Five Must-See Games for Boston Celtics fans this season
Kicking things off for Boston this season will be a home tilt against Atlantic Division rival Philadelphia, led by Joel Embiid and former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.
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Boston Celtics fans have been anticipating today’s schedule release for quite some time. That’s to be expected for a fanbase whose team came within two wins of an improbable championship last season.
And with the team’s core guys back along with a couple of key additions during the offseason, optimism hasn’t been this high for the Celtics in years.
While a deep playoff run by Boston certainly looks good on paper, the Celtics’ success will ultimately be determined by what happens on the court.
And now, we know when they officially kick off the defense of their Eastern Conference crown from last season and make what they hope will be another run towards the NBA Finals for what they are eager to show will be a different outcome.
Here’s a glimpse at five games to watch involving the Celtics this season.
SEASON OPENER - Philadelphia at Boston, Oct. 18 at TD Garden, Boston
Philadelphia's Joel Embiid, trying to fire up the Sixers faithful.
The Celtics are expected to begin the season with their 1-2 punch of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the charge, with a battle-tested cast of talent around them. Meanwhile, the Sixers’ perennial MVP candidate Joel Embiid will continue to be a force to be reckoned with, while all indications are Philly will open with a healthier James Harden whose play will go far in determining Philly’s fate as a title contender.
NBA FINALS REMATCH - Boston at Golden State, Dec. 10 at Chase Center, San Francisco
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, during victory parade following Warriors defeating Boston in the NBA Finals.
The Celtics will begin the season measuring itself against the Golden State Warriors from a year ago. But they’ll get a better feel for where they are in comparison with an early-season tilt in December. Jayson Tatum, who struggled mightily in the Finals last season, will look to bolster his league MVP chances against a Golden State team that remains one of the early front-runners to win it all again.
CHRISTMAS DAY BATTLE - Milwaukee at Boston, Dec. 25 at TD Garden, Boston
MIlwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, soaring to the rim for an easy score.
While there are some among Celtics faithful who would have preferred Boston to play another team (Golden State, Philadelphia, Miami…) on Christmas Day, facing the Bucks makes a lot of sense. Regardless of what you heard, the Bucks will be among the teams contending for the best record in the East this season. Considering the moves made by both teams during the offseason, no one should be surprised if this matchup offers a preview of the Eastern Conference finals matchup in 2023.
POST-ALL-STAR BREAK: At Indiana (Feb. 23); at Philly (Feb. 25) and at New York (Feb. 27)
Celtics head coach Ime Udoka
The Celtics will have to be at the top of their game right out of the gates after the All-Star game, with their first three games on the road. While Indiana and New York on paper at least, appear to be winnable games, Boston will have to shake off the layover rust most teams experience immediately after the break, and try to bolster their road win total. Boston was one of the best road teams in the NBA after the break. Are they up for a repeat?
THE UDOKA TREE BRANCH: Utah at Boston, March 31 at TD Garden, Boston
Former Celtics assistant Will Hardy, now head coach of the Utah Jazz
It took one season and a trip to the NBA Finals before the Ime Udoka coaching tree would sprout a new branch. That would be Will Hardy who was hired as the new coach of the Utah Jazz, and will return to Boston with his new team at the end of March. Hardy was one of the stronger voices on the Celtics sideline, often being the sounding board that Udoka would bounce ideas, strategies, etc. off of before implementation. It remains to be seen just how much Hardy’s absence will impact Boston.