2019-2020 Schedule

Taylor Snow

The NBA on Friday released the first half of its 2020-21 schedule in preparation for what will be the most unorthodox season in league history - sans last season. There have been several changes made to accommodate these uncertain times, but we here at Celtics.com are here to take you through some of those alterations below in a by-the-numbers guide.

Due to the fact that the 2020 NBA Finals ended one week after when the preseason typically begins, the league had to push back its 2020-21 schedule by two months in order to provide enough rest for the players who participated in the NBA bubble.

As a result, the upcoming season will not begin until Dec. 22. In the Celtics’ case, they will open their season the following day, Dec. 23, at TD Garden, where they will host the Milwaukee Bucks on TNT.

This marks the latest regular-season start since the 2011-12 lockout campaign, which began on Christmas Day of 2011. The main difference between this season and that one is that the lockout season consisted of only 66 regular-season games per team, while this season will feature 72 contests per team with the possibility of not having an All-Star break. As a result, this will be the most condensed season in recent memory, featuring very little rest.

In order to decrease the amount of travel this season, the NBA has redesigned its schedule to allow teams to play each other in back-to-back games without boarding a plane in between. The Celtics, for example, will have five two-game series during the first half of their season, including four such matchups within the first month.

Boston will experience its first two-game series on its very first road trip of the season, when it travels to Indiana to take on the Pacers for Games 3 and 4 of the campaign on Dec. 27 and Dec. 29. It will then come home for one game against Memphis, before hitting the road for another two-game tilt in Detroit, taking place on New Years Day and on Jan. 3

The C’s will then host its first series against Orlando on Jan. 13 and Jan. 15. It will then have another road series in Philadelphia on Jan. 20 and 22, before hosting its final series of the first half against Atlanta on Feb. 17 and Feb. 19.

As you can see, none of these series are taking place in back-to-back form, so the visiting team will arrive, play its first game, and then have one day off before wrapping up the series on the third day.

Even though none of the two-game series will be played in a back-to-back format, there will still be plenty of back-to-back games taking place this season. The league is estimating that each team will play approximately 14 back-to-backs over the course of the 72-game season, which would be a fairly significant increase from last season when Boston had been scheduled to play 12 games of its 82 games on zero days rest.

The Celtics will experience seven back-to-backs during the first half of the season, with five of those falling during a Tuesday-Wednesday span. Boston will have three back-to-backs entirely on the road, one that takes place entirely at home, two that start on the road and end at home, and one that starts at home and finishes on the road.

The C’s first back-to-back will take place from Dec. 29-30, starting with a game against the Pacers in Indianapolis, followed by a game back home against Memphis. A few days later they’ll have a Jan. 3-4 road-road back-to-back against the Pistons in Detroit, followed by a game against the Raptors inside their temporary arena in Tampa Bay. The following week, from Jan. 12-13, they’ll have a two-game tilt against the Bulls in Chicago, and against the Magic in Boston. Chicago will also be included on the tail end of their next back-to-back, which will start Jan. 24 at home against Cleveland, followed by another game at United Center the next night.

The last three back-to-backs will fall on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in February, starting with two games in San Francisco and Sacramento on Feb. 2-3, two games at home against Denver and Atlanta on Feb. 16-17, and finally two more games on the road in Dallas and Atlanta on Feb. 23-24.

Due to the condensed schedule and the plethora of back-to-backs, there won’t be much opportunity for players to rest this season. For the Celtics, they will have a particularly hectic start to their season, playing 15 games from Dec. 23 through Jan. 17, with no more than one day of rest between games.

In fact, Boston will only be granted multiple days of rest on four separate occasions during the first half of the season with three of those instances falling during the last two weeks of January. Other than that, the C’s will be forced to grind through what is sure to be the most physically demanding season in recent memory.

Since the league is emphasizing teams staying in one region for as long as possible, there will be quite a few long homestands and road trips this season. The first third of Boston’s schedule will take place mostly on the road, as it will play 16 of its first 26 games away from TD Garden. From Dec. 27 through Jan. 6, the C’s will play six out of a possible seven games on the road, including four consecutive games in Detroit (two times), Tampa (against the Raptors), and Miami, from Jan. 1-6.

