Celtics

Celtics will play first game of NBA’s regular season against 76ers

The Lakers and Warriors will also open the regular season.

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, right, in action against Boston Celtics' Al Horford. AP Photo/Chris Szagola

August 15, 2022

The Celtics will be featured during the NBA’s Christmas Day slate, and they reportedly get to open the season against the 76ers .

The Celtics and 76ers will play the first game of the NBA season on Oct. 18 at TD Garden, according to the Athletic’s Shams Charania. That season opener will be followed by the Lakers visiting the defending champion Warriors.

The Celtics will also face the Warriors for two Finals rematch games, per Charania — Dec. 10 at Golden State, and Jan. 19 in Boston.

Last regular season, the Celtics split their series against the Warriors — falling on their home floor and losing in Golden State. They bowed out of the Finals in six games as the Warriors stormed back to win Games 4, 5, and 6.

The Celtics split their season series against the 76ers as well. One of the wins was a particularly memorable one — a 135-87 victory where the final margin of victory somehow undersells the extent of the beatdown.

The league will release the full schedule on Wednesday, per Marc Stein.

The Celtics and 76ers have been rivals for years, but they share one extra intriguing characteristic this season — both are preferred destinations of Kevin Durant, if the Nets end up trading their superstar forward before the start of the season. Durant’s presence on either team would add a deeply intriguing element (and would certainly be welcomed by the NBA).