Defending champions the Milwaukee Bucks get the ball rolling when they host the Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 p.m. ET on Opening Night on October 19 in a rematch of last season’s epic Eastern Conference semifinals, before the Los Angeles Lakers host the Golden State Warriors at 10 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast by TNT.
After two seasons of disruption to the schedule as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, normal service will resume in the regular season this year, with each team playing 82 games and the first phase of the NBA campaign running until Sunday 10 April.
Tuesday, October 19
- Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks—7:30 p.m., TNT
- Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers—10 p.m., TNT
Wednesday, October 20
- Boston Celtics at New York Knicks—7:30 p.m., ESPN
- Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns—10 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, October 21
- Dallas Mavericks at Atlanta Hawks—7:30 p.m., TNT
- Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors—10 p.m., TNT
Friday, October 22
- Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers—7:30 p.m., ESPN
- Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers—10 p.m., ESPN
Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks headed into this season with four returning starters from last season’s roster. Those four are locked into this year’s starting lineup. The fifth starter from that squad, Donte DiVincenzo, is out as he recovers from left ankle surgery, and his replacement during the postseason, P.J. Tucker, now plays for the Miami Heat.
Despite getting knocked off by Milwaukee in last year’s conference semi-final round, the Nets will open the new season as overwhelming favorites to represent the East in this year’s NBA Finals – as Brooklyn currently sits at -125 to win the conference to Milwaukee’s +425.
Regardless of what happens on opening night though, I doubt much fluctuation will occur among the favorites in the East, considering the numbers are seemingly based on all squads at full-strength – and that won’t be the case here on Tuesday night, as one-third of Brooklyn’s superstar trio is still holding out for personal reasons.
The Nets likely still stand as the best team in the East when fully healthy – maybe even the best in the league. Last year’s conference semi-final loss to Milwaukee served as a prime example of what happens when Brooklyn loses a crucial piece to its puzzle though.
Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks ML
Golden State Warriors at LA Lakers
Steph Curry is visiting LeBron in the opening night of the new NBA season.
Both teams have very strong defenses, helping to bring stability in this matchup. Los Angeles led the NBA in defensive rating last season, giving up fewer than 1.08 points per possession, and the Lakers are elite on the defensive glass.
Golden State was the NBA’s worst offensive rebounding team in 2020-21, snatching fewer than 20 percent of the team’s missed shots, and the Lakers also create turnovers at a high level.
The Warriors, led by Draymond Green, are versatile and effective defensively. Golden State’s defense created a turnover on well over 13 percent of possessions, and that strength is magnified by ball security as a primary weakness for the Lakers offense. The Warriors were also a top-five team in 2-point defense (51.1 percent) a season ago, and the Lakers rely on rim pressure offensively.
Prediction: Under 226