10 games to circle on the Celtics schedule
The NBA released the 2015-16 regular season schedule on Wednesday night, and the Celtics will be getting a boost in exposure around the country.
Boston will play seven games on national television (ESPN, TNT) this year, a sharp jump from the lone appearance the team made on ESPN during the 2014-15 regular season. Celtics radio play-by-play man Sean Grande also reported that the Celtics were under consideration to be involved in one of the league’s five showcase Christmas Day games as recently as 10 days ago. Ultimately, the schedule makers opted to go in another direction for those contests.
The Celtics still have a long way to go to be considered one of the league’s top draws (the Cavaliers and Warriors will play a NBA-high 25 games on national TV), but there are plenty of games to circle on the team’s 2015-16 calendar. Let’s take a closer look at some of the highlights of the 82-game slate.
October 28 vs. Philadelphia: The odds of the Celtics beginning the 2015-16 season on a winning note couldn’t be better with the lowly Sixers coming to town. Boston’s new-look frontcourt will face an early challenge though against local product Nerlens Noel and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Jahlil Okafor.
November 1 vs. San Antonio Following a disappointing first-round exit in the Western Conference, the Spurs will bring plenty of new firepower to the TD Garden for this tough early season test for the Celtics. Prized free agent acquisitions LaMarcus Aldridge and David West will help take the onus off the aging core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginoboli.
November 24 at Atlanta: The Celtics will make their national television debut for the season in Georgia against the Eastern Conference finalist. It will be the first regular season appearance on TNT in more than two seasons for the Green, with their last appearance in February 2013.
December 3 at Sacramento: This contest is officially counted as a home game for the Kings, but it will actually be an NBA Global Games showcase to be played in Mexico City. Boston will make the trip south of the border to face off against old friend Rajon Rondo in the midst of a challenging five-game road swing.
December 15 vs. Cleveland: The defending Eastern Conference champions make their only trip to the TD Garden in a rematch of the first-round tilt. While the Celtics will be looking to exact some revenge for the first-round sweep, all eyes will be on one particular head-to-head matchup. Kevin Love will face off with Kelly Olynyk for the first time since the seven-footer inadvertently ended Love’s postseason last year by yanking on his arm while battling for a rebound.
December 21 vs. Minnesota: One of the feel-good stories of last season was watching Kevin Garnett return to his original team in Minnesota. During Christmas week, he’ll return to his second home for perhaps the final time as an active player, all while mentoring a young Minnesota core that features Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns.
December 30 vs. Lakers: December might be labeled as farewell tour month at the Garden, as the 36-year-old Kobe Bryant makes what could also be his last appearance in Beantown. He won’t be able to have breakfast with Rondo this time around, so he’ll have to settle for a bite around town with Brandon Bass. The veteran power forward spent four seasons in Boston before signing with the Lakers this offseason and should earn a warm ovation from the Celtic faithful.
February 10 vs. Clippers: This should be the hottest ticket of the season at the Garden, as Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers lead a star-studded Clippers squad against their former team. Pierce acknowledged that he’s likely to finish his playing career in Los Angeles after signing a three-year deal with the Clippers this summer. Western Conference teams get only one trip to the Garden each season, making this contest one of the final times you will be able to see the Truth on the parquet.
February 19 at Utah: Danny Ainge may not be as active on the trade front as he’s been the last two seasons, but the first contest after the trade deadline is always one to circle. Will the Celtics be gearing up for a playoff run by making additions to the roster? Or will Ainge blow up the roster once more in his quest to land a star? We’ll know for sure when the Celtics suit up for this Friday night matchup.
April 1 at Golden State: The Celtics nearly upset the defending champions twice in the regular season last year. This time around, they’ll have a chance to do it in front of a national audience on ESPN, when David Lee makes his first return trip to the Bay Area.
You can see the complete Celtics schedule by clicking here.
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