Boston will then have an even longer string of road games spanning from Jan. 20 through Feb. 9, when they will play nine out of 11 away from home. That will include a five-game trip out west, where they will play Golden State, Sacramento, the L.A. Clippers, Phoenix, and Utah, respectively, over an eight-day span.

When that trip concludes Feb. 9, the Celtics will return home to TD Garden where they will play nine of their next 12 games. They’ll start off with a five-game homestand against Toronto, Washington, Denver, and Atlanta (twice). They will then head down south for three games in New Orleans, Dallas and Atlanta. Finally, they will wrap up the first half of the season with a four-game homestand against Indiana, Washington, the Clippers, and Toronto, respectively.

Nearly half of Boston’s first 38 games will be broadcast across the country, including its Opening Night matchup against Milwaukee on TNT. Three of its games will be televised on ABC, five on ESPN, four on NBATV, and six on TNT, for a total of 18 nationally televised games. The rest will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston.

addByline("Taylor C. Snow", "Celtics.com", "taylorcsnow");

breaking-down-the-first-half-of-the-2020-21-celtics-schedule

Breaking Down the First Half of the 2020-21 Celtics Schedule

BOSTON – After months of careful planning, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association finalized a deal Friday that would enable the 2019-20 Season to resume at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex located at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Beginning July 30, each of the 22 participating teams – including the Boston Celtics – will compete in eight “seeding games,” which will determine the structure of the 2020 playoff bracket.

Being one of 12 teams that have already clinched a postseason berth, Boston doesn’t have to worry about an early exit from the campus. However, the seeding games still hold immense value for the third-place C’s, considering how they currently reside just three games behind the second-place Toronto Raptors and four and a half games ahead of the sixth-place Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference standings.

For the Celtics, there will be plenty of exciting action taking place from July 31 through Aug. 13, so we have broken down each of their eight matchups to prepare you for the pre-playoff journey.

Friday, July 31 at Milwaukee Bucks – 6:30 p.m. (NBCSB/ESPN)

Bucks’ 2019-20 record: 53-12; vs. Celtics: 1-1

Just before the NBA suspended its season, the Celtics were in Milwaukee getting ready to take on the Bucks. Four and a half months later, Boston and Milwaukee will pick up right where they left off. For the Celtics, they will be getting their biggest challenge out of the way right off the bat.  At 53-12, the Bucks have the best record in the NBA, and they’re also on track to log the fifth-highest average point differential in NBA history at plus-11.3. With that being said, Boston is one of the few teams that has proven able to hang with Milwaukee this season based on its two prior matchups. The C’s won the first battle on their home court, 116-105, before dropping a tight road contest, 128-123. The Bucks had no answer for Kemba Walker during either of those matchups, as he scored 32 points and 40 points, respectively. On the flip side, Boston will of course have its hands full trying to contain reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who ranks among the top three scorers and rebounders in the league.

Sunday, Aug. 2 vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 3:30 p.m. (NBCSB/ABC)

Trail Blazers’ 2019-20 record: 29-37; vs. Celtics: 0-1

Don’t let Portland’s losing record fool you. This team was a Western Conference finalist last season, it boasts one of the best backcourts in the league, and it is sure to be playing with extra urgency as it attempts to rise up from ninth place into the playoff picture.  How the Blazers match up against the Celtics is difficult to gauge, considering how neither team was at full strength during their lone matchup on Feb. 25 in Portland, which the Celtics won, 118-106. Both teams were missing their All-Star point guards that night, as Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker were both sidelined with injuries. With those two guys back, alongside their respective backcourt mates in C.J. McCollum and Jaylen Brown, this should be a fun matchup to watch.

Tuesday, August 4 at Miami Heat – 6:30 p.m. (NBCSB/TNT)

Heat 2019-20 record: 41-24; vs. Celtics: 0-2

The Miami Heat may not be the most challenging opponent on Boston’s upcoming schedule, but they certainly pose the biggest overall threat in regard to playoff seeding. Sitting two and a half games out of third place, Miami has the best chance of any Eastern Conference team to surpass the Celtics in the standings. As such, Aug. 4 could very well be the most important night of Boston’s regular season. For what it’s worth, the Celtics fared quite well against Miami this season. They won both matchups, including one in Miami where the Heat went an impressive 27-5. Away from home, Miami was just 14-19, so that could also play to the Celtics’ advantage at a neutral site.

