A list of key dates and games for the 2022-23 NBA season
The NBA schedule was released Wednesday. A look at some of the key dates for the league this coming season:
TEAM OPENERS
A list of the season openers, by team:
Atlanta Hawks: Oct. 19, Houston
Boston Celtics: Oct. 18, Philadelphia (NBA opening night)
Brooklyn Nets: Oct. 19, New Orleans
Charlotte Hornets: Oct. 19, at San Antonio
Chicago Bulls: Oct. 19, at Miami
Cleveland Cavaliers: Oct. 19, at Toronto
Dallas Mavericks: Oct. 19, at Phoenix
Denver Nuggets: Oct. 19, at Utah
Detroit Pistons: Oct. 19, Orlando
Golden State Warriors: Oct. 18, Los Angeles Lakers (NBA opening night)
Houston Rockets: Oct. 19, at Atlanta
Indiana Pacers: Oct. 19, Washington
Los Angeles Clippers: Oct. 20, at Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers: Oct. 18, at Golden State
Memphis Grizzlies: Oct. 19, New York
Miami Heat: Oct. 19, Chicago
Milwaukee Bucks: Oct. 20, at Philadelphia
Minnesota Timberwolves: Oct. 19, Oklahoma City
New Orleans Pelicans: Oct. 19, at Brooklyn
New York Knicks: Oct. 19, at Memphis
Oklahoma City Thunder: Oct. 19, at Minnesota
Orlando Magic: Oct. 19, at Detroit
Philadelphia 76ers: Oct. 18, at Boston
Phoenix Suns: Oct. 19, Dallas
Portland Trail Blazers: Oct. 19, at Sacramento
Sacramento Kings: Oct. 19, Portland
San Antonio Spurs: Oct. 19, Charlotte
Toronto Raptors: Oct. 19, Cleveland
Utah Jazz: Oct. 19, Denver
Washington Wizards: Oct. 19, at Indiana
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT NIGHT
The NBA will have all 30 teams playing on Nov. 7, in advance of no teams playing on Nov. 8 because of Election Day. And the 15 games on Nov. 7 all have a different start time, staggered to begin 15 minutes apart.
The list (all times Eastern):
Washington at Charlotte, 7 p.m.
Houston at Orlando, 7:15 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
New Orleans at Indiana, 7:45 p.m.
Phoenix at Philadelphia, 8 p.m.
Milwaukee at Atlanta, 8:15 p.m.
Portland at Miami, 8:30 p.m.
Toronto at Chicago, 8:45 p.m.
Boston at Memphis, 9 p.m.
New York at Minnesota, 9:15 p.m.
Denver at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m.
Brooklyn at Dallas, 9:45 p.m.
Sacramento at Golden State, 10 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Utah, 10:15 p.m.
Cleveland at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.
CHRISTMAS GAMES
For the 15th consecutive year, the league will have five games on Christmas Day.
The list (all times Eastern):
Philadelphia at New York, Noon
L.A. Lakers at Dallas, 2:30 p.m.
Milwaukee at Boston, 5 p.m.
Memphis at Golden State, 8 p.m.
Phoenix at Denver, 10:30 p.m.
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
As is tradition, there is a full slate of games on the holiday celebrating the life of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with the Jan. 16 schedule highlighted by home games in Atlanta (the city where he was born) and Memphis (the city where he died).
The list (all times Eastern):
Boston at Charlotte, 1 p.m.
Indiana at Milwaukee, 2:30 p.m.
New Orleans at Cleveland, 3 p.m.
Toronto at New York, 3 p.m.
Golden State at Washington, 3 p.m.
Miami at Atlanta, 3:30 p.m.
Utah at Minnesota, 4 p.m.
Phoenix at Memphis, 6 p.m.
Houston at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
FINALS REMATCHES
Golden State topped Boston in six games in last season’s NBA Finals. The schedule for their head-to-head meetings this season (all times Eastern):
Boston at Golden State, Dec. 10, 8:30 p.m.
Golden State at Boston, Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m.
RIVALS WEEK
Another new twist this season: NBA Rivals Week.
The league is billing these as “Classic and Budding Rivalries” to be played between Jan. 24 and Jan. 28. It has some playoff rematches, some longstanding rivalries getting renewed, a showdown of two of the game’s top centers in Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, and even a marquee brother vs. brother matchup — Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball going head-to-head.
The list:
Jan. 24: Boston at Miami, L.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers.
Jan. 25: Brooklyn at Philadelphia, Memphis at Golden State.
Jan. 26: Chicago at Charlotte, Dallas at Phoenix.
Jan. 27: Memphis at Minnesota, Toronto at Golden State.
Jan. 28: Denver at Philadelphia, New York at Brooklyn, L.A. Lakers at Boston.
SPECIAL SITES
The NBA will play five games outside of the league’s typical home arenas this season. The list (all times Eastern):
Dec. 17: Miami vs. San Antonio, at Mexico City, 4 p.m.
Jan. 13: Golden State vs. San Antonio, at Alamodome in San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 19: Chicago vs. Detroit, at Paris, 9 p.m.
April 6: Portland vs. San Antonio, at Austin, Texas, 8 p.m.
April 8: Minnesota vs. San Antonio, at Austin, Texas, 4 p.m.
NO GAMES
In addition to Nov. 8 for Election Day, the NBA has no games planned on the following dates:
Nov. 24: Thanksgiving
Dec. 24: Christmas Eve
Feb. 17-22: All-Star break (All-Star weekend is Feb. 17-19 in Salt Lake City)
April 3: NCAA men’s Division I national championship game
FINISHING UP
All 30 teams will play on April 9, the final day of the regular season, with game times at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
The play-in tournament starts April 11 and the playoffs begin April 15.
