The NBA is set to unveil their full schedule for all 30 teams in the upcoming season soon, but we do already know some of the marquee matches to look out for.
Shams Charania from the Athletic took the liberty of informing basketball fans what certain big-time games to look forward to, namely those that have either the Warriors or the Celtics – who were the finalists from last season.
The new campaign can’t come soon enough, so continue to read on below as SBOTOP breaks down the five most exciting matchups of 2022/23 given what we’ve learned thus far.
October 18 – Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors
The new season kicks off on October 18 with two games on the schedule as the Sixers head to TD Garden to face the Celtics, while the Warriors will raise their championship banner before hosting the Lakers.
The game at the Chase Center is our pick of the day given the history between the Warriors and the Lakers stars. Steph Curry and LeBron James have had so many battles against each other, so this adds another chapter to their historic rivalry.
The last time LeBron James took on the Warriors, he dropped 56 points to beat them in Los Angeles. The 37-year-old forward will be hoping for a similar outcome, although he would prefer a more balanced effort from his supporting cast.
The Lakers are coming off a disastrous year as they missed out on a playoff appearance due to injuries and poor roster construction. They are basically running it back with their Big 3 in LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, hoping to re-establish themselves as a powerhouse in the Western Conference.
October 20 – Los Angeles Clippers @ Los Angeles Lakers
Few days after their match against the Warriors, the Lakers head back home to take on the Clippers as the NBA isn’t wasting any time in reuniting the four LA-based superstars. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George have yet to share the court together since December 22, 2020.
These two clubs are expected to play three more times after this encounter, and hopefully again in the postseason since they’ve never met there in the past three seasons.
October 21 –Boston Celtics @ Miami Heat
There will be a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals tilt between the Celtics and the Heat. This game is part of a difficult week for Boston as they’re fresh from a tough curtain-raiser three days earlier against a retooled Philadelphia roster.
These two teams last met in South Beach where the Celtics eked out a 100-96 win in Game 7 to advance to the Finals. Boston were leading throughout the game, but Miami clawed their way back and almost stole the victory if only Jimmy Butler knocked down his go-ahead three-point attempt late in the game.
December 25 – Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors
Golden State will be playing on Christmas Day for the 10th year in a row and they’re slated to host Memphis, who were their opponents in last season’s WCSF.
It was a series which saw Draymond Green ejected in Game 1 after his flagrant two foul on Brandon Clarke and Dillon Brooks drawing the ire of the Warriors fans due to a hard foul on Gary Payton II – who was sidelined for several games with an elbow injury. The Warriors advanced to the next round after defeating the gritty Grizzlies in six games.
Few weeks ago, Draymond Green predicted this matchup when he and Ja Morant had a beefy exchange on Twitter, so both are understandably ecstatic after the league has decided to make this particular matchup happen.
January 19 – Golden State Warriors @ Boston Celtics
On January 19, the Warriors are scheduled to face the Celtics in a Finals rematch at the TD Garden, where they beat them in Game 6 to clinch their fourth title in the last eight seasons.
During the offseason, the Warriors lost several key players and they’re hopeful that the additions of Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green along with their youngsters will be enough to help them defend their title.
The Celtics, meanwhile, have boosted their NBA 2022 odds with the additions of Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari. But they may not be done with their offseason just yet since rumours of a possible trade for Kevin Durant continue to swirl in the NBA 2022 news. Celtic fans are still stinging from their Finals loss so they’ll be keen on exacting revenge against the defending champions.
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