After what felt like a lengthy offseason for NBA fans, the league makes its highly anticipated return Tuesday night with a pair of stellar games.
The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers will get the regular season underway with a matchup at TD Garden that's scheduled to tip-off at 8 p.m. ET. Later, The Golden State Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 10:30 p.m. ET.
The Eastern Conference matchup between the Sixers and Celtics is rematch of the series that sent Philly packing in the '18 playoffs and propelled Boston to the Conference Finals. Now, after a breakthrough year last season, Philly has high aspirations. Coach Brett Brown has said the NBA Finals are the goal. First step: Relive the heartbreak that ended last season.
"I watched every game from this past season and the playoffs included probably twice," said Philly's All-Star center Joel Embiid, via USA Today. "Especially that last game, I watched it a lot. … I watched it all, and it was painful."
The Sixers will be led by Embiid and last year's Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons. Boston, meanwhile, boasts perhaps the deepest roster in the league. The Celtics are full of young talent as well as proven veterans like Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford. A lot will also be expected this season of Jayson Tatum, a second-year player who looked downright dominant by the end of last year. Tatum's growth will be a big part of how the season goes for Boston, who are favored to win the East and are a strong contender for the title.
"He's very composed," teammate Al Horford said about Tatum's seeming total lack of nerves. "It's weird to see someone that young pull that off."
While Boston looks like a strong team, out west the juggernaut remains. The Golden State Warriors have now won two straight championships and three of the last four. The star-laden squad—featuring Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant—seem likely to start the new season with a win, considering the Thunder will likely be without former MVP Russell Westbrook. He was listed as out for the game on Tuesday morning amid his continued recovery from a knee injury.
Here's everything you need to know to watch the season-opening game on Tuesday as well as betting information.
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
Start time: 8 p.m. ET
TV channel: TNT
Live stream: WatchTNT
Betting line: Boston -4.5, via Odds Shark
Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors
Start time: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: TNT
Live stream: WatchTNT
Betting line: Golden State -13, via Odds Shark
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