NBA schedule: C's get marquee Opening Night, Christmas Day matchups originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Two of the Boston Celtics' games for the 2021-22 NBA season are locked in. And they're both fantastic matchups.
The NBA revealed its full slate of games for Opening Week and Christmas Day on Tuesday, and both slates feature the Celtics.
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Here are the details on Boston's two matchups:
| Date, Time | Opponent |
| Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET | at New York Knicks |
| Saturday, Dec. 25 at 2:30 p.m. ET | at Milwaukee Bucks |
The Celtics will open their season at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks, who landed two former C's this offseason in point guard Kemba Walker and wing Evan Fournier.
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Both Walker and Fournier should get plenty of love from their ex-Celtics teammates, but once the game begins, the Knicks will present a formidable challenge for Boston and new head coach Ime Udoka. Tom Thibodeau's club rode the NBA's No. 1 defense to a 41-31 record last season, New York's best campaign since 2012-13.
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The C's also will play on Christmas Day for the sixth consecutive season when they take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Bucks. Boston played Milwaukee tough last season, taking two of three from the Bucks (one on a Jayson Tatum buzzer-beater) while losing by just two in their lone defeat.
The jury is out on whether the new-look Celtics can compete in the Eastern Conference after replacing Walker, Fournier and Tristan Thompson with newcomers such as Dennis Schroder, Al Horford, Josh Richardson and Enes Kanter.
But there's no doubt Boston is still relevant, as Tatum and Jaylen Brown battling Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton on Jrue Holiday in the national spotlight should make for appointment viewing. After this matchup, the Celtics will have played on every Christmas Day since 2015.
