NBA's opening night of October 18 will feature a matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, according to reports.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Sixers-Celtics at TD Garden would be featured on the NBA's opening night. The update was disclosed the night after James Harden broke the word that the Sixers are scheduled to face the Knicks on Christmas, NBC Sports reported.
The complete NBA 2022-2023 schedule will be made public on Wednesday, according to sports reporter Marc Stein.
Fierce Rivals in the Eastern Conference
Last season's four-game season series between the Sixers and Celtics ended in a tie. In his final game against Boston, Joel Embiid had an outstanding performance, recording 41 points, ten rebounds, five assists, and four blocks in a victory on December 20. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, both teams were severely shorthanded.
With that defeat, Boston dropped to 15-16 but unexpectedly turned its season around. At 51-31, the Celtics, Bucks, and Sixers all completed the season.
After defeating Milwaukee and Miami in the playoffs, Boston advanced to the NBA Finals, where the more experienced Warriors won the series. The Heat defeated the Sixers in a second-round series that lasted six games.
The Sixers had a mediocre record versus Boston the previous season. In December, when the two teams went head-to-head in Boston, the Celtics came out on top by a single point. The Sixers then exacted retribution in the following two contests before suffering a crushing defeat at home to close out the regular-season series.
It is safe to assume that the Sixers will do better than that on the opening night of the NBA 2022-2023 season.
The Philadelphia 76ers gradually developed a better reputation and won more fans despite going through a difficult period, which included a lot of losing and a shortage of stars on the team, per Fan Nation report.
Joel Embiid, one of the most popular players in team history, is now Philadelphia's MVP-caliber big man. And even though it didn't work out with the previous first-overall pick Ben Simmons, the Sixers only last year traded the three-time All-Star for James Harden, one of the best offensive players in the league.
Then there is Tyrese Maxey, who the Sixers selected in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft and appears to be a future All-Star. Though it is still uncertain if fans will see an improved 76ers 2022-2023, there is unquestionably a lot of hype surrounding them.
No NBA Games on Election Day
Meanwhile, the NBA announced that Election Day would be a day off.
All 30 teams in the league will play on November 7, the evening before the midterm elections, according to the league's schedule for the upcoming season.
The NBA is hoping that teams will take advantage of that night to drive fans out to vote and emphasize the importance of civic involvement.
But on Nov. 8, which is Election Day, no NBA teams have games scheduled. Teams are being encouraged to share election information - such as registration deadlines - with their fan bases in the weeks leading up to Nov. 8, as per an AP News report.
The NBA announced Tuesday: "The scheduling decision came out of the NBA family's focus on promoting nonpartisan civic engagement and encouraging fans to make a plan to vote during midterm elections."
All 435 U.S. House seats will be up for grabs on Nov. 8, along with more than 30 U.S. Senate seats and gubernatorial races.
