The NBA schedule for the 2024-25 season is expected to be fully released a little later this month, but for now, there have been a couple of leaks.
The Christmas Day schedule has been revealed, and it includes a couple of games that could be very entertaining, such as a matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. The Los Angeles Lakers will head north to take on the Golden State Warriors this Christmas.
On opening night, which will be on Tuesday, Oct. 22, they will host the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that reached the Western Conference Finals just a couple of months ago.
Opening Night of the 2024-25 NBA season on TNT October 22, per sources:
🏀 Knicks at Celtics, ring night
🏀 Timberwolves at Lakers pic.twitter.com/RGWFglVZ9F— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 12, 2024
The two teams faced off in the 2023 play-in tournament, with the Lakers overcoming a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to win in overtime. But Minnesota has grown since then, as it went from winning 42 games that year to winning 56 games and finishing third in the Western Conference last season.
It thinks it is now a legitimate championship contender, while the Lakers are hoping to get back to that level after three frustrating seasons following the Russell Westbrook trade in 2021.