It's been a fantastic couple months for the Boston Celtics.
Not only did they win a record 18th championship with an NBA Finals triumph over the Dallas Mavericks in June, three of their players -- Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White -- won a gold medal with the United States men's basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics last week.
And it won't be long before full Celtics squad is back on the court to defend their title.
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The schedule for the 2024-25 NBA season was released Thursday. The first game of the year is a matchup between the Celtics and New York Knicks at TD Garden, where Boston will raise its 2024 championship banner and receive its rings.
The Celtics have a fairly soft early schedule. Just three of their first 10 opponents (Knicks, Bucks, Pacers) made the first round of the 2024 playoffs.
Notable games include a Finals rematch versus the Mavericks on Jan. 25 (in Dallas) and Feb. 6 (in Boston). Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets come to Boston on March 2. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs play their only game at the Garden on Feb 12. The two games against LeBron James and the Lakers are Jan. 23 (in L.A.) and March 8 (in Boston).
The Celtics also will be featured in one of the five Christmas Day games. They'll host the 76ers at 5 p.m. ET. The C's play the Raptors at 3 p.m. ET on New Year's Eve.
Click to download a PDF of the Celtics' 2024-25 schedule
The longest homestand for the Celtics is six games in March, including matchups versus the Nuggets, 76ers, Lakers and Thunder. The longest road trip also is in March: a six-game stretch against Western Conference opponents, including Marcus Smart's Grizzlies.
The in-season tournament, now known as the Emirates NBA Cup, returns with group stage play beginning in November. The C's are in a group with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks.
Here's a recap of their group stage games (all times ET):
- Nov. 12, 7 p.m.: Celtics vs. Hawks
- Nov. 19, 7 p.m.: Celtics vs. Cavs
- Nov. 22, 7 p.m.: Celtics at Wizards
- Nov. 29, 7 p.m.: Celtics at Bulls
The knockout stages (quarterfinals, semifinals, final) of the NBA Cup take place in December.
The trade deadline is Feb. 6. The final day of the regular season is April 13. The play-in tournament is April 15 through April 18. The 2025 playoffs start April 19.
The last team to repeat as champions was the Golden State Warriors in 2016-17 and 2017-18. The last time the Celtics won back-to-back titles was 1967-68 and 1968-69.
Check out the Celtics' full 2024-25 regular-season schedule below.
