Breaking down Celtics schedule for 2023-24 NBA season

The Boston Celtics fell short yet again in 2022-23, losing to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in a hard-fought series. They finished last season in first place in their division, going 57-25 and dropping just nine games at the TD Garden. They hit an early stride, going 14-2 in November to quickly climb the standings. They were 3-1 against Philadelphia in the regular season and 2-2 against Miami.

The Celtics return several of their key players this season. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Taytum are at the center of the team, and Al Horford and Malcolm Brogdon come back as well. The Celtics traded Marcus Smart and Grant Williams to acquire big man Kristaps Porzingis, whose start in Boston may be delayed by a bout of plantar fasciitis.

Boston is close to getting over that hump and getting their first title since 2008 after a trip to the NBA Finals in 2022 and a near miss last season. The expectation for this season falls nothing short of a championship. They won’t be happy with getting close anymore — and showed that in their willingness to break up the starting squad by getting rid of Smart and Williams this offseason.

They’ll get things off to a hot start with a home opener against none other than the Miami Heat on October 27 after beginning their season on the road against the Knicks. They’ll take on the Sixers on the road on November 8 and November 15. At the end of November into the beginning of December, they’ll have a seven-game home stretch with matchups against the Bulls, Cavs, and Sixers. February will see plenty of rivalry games for the Celtics, and they close out the season with a home matchup against the Wizards.

The full Celtics schedule is available here.