Wednesday Aug. 5 vs. Brooklyn Nets – 9 p.m. (NBCSB/ESPN)

Nets’ 2019-20 record: 30-34; vs. Celtics: 2-1

Of the eight opponents Boston will face, only one has a winning head-to-head record this season. That team is the Brooklyn Nets, who the Celtics will face Aug. 5. Despite being without injured superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn has been a thorn in Boston’s side of late. The Nets have won two out of three matchups this season, including a 129-120 overtime victory March 3, which contained a massive fourth-quarter comeback led by Caris LeVert’s career-high 51-point effort. You can be sure that Brad Stevens and the team will be reviewing plenty of defensive film ahead of this game as they look to even up the season series.

Friday, Aug. 7 at Toronto Raptors – 9 p.m. (NBCSB/TNT)

Raptors’ 2019-20 record: 46-18; vs. Celtics: 1-2

Before the NBA season entered its hiatus, the hottest team in the league had been the Toronto Raptors. The defending champions have won 21 of their last 25 games dating back to mid-January and currently have a three-game lead over the Celtics for second place, which means this matchup is of utmost importance for Boston as it attempts to make a run at the No. 2 seed. The Celtics have matched up well against the Raptors this season, winning two of their three matchups thus far, including a 118-102 road win on Christmas. If Boston manages to win this matchup as well, it would mark its first season-series victory against the Raptors since the 2012-13 Season.

Sunday, Aug. 9 vs. Orlando Magic – 5 p.m. (NBCSB)

Magic 2019-20 record: 30-35; vs. Celtics: 0-2

The closest thing to a “home team” the Celtics will face throughout the remainder of the 2019-20 Season is the Orlando Magic, who will be playing right in their backyard every day. Though, obviously, home-court advantage ceases to exist when there are no fans in attendance and while playing at a neutral site. Regardless, this should be one of the more favorable matchups for the Celtics, who have defeated Orlando twice this season, both times by double digits. There is not a lot of wiggle room for Orlando, as it is firmly positioned to land either the seventh or eighth seed, barring a miraculous run by ninth-place Washington.

Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Memphis Grizzlies – 6:30 p.m. (NBCSB/TNT)

Grizzlies’ 2019-20 record: 32-33; vs. Celtics: 0-1

A win against Memphis on Aug. 11 could not only impact Boston’s postseason seeding, but it could also influence the franchise’s future beyond the 2019-20 campaign. That’s because the Celtics own Memphis’ 2020 first-round draft pick, which means that any upcoming loss that Memphis endures increases Boston’s chance of earning a higher draft pick ahead of the 2020-21 Season. The Celtics dominated its lone matchup against Memphis on Jan. 22, when they came away with a 119-95 victory at TD Garden. In the process, they held rookie phenom, Ja Morant, to just two points on 1-of-5 shooting. Morant has a little extra incentive this late in the season as he looks to pull away as the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, but the Celtics should have some extra incentive of their own with future draft value at stake.

Thursday Aug. 13 vs. Washington Wizards – Time: TBD (Broadcast: TBD)

Wizards 2019-20 record: 24-40; vs. Celtics: 1-1

The Washington Wizards have the lowest odds of any Eastern Conference team to make it into the Playoffs, so their fate will likely already be sealed by the time their last seeding game rolls around against the Boston Celtics. Even if that’s the case, Washington could play a potential spoiler to Boston. Despite their dismal record, the Wizards managed to give Boston some trouble during the regular season, most recently with a 99-94 win Jan. 6 in D.C. Hopefully for the Celtics, they will have already sealed their playoff seed by this date anyway.

addByline("Taylor Snow", "Celtics.com", "taylorcsnow");

breaking-down-the-celtics-eight-seeding-games

Breaking Down the Celtics' Eight 'Seeding Games'

BOSTON – The countdown to Opening Night officially began Monday afternoon, as the NBA released its 2019-20 regular-season schedule.

