The NBA announced the Celtics will be facing off with the Sixers on opening night (Oct. 16) earlier this week and now we know where the C's will be playing for the rest of their 82-game slate after the NBA released the complete 2018-19 calendar on Friday afternoon.
The return of a healthy Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving to the roster continues to make the C's an attractive draw in the eyes of TV executives, as Boston will play 27 of their contests on national TV (ABC, TNT, ESPN). That's a two-game increase from last season and the highest number the team has had since the Big Three era. Boston was scheduled for just one nationally televised regular season game as recently as the 2014-15 season.
All of the team’s high profile matchups against the Golden State Warriors (Jan. 24, Mar. 5), Houston Rockets (Dec. 27, Mar. 5) and Los Angeles Lakers (Feb. 7, Mar. 9) will be featured on TNT, ESPN, or ABC. The Garden will also be host to the C's first Saturday night national TV game on ABC on Jan 26.
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BSJ Analysis: An earlier start to the season will allow for some additional rest on the schedule for Boston. The Green will play just 12 back-to-backs all year long, which is a decrease of two back-to-backs from last year.
The 12 back-to-backs are also a 40 percent decrease from the total number during the 2013-14 season, as the NBA prioritizes the recovery process more and more with its players.
After opening up the season at home against the Sixers on Oct. 17, the Celtics will spend a lot of time away from the TD Garden early on in the year, playing nine of their first 13 games on the road. The home schedule gets friendlier in January, when Boston hosts 11 of its 15 games.
A few other highlights from the schedule ahead of a full breakdown:
- Games on New Year's Eve (@ San Antonio) and MLK day (@Brooklyn)
- 37 weekend games (13 Friday, 18 Saturday, 6 Sunday)
- Most games in a month: 15 (November, January, March)
- Fewest games in a full month: 11 (February)
- Longest homestand: Five games (Jan. 21-30)
- Longest road trip: Five games (Nov. 3-11)
