug within the participant they acquired within the Vacation commerce, former Path Blazers starter Anfernee Simons? Will Neemias Queta or Luka Garza get the nod at heart? And who rounds out that group? Sam Hauser? Newcomer Chris Boucher? Another person who impresses head coach Joe Mazzulla in coaching camp and the preseason?
That new beginning lineup will make its debut towards a Sixers crew that’s coming off a season from hell — however that also boasts one of many East’s most gifted rosters on the uncommon events when all of its central stars are wholesome.
Friday, Oct. 24 at New York Knicks (7:30 p.m.; Prime)
The Celtics’ 2024-25 season ended with an embarrassing 38-point loss at Madison Sq. Backyard. They received’t have to attend lengthy to revisit that venue.
The Knicks will host the new-look C’s within the second sport of the brand new season for each groups. It additionally would be the first NBA sport to air on Amazon Prime Video, which joined the league’s rotation of nationwide broadcasters this season together with ESPN/ABC and NBC/Peacock.
These 5 networks/streaming companies are scheduled to broadcast 25 Celtics video games this season, together with all 4 of their matchups with the Knicks. Although Boston has 9 fewer nationwide TV video games than it had final season — and, notably, no sport on Christmas for the primary time since 2015 — it nonetheless has the second-most amongst Jap Convention golf equipment (behind solely New York) and eighth-most league-wide.
Friday, Dec. 5 vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7 p.m.; Prime)
One of many crown jewels of each Celtics slate, the Lakers’ lone journey to Causeway Avenue falls in early December this season.
Past the apparent attraction of the NBA’s most historic rivalry, this additionally absolutely will likely be one of many remaining video games in Boston for LeBron James, who will rejoice his forty first birthday a number of weeks later. The longtime Celtics foil has performed extra video games at TD Backyard than any opponent — 48 whole, together with playoffs, throughout his stints with Cleveland, Miami and LA.
It’s additionally the newest return for previous pal Marcus Good, who signed with the hated Lakers this offseason.
Final season’s installment of this sport lived up to the hype, with Jayson Tatum and Brown outdueling James and Luka Doncic in a 111-101 Celtics win. The rematch at Staples Middle is about for Sunday, Feb. 22 (6:30 p.m.; ABC).
Monday, Jan. 26 vs. Portland Path Blazers (8 p.m.; Peacock)
Simply shy of the halfway level of their season, the Celtics will welcome 2024 champion Vacation again to Boston for the primary time.
This additionally could possibly be a long-awaited homecoming for Robert Williams III. The Time Lord has been damage for each Celtics-Blazers matchup since Boston traded him away to accumulate Vacation in October 2023.
Wednesday, Jan. 28 vs. Atlanta Hawks (7:30 p.m.)
Talking of reunions, two days after Vacation involves city, fan favourite Kristaps Porzingis will achieve this for the primary of the Hawks’ two visits this season.
The Celtics traded away Vacation and Porzingis in fast succession this offseason as a part of a wider effort to lower their payroll and dip beneath the second apron of the NBA’s luxurious tax, so it’s becoming that their returns will likely be equally condensed.
Sturdiness has been a problem for Porzingis, so there’s no assure he’ll be obtainable for this matchup. But when the multi-talented massive man can keep on the courtroom this season, Atlanta could make some noise in a wide-open Jap Convention.
(We’ll give an honorable point out to Luke Kornet’s first sport again on Jan. 10, as that one additionally will likely be a chance to observe the ex-Celtics heart’s phenomenally gifted San Antonio Spurs teammate, Victor Wembanyama.)
Friday, March 6 vs. Dallas Mavericks (7 p.m.; ESPN)
It’s jarring how a lot each of those groups have modified since they met within the NBA Finals simply 14 months in the past. Most of the foremost characters from that sequence are both gone (Doncic, Vacation, Porzingis) or presently injured (Tatum, Kyrie Irving).
However even when it now not looks like a Finals rematch, there will likely be one massive cause to tune in to this one: Cooper Flagg, the primary New England-raised participant drafted No. 1 general since Patrick Ewing, taking part in again in his residence area for the primary time.
The common ticket worth for Flagg’s lone sport at Boston School as a Duke freshman final season topped $260. Count on equally excessive curiosity when the Newport, Maine, native visits TD Backyard.
Wednesday, March 18 vs. Golden State Warriors (7 p.m.; ESPN)
As with James, Celtics followers don’t have a lot time left to observe 37-year-old Stephen Curry, whose crew will make its once-a-season journey to Boston in mid-March.
Curry alone is well worth the worth of admission, however this sport additionally might characteristic yet one more reunion angle. Al Horford has but to declare his intentions for subsequent season, however a number of experiences have strongly linked him to the Warriors, who can provide the 39-year-old vet a greater likelihood of contending for an additional championship than the Celtics can at this stage.
Horford remained a free agent as of this week, however Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens mentioned the crew doesn’t anticipate him to re-sign.
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