We here at Celtics.com have already dug up the most important details that the 82-game grind will entail, which we have broken down below in a by-the-numbers guide.

Two years ago, the NBA bumped up the start of the regular season from the last week of October to the middle of October in order to space out the 82-game grind and lessen the number of back-to-back games.

Now, Commissioner Adam Silver has decided to push the start date back one week, with Opening Night arriving on Oct. 22. The Celtics will open up their campaign one night later in Philadelphia against Al Horford and the Philadelphia 76ers.

The later start date also means a later end date is in store. The C’s will wrap up their regular season April 15 at home against Chicago, and the Playoffs will begin a few days after that.

The C’s will play 12 games on zero days of rest, which mirrors last season’s back-to-back total.

There will be four instances in which the Celtics will have to travel more than 750 miles in between back-to-backs, and five instances of having to change time zones.

Only one of Boston’s back-to-backs will be a home-and-home, as it will play Cleveland and Toronto on Dec. 27 and 28.

The Celtics will have a couple of long road trips this season, along with one extended homestand.

Boston’s longest road trip comes early in the season, as it will journey on an 8-day, five-stop trip out west. This trek will start in San Francisco, where the C’s will take on the Golden State Warriors in their brand-new arena. They’ll then head about 80 miles northwest to Sacramento for the first game of a back-to-back, which will wrap up the following night in Phoenix. After playing the Suns, the Celts will travel up to Los Angeles for a highly-anticipated game against the new-look Clippers, before wrapping up their trip with a matchup against the Nuggets in Denver.

Boston’s second-longest road trip will take place immediately after the All-Star break, as they head back out West for a four-game trip against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz. That voyage, along with the break, will keep the C’s away from home for 16 days.

The Celtics’ lengthiest homestand will be a six-game stretch spanning from March 27 to April 8. That string of games will include matchups against Portland, Minnesota, Miami, Orlando, Milwaukee, and Indiana, respectively. This homestand will be twice as long as any other of which Boston will host this season.

Nearly one-third of Boston’s season will be broadcast across the country, as the C’s are set to have 25 matchups on national television. Of those 25 games, 11 will be displayed on ESPN, 10 on TNT and four on ABC. Seven of those games will take place over a 10-game stretch from Feb. 11 to March 6.

The Celtics will play on or around several holidays this season, starting with their Christmas game north of the border. It will mark Boston’s 33rd Christmas Day matchup and first ever against their Atlantic Division rival Toronto Raptors.

Next up on the holiday slate is a 3 p.m. New Year’s Eve matchup in Charlotte, where Kemba Walker will face off against his former Hornets team before ringing in 2020.

The C’s will host the marquee matchup on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as they will take on the Los Angeles Lakers Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. on TNT.

Boston will also play around a couple of other holidays. Thanksgiving will be bookended by a pair of matchups against Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets. The day after St. Patrick’s Day will feature a home game against the New York Knicks.

Boston’s most grueling two months of the season will take place in November and January. November will be the most heavily traveled month of the season, as the C’s will be on the road for nine out of 14 games. January will be the most jam-packed month, featuring 16 games (nine at home, seven on the road), including three back-to-backs.

Boston will play 15 games in March (seven at home, eight on the road), 13 in December (nine at home, seven on the road) and 12 in February (five at home, seven on the road). Their lightest months of the season will be October (four games; two at home, two on the road) and April (eight games; five at home, three on the road).

Nearly half of Boston’s games will be played on either Wednesdays or Fridays this season. There will be 20 games played on the middle day of the week (12 at home), along with 18 contests played on Fridays (11 at home).

There will be a total of 38 contests played on weekend days or nights including those Friday matchups, as there will be 10 games apiece on Saturdays and Sundays. There will also be 10 games played on Mondays and seven games apiece on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

2019‑2020 Schedule

Breaking Down the First Half of the 2020-21 Celtics Schedule

Breaking Down the Celtics' Eight 'Seeding Games'

Breaking Down the 2019-20 Celtics Schedule