NBA schedule 2024-25: 10 must-see games this season, including Knicks at Celtics and Lakers at Warriors

The upcoming season will tip off on Oct. 22

By Jack Maloney Aug 16, 2024 at 8:00 am ET• 3 min read

The full schedule for the 2024-25 NBA season was released on Thursday, just over two months before the action will tip off. Opening night is set for Oct. 22, and will feature the reigning champion Boston Celtics against their long-time rivals, the New York Knicks, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

As we wait for what should be another exciting season, here are the 10 games we're looking forward to the most. For the sake of this exercise, we created a few ground rules:

• No team could feature more than twice
• Aside from the first Finals rematch, none of the games could be after Christmas
• Only one game per night

Oct. 22: Knicks at Celtics

This one should be fairly obvious. For one, it's the very first game of the season, which is always a major event no matter which teams are playing. This year's opener will be an even bigger occasion than usual, as the Celtics are celebrating ring night against the Knicks -- not only a historic rival, but one of the main threats to their throne. 

Oct. 23: Bucks at Sixers

The 2023-24 season came to an early end for both the Bucks and Sixers, who were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs due to injuries. Both teams will expect to bounce back and challenge for a title, and this season-opening matchup will be a great test. Plus, we'll get to see another Giannis Antetokounmpo-Joel Embiid duel and Paul George's Sixers debut.