Per separate reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA’s opening night and Christmas Day slate for the upcoming 2023-24 season have been finally revealed.
Headlining the opener is the Western Conference Finals rematch between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. Prior to the tip-off, reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and his Nuggets squad will first accept their 2022-23 championship rings within the Ball Arena.
Following up is another clash between two West powerhouses as the Phoenix Suns will visit the Golden State Warriors in Chase Center. Barring any setbacks, this would mark the very first time that Kevin Durant will play in front of Bay Area fans since leaving Golden State in 2019 free agency.
Meanwhile, five different marquee matches will dazzle the Christmas Day of the NBA fans which will start between the collision of both the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks. Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks group will visit Madison Square Garden to face the rising Knicks squad bannered by both Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Led by reigning league MVP Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers will meet East champs Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat for the following game as both teams will test their might as Eastern Conference powers.
The third and absolute highlight of the multi-header is the Los Angeles Lakers-Boston Celtics bout within the Crypto.com Arena. LeBron James and Jayson Tatum will lead the renewed rivalry to spice up Christmas Day for excited fans.
In terms of the narratives, the league maximized it and inserted a duel between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns. Former teammates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant will meet once again as opponents, while both Luka Doncic and Devin Booker will spark up for an offensive showdown.
And lastly, the last two NBA champions in Warriors and the Nuggets are at the end of the X-mas hoops slate. Jokic and Co. will face Stephen Curry and the Dubs to wrap up the compelling night.
