NBA schedule highlights: Ant-Man vs. KD, a Finals rematch and the must-see games in 2024-25

The NBA offseason is when hope springs eternal. But with more than four months between the Boston Celtics returning to the top of the mountain as NBA champions and tipoff of the next climb to seize the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the offseason can also just … feel eternal.

That’s one reason why so many fans get so psyched for the annual release of the NBA schedule. Beyond the specific national-TV-and-travel-related elements to analyze (and, invariably, rant and rave about), it also affords us the chance to sketch out some notes for a new group of storylines that we’re looking forward to following.

We finally know when each new draft pick will begin his ascent to stardom, when that premier free-agent signing or trade acquisition will begin fitting in precisely as the front office imagined, and when the 29 teams that didn’t hoist the trophy will get the chance to reframe last season’s heartbreak into a necessary stumble on the road to better things. It’s the first step toward turning everything we’ve been thinking about into reality.

And if all that seems a little high-minded for what is ostensibly the posting of 30 82-game tables … well, it’ll kill some time, at least.

Let’s while away those minutes together, taking a spin through the calendar to highlight — in no particular order — some of the most anticipated games on the just-released 2024-25 NBA schedule, starting where we last left off:

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics will meet the Mavs again in January. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Celtics at Mavericks: Jan. 25 (ABC)

An NBA Finals rematch! The NBA’s 2023-24 season finale saw Boston put the finishing touches on what looks like the solution for modern basketball, and Luka Dončić sputter to the conclusion of the most difficult challenge of his glittering career to date. Will the summer addition of sniper Klay Thompson give Luka, Kyrie Irving and the Mavs a fresh set of answers against a defense seemingly devoid of weak spots? Or will a Celtics team that will bring back its entire title-winning rotation — and that will pay through the nose to do so — still be able to dismantle…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-08-15 19:32:18

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