After just a three month layoff for the offseason, NBA basketball will return on October 19 when the Milwaukee Bucks will meet the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. The Bucks will be looking to hit the ground running in their bid to defend their Championship following their 4-2 series win against the Phoenix Suns at the culmination of last season.
This season promises to be a special one, with the NBA celebrating its 75th anniversary. The NBA started with eleven teams before ultimately expanding to the 30 franchises we have now (through team expansions and franchise relocations), the league has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Now one of the most popular sports leagues in the world with millions of fans around the globe, it has become a sporting institution.
The game has grown monumentally over the last two decades along with the accessibility of sports betting. Many fans in different states can now add to the fun and suspense by using an online sportsbook to bet on spreads, money lines, player props and much more. With so many sportsbooks to choose from, fans should look for a site that is right for them. At the moment, FanDuel are currently offering a risk free bet perfect for those fans who like to take a risk with their bet. This option means that fans can wager any amount up to $1,000 and if their bet wins, they can keep the money however if their bet loses, the player will be refunded in site credit to use on another bet during the basketball season.
Key games on the NBA schedule
Officials have outlined just how they plan on marking the special occasion. Looking back at teams and events that have shaped the league, they will showcase the three franchises (Knicks, Celtics and Warriors) that have been a part of each season from the very beginning.
After three-quarters of a century worth of thrills and spills, the upcoming season promises to follow suit. After the release of the fixture list, there are plenty of clashes that will leave fans salivating.
Lets take a look at some of the biggest matches of the NBA’s 75th season.
Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks, Oct 19
The season opener is noted down on every NBA fan’s calendar regardless of who plays, but this one in particular is leaving us feeling spoiled. Kevin Durant’s Nets will be out for revenge after the Bucks dashed their finals hopes in the second round of the Eastern conference playoffs last year.
Durant would be forgiven for still having nightmares over his late jumper in game 7, which was mere inches away from a match-winning three pointer. Instead, the Bucks clutched the game in overtime and Durant will have to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo receive his ring at the Barclays Centre.
This will be an early opportunity for the Bucks to prove that they have what it takes to carry their championship winning performance last year into the new season. The Nets on the other hand will be looking to show that they can smash through that glass ceiling and push for the finals in 2022.
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers, Oct 19
There is every chance that the opening night of the season is a preview into two conference finals. Western Conference rivals the Lakers and the Warriors will both enter the season with high expectations and their meeting on day one is sure to show us just what to expect from both California based franchises.
Lakers fans will also be itching to see their new man Russell Westbrook in action after being traded from the Houston Rockets during the offseason. On paper, this new look Lakers side should be walking into the conference finals, but just how will big personalities like Westbrook, James and Davies fair together?
Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers, Oct 22
The opening week will offer up yet another playoff rematch when the Suns meet the LA Lakers. After dispatching of the Lakers in the first-round last season, the Suns has their run to the finals critiqued following injuries to the Lakers top two players, Anthony Davis and Lebron James.
Whilst James featured in all seven games he had just barely recovered from an injury that saw him miss a considerable amount of game time. Davis on the other hand featured heavily early on, helping the Lakers to a 2-1 lead, but suffered a groin injury which kept him out of most of the next three games in the series.
The Lakers went on to lose three straight games and this is their opportunity to show that with Davis and James fully fit, that place in the finals was theirs. The Suns will be hoping they can lay to rest any calls of a ‘fluke’ run to last years finals and prove they mean business this year.
New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors, Nov 1
The first NBA game ever played was on November 1st, 1946 at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. This match saw the Toronto Huskies taking on the New York Knickerbockers marking the first ever recognised NBA game. The New York Knicks meet the Toronto Raptors in Toronto on November 1st, 2021 to mark the 75th anniversary of the NBA’s inaugural game seventy-five years ago.
Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers, Dec 7
One of the greatest rivalries in the league’s history, the Celtics meeting the Lakers is always a high-stakes and even higher-tension game. Although the Lakers have bona fide stars among their ranks, Boston have two of the best young talents in the league.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will lead the Celtics’ charge towards the conference finals after a disappointing year in 20/21. They are surrounded by solid defensive players and with Robert Williams also set for a potential breakout season, its important not to rule out Boston.
Christmas Day games, Dec 25
As always, Christmas day is the NBA’s day and the league knows it by scheduling the teams that feature the league’s superstars of superstars and in nearly every large market. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Chris Paul, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker are all playing on this day, but the marquee, star-studded match-up is the first meeting between the powerhouses of the East in the Brooklyn Nets going up against the favorites in the west in the Los Angeles Lakers. This game features LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin to name just eight of the twelve all-stars that will see court time. This match alone has enough superstars to light up every Christmas tree in the nation.
That is just a taste of what is to come. The league is set to excite us all again for the 75th year in a row and the odds are continuing to hot up as we look towards the finals. The reigning champions Bucks are at +900 along with the Warriors. The Nets and the Lakers find themselves as the top two favourites at +240 and +400 respectively. It will be all eyes on them come Oct 19 as we all celebrate three-quarters of a century of the greatest basketball in the world.