From Spurs to Celtics, breaking down the Mavericks’ 2024-25 schedule

The release of the NBA schedule is equal parts thrilling and ho-hum.

On one hand, you know there are going to be 82 games. And you know all the opponents.

On the other hand, it’s exciting like a movie you love to watch, even though you’ve seen it many times. You still love it.

That’s why when the league announced its 2024-25 schedule on Thursday, the special dates make it great fodder for barstool discussions.

Highlights of the Mavericks’ 2024-25 schedule, the franchise’s 45th, include an early return of newcomer Klay Thompson to the scene of his greatest triumphs and a midseason American Airlines Center rematch of the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics.

Thompson, who spent his first 13 NBA seasons alongside Steph Curry to form the legendary Splash Brothers at Golden State will return to Chase Center on Nov. 12 to play the first of three games against his former team.

Thompson and Curry anchored Warriors’ teams that won four NBA titles in an eight-year span.

The Warriors will visit AAC for the only time this season on Feb. 12, the next-to-last game for the Mavericks before the All-Star break, which will be in San Francisco.

Of greater concern to Mavericks’ fans is Boston’s lone appearance in Dallas, which will come on Jan. 25.

The Mavericks lost to the Celtics in five games in the NBA Finals, putting an end to a remarkable playoff run through the Western Conference. The Celtics will be trying to become the first team since Golden State in 2017-18 to win back-to-back titles. The Mavericks will play in Boston on Feb. 6.

The Celtics will receive their rings on opening night, Oct. 22, when they host the New York Knicks and Jalen Brunson.

Speaking of opening week, the Mavericks’ season opener will come on Oct. 24 as they welcome the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama to AAC. The Mavericks started last season with a win at San Antonio in Wembanyama’s first regular-season game.

That will mark the beginning of a home-friendly two weeks to start the season for the Mavericks. Seven of their first nine games are at AAC.

Other highlights of the Mavericks’ schedule:

• Tim Hardaway Jr., who spent the last 5½ seasons with the Mavericks, will make his only appearance at AAC on March 21. Hardaway was traded to the Detroit Pistons to clear salary cap space for the sign-and-trade that netted Klay Thompson.
• Josh Green had been with the Mavericks since he was taken in the first round (18^th overall) in the 2020 draft. He was dealt to Charlotte in the Thompson trade and will come back to Dallas on Fe 27.
• LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will make two appearances at AAC this season, on Jan. 7 and April 9.
• The Mavericks’ most challenging stretch of schedule, at least in terms of enduring tough travel, will come in the month starting on Nov. 10. They will go a solid month without playing two games in a row in the same city. They will be on the road for 11 of the 15 games in that stretch, which ends with the in-season tournament quarterfinals, semis and finals. The Mavericks also have a stretch in March when they play eight of 10 games on the road.
• The in-season tournament, dubbed the Emirates NBA Cup, will begin on Nov. 12 with Thompson’s visit to Golden State. The Mavericks’ other games in the event will be Nov. 19 at home against New Orleans, Nov. 22 at Denver and Dec. 3 at home against Memphis.
• The Mavericks are scheduled to play 30 games on national television: nine each on TNT and ESPN, seven on NBA TV and five on ABC. The opener against the Spurs will be at 6:30 p.m. on TNT.
• The Christmas Day game against Minnesota will start at 1:30 p.m. It will conclude a weeklong, four-game stay at home before a four-game trip starts at Phoenix on Dec. 27.
• The Mavericks’ longest trip of the season is five games from Jan. 29 to Feb. 6 and will visit New Orleans, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Boston.

For the full schedule, click here:

Full Schedule – The Official Home of the Dallas Mavericks (mavs.com)

X: @ESefko