Dates and rivals for the regular season

The Celtics’ NBA title defense will officially begin on Tuesday, October 22 at Causeway Street.

Boston unveiled its full 2024-25 regular-season schedule on Thursday, which begins with a matchup against the New York Knicks at TD Garden.

Other notable dates include an early-season matchup with the Golden State Warriors (Nov. 6 at home), whose head coach Steve Kerr made headlines for barely using Celtics star Jayson Tatum during the 2024 Summer Olympics; a Christmas Day clash with the Philadelphia 76ers; two second-half NBA Finals rematches against the Mavericks (in Dallas on Jan. 25; at home Feb. 6); and LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers’ annual visit to Boston (March 8).

The meeting with the Lakers will be part of a seven-game homestand for the Celtics. They then travel to six straight games against Western Conference teams, including visits to Utah, Portland, Sacramento and Phoenix in a six-day span, before playing five of their final seven games at home.

The toughest stretch? That could be the Celtics’ post-New Year’s road trip: at Minnesota on Jan. 2, at Houston on Jan. 3, at Oklahoma City on Jan. 5 and at Denver on Jan. 7. The Thunder, Nuggets and Timberwolves claimed first, second and third place in the West last season, respectively.

The only Celtics games yet to be announced are those during the playoff rounds of the newly renamed NBA Cup. If Boston is eliminated from that season-long tournament before the quarterfinals or semifinals, those dates will be filled with games against other eliminated teams.

Below is the full schedule for Boston. NBA Cup group stage games are marked with an asterisk. All times are ET.

Preseason

October 4 vs Denver in Abu Dhabi (noon)
October 6 vs. Denver in Abu Dhabi (10am)
October 12 vs. Philadelphia (8:00 p.m.)
October 13 vs. Toronto (7:00 p.m.)
October 15 in Toronto (7pm)

October

October 22 vs. New York (7:30 p.m.)
October 24 in Washington (7 p.m.)
October 26 in Detroit (7:00 p.m.)
October 28 vs. Milwaukee (7:30 p.m.)
October 30 in Indiana (7 p.m.)

November

November 1 in Charlotte (7:00 p.m.)
November 2 in Charlotte (6 pm)
November 4 in Atlanta (7:45 p.m.)
November 6 vs. Golden State (7:30 p.m.)
November 8 vs. Brooklyn (7:30 p.m.)
November 10 in Milwaukee (3:30 p.m.)
*November 12 vs. Atlanta (7:00 p.m.)
November 13 in Brooklyn (7:30 p.m.)
November 16 vs. Toronto (8:00 p.m.)
*November 19 vs. Cleveland (7:00 p.m.)
*November 22 in Washington (7:00 p.m.)
November 24 vs Minnesota (3:30 pm)
November 25 vs. LA Clippers (7:30 p.m.)
November 29 in Chicago (8:00 p.m.)

December

December 1 in Cleveland (6 pm)
December 2 vs. Miami (7:30 p.m.)
December 4 vs. Detroit (7:30 p.m.)
December 6 vs. Milwaukee (7:30 p.m.)
December 7 vs Memphis (8:00 p.m.)
From December 10th to 17th, NBA Cup knockout rounds (rival to be determined)
December 19 vs. Chicago (7:30 p.m.)
December 21 in Chicago (8:00 p.m.)
December 23 in Orlando (7:00 p.m.)
December 25 vs. Philadelphia (5 pm)
December 27 vs Indiana (7:30 p.m.)
December 29 vs Indiana (6 pm)
December 31 vs. Toronto (3 p.m.)

January

January 2 in Minnesota (7:30 p.m.)
January 3 in Houston (8 pm)
January 5 in Oklahoma City (3:30 p.m.)
January 7 in Denver (10:00 p.m.)
January 10 vs. Sacramento (7:30 p.m.)
January 12 vs. New Orleans (6 pm)
January 15 in Toronto (7:30 p.m.)
January 17 vs. Orlando (7 p.m.)
January 18 vs. Atlanta (7 p.m.)
January 20 at Golden State (5 pm)
January 22 at LA Clippers (10:30 p.m.)
January 23 at LA Lakers (10:00 p.m.)
January 25 in Dallas (5:30 p.m.)
January 27 vs. Houston (7:30 p.m.)
January 29 vs. Chicago (7:30 p.m.)
January 31 in New Orleans (8:00 p.m.)