The NBA regular season for 2024-25 has officially kicked off

Photo: nba.com

The NBA regular season for 2024-25 officially kicked off on October 22, marking the start of another thrilling basketball journey. Fans are excited to see how their favorite teams and players will perform, especially with reigning champions, the Denver Nuggets, defending their title. Nikola Jokić leads a strong Nuggets squad, while all eyes are on the debut of top prospect Victor Wembanyama. Early-season games set the tone for the intense competition ahead, with several high-profile matchups already generating buzz. The stage is set for a thrilling season filled with surprises, rivalries, and standout performances.

Key Storylines to Watch

• Denver Nuggets’ title defense: With Nikola Jokić at the helm, Denver enters the season with confidence but faces tough competition from rising teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.
• Victor Wembanyama’s debut: The 7’4″ sensation is widely regarded as the most anticipated rookie in recent years. His unique skill set makes him a potential game-changer for the San Antonio Spurs.
• Key team movements: Major offseason trades and free-agent signings have shuffled rosters across the league, with players like Damian Lillard joining the Bucks and Bradley Beal now with the Phoenix Suns.

Early Matchups Create Buzz
The season’s opening night featured high-profile games, providing a glimpse into the season’s competitiveness. Superstars LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo were in action, captivating fans and setting the pace for what promises to be a thrilling regular season.

As the season unfolds, fans are eager to see how team chemistry evolves, which rookies will shine, and which contenders will emerge as playoff threats. The road to the 2025 NBA Finals is officially underway!

Jokic stops at four points with five shots

Coming out of four straight losses across the 2024 NBA Preseason schedule, the Denver Nuggets bounced back with a 132-126 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Target Center on Thursday.

Nikola Jokic was limited to four points in the preseason finale for the team coached by Michael Malone. The Serbian superstar made 2/5 two-pointers and missed two free throws. Besides a poor scoring showing, he piled up seven assists, seven rebounds, three assists, and one block over 28 minutes.

In European teammates coming off the bench, Croatian Dario Saric chipped in 13 points and five rebounds, and Slovenian Vlatko Cancar paired nine points with three assists.

On the losing end, naturalized Bosnian Luka Garza starting instead of resting French center Rudy Gobert scored a team-high 29 points with 11/17 field goals. Dutch Jesse Edwards logged 14 points.

“I know how rare this kind of opportunity comes, especially like this. A chance to start against the best player in the world, it is an awesome opportunity,” Garza referred to matching up with Jokic.

Mavericks’ preseason will start

The Mavericks on Friday released their 2024-25 preseason schedule.

Training camp will begin Oct. 1 in Las Vegas after media-day obligations in Dallas on Sept. 30.

The team will train on the UNLV campus from Oct. 1 through 4, then return to Dallas where they will play Memphis in the preseason opener on Oct. 7.

The official announcement is below:

DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks announced their 2024 preseason schedule today, which tips off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 7 at American Airlines Center. The four-game slate also includes home games against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 10 and Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 17. Dallas’ lone road game in the preseason will be at the L.A. Clippers on Oct. 14 in their new arena, the Intuit Dome.

Tickets for home preseason games will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. Club Maverick Members, Club Maverick Waitlist Members and Mavs Insiders will receive additional details regarding their exclusive presale access soon. For more information, please visit mavs.com or call (214) 747-MAVS. All broadcast information for Mavericks pre- and regular season games will be announced at a later date.

Prior to opening preseason play, the Mavericks will conduct training camp in Las Vegas on the UNLV campus from Oct. 1-4 before returning to Dallas on Oct. 5. All practices will be closed to the public, and a schedule with specific practice and media availability information will be shared prior to the start of camp.

2024 DALLAS MAVERICKS PRESEASON SCHEDULE