Ime Udoka’s return to Boston in January and Marcus Smart’s homecoming in February highlight the Celtics’ 2023-24 schedule that was announced on Thursday afternoon.
The Celtics will open their season on Oct. 25 at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks before returning to TD Garden for their home opener against the Heat in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals. The beginning of this NBA campaign was pushed back a week later than normal this season due to the FIBA World Cup, which begins next week.
The NBA only released 80 of the 82 regular season games for each team due to the league’s inaugural in-season tournament that will take place in November and December. Each team will have four group play games – which is part of the regular-season schedule and counts toward the standings – to determine who makes the knockout round.
But if the Celtics do not make the knockout round, they will be assigned two regular-season games (one home, one away) on Dec. 6 and 8 to fill out their 82-game slate. Teams that make the in-season tournament championship game will play 83 games, though that game will not count toward the standings.
Some highlights and thoughts from the Celtics’ schedule:
– Marcus Smart’s return to Boston will come on Sunday, Feb. 4 with a 6 p.m. game against the Grizzlies in what is likely the most anticipated game of the Celtics’ schedule this season after Smart was traded to Memphis this offseason following nine years with the C’s. Smart will face his former teammates for the first time on Nov. 19 in Memphis, but the point guard’s return to Boston later in the season will certainly be more special.
“I’m sure it’ll be an emotional one, and I’m prepared for it,” Smart told reporters about his return during an interview in early July.
– Ime Udoka will be back in Boston on Jan. 13 for the first time since he was suddenly and shockingly suspended and later dismissed as the Celtics’ head coach after committing violations of team policies, reportedly for having an inappropriate relationship with a female member of the organization. Udoka, who led the C’s to the NBA Finals in 2022 in his lone season as the coach, will return in his new job leading the young and rebuilding Rockets. His reception at TD Garden will be interesting, to say the least. The C’s will face Udoka again eight days later in Houston.
– Sticking with the theme, the third and final highly-anticipated return of the season will come on March 1 when Grant Williams and the Mavericks visit TD Garden. It will mark Williams’ first time in Boston as an opponent after he was sent to Dallas in a sign-and-trade this offseason, following the forward and 2019 first-round pick’s four-year stint with the Celtics. Old friend Kyrie Irving – assuming he is still with the Mavericks then – will also return that night. The Celtics will see their former teammates before the March homecoming when they go to Dallas on Jan. 22.
– For the eighth consecutive season, the Celtics will play on Christmas Day, this time against LeBron James and the Lakers in Los Angeles. It’ll be the third time the rivals face off on Christmas Day and first time since 2008. If the matchup is anything like last season’s two meetings – which were both wild Celtics overtime victories – it’s sure to be an entertaining one.
– The Celtics will face the Heat three times in the regular season – assuming they don’t meet in the in-season tournament – with the lone game at TD Garden coming in Boston’s home opener on Oct. 27. The C’s will visit Miami on Jan. 25 and Feb. 11. Those matchups could have some extra juice if Damian Lillard is ultimately traded to the Heat.
– The Celtics’ longest road trip of the season comes late in March with what should be a relatively easy six-game trek against the Pistons, Bulls, back-to-back games against the Hawks, then the Pelicans and Hornets. Their west coast swing comes in December with matchups against the Warriors, Kings and Clippers before the Christmas Day showdown with the Lakers.
The longest homestand of the season spans seven games in 13 days, starting with the Clippers on Jan. 27 and ending with the Wizards on Feb. 9.
– The Celtics will play 14 back-to-backs this season, which is one more than last season. Five of the back-to-backs will be at home.
– Celtics fans looking to get a glimpse of superstars will, of course, have plenty of chances throughout the season. Giannis Antetekounmpo and the Bucks visit Boston on Nov. 22 and March 20. Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Nuggets are in town on Jan. 19. Stephen Curry and the Warriors hit the parquet on March 3 in a nationally-televised game on ABC.
The Celtics will get their first glimpse of No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio on Dec. 31, and the highly-touted rookie will make his first trip to TD Garden when the Spurs visit on Jan. 17. James and the Lakers return to Boston on Feb. 1. Reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the 76ers come back Dec. 1 and Feb. 27 in a rematch of last year’s wild seven-game second-round series. Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and the reloaded Suns make their lone trip to Boston on March 14.