The Mavericks will open the 2022-23 NBA season at the scene of their greatest triumph from last spring’s run to the Western Conference finals when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 19.
The game will be televised on ESPN (9 p.m., Dallas time).
That will begin the marathon 82-game schedule, during which the Mavericks will try to navigate through a stacked Western Conference and make another deep run into the playoffs.
It was May 15 when the Mavericks won Game 7 in the second round of the playoffs against Phoenix 123-90. Their Game 6 and 7 wins in that series were by a combined 60 points.
The home opener at American Airlines Center will be three days later, Saturday, Oct. 22 against Memphis at 7:30 p.m (FULL SCHEDULE BELOW).
The Mavericks will play three of their first four games on the road, but then will have 10 of their next 12 at AAC.
Perhaps the toughest stretch of the schedule will come early, when the Mavericks play 16 games in a month’s stretch before Christmas and will see both NBA finalists, Golden State and Boston, as well as have two games against Milwaukee, widely expected to contend for this season’s title.
Another rough patch will come in March and early April when the Mavericks play 10 of 13 games on the road, including visits to Miami, Philadelphia, the Lakers and Memphis twice.
Among other season highlights:
- Jalen Brunson, who spent his first four seasons with the Mavericks before departing in free agency, will make his first appearance back in Dallas as a New York Knick on Dec. 27.
- The defending champion Golden State Warriors, who defeated the Mavericks in the Western Conference finals, will come to AAC on Nov. 29 and again on March 22.
- From the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks will visit AAC for the only time on Dec. 9 at 9 p.m.
- Defending East champion Boston will be in Dallas on Jan. 5 in a nationally televised game at 6:30 p.m.
- Kevin Durant (as it stands now), Kyrie Irving and (perhaps) Ben Simmons will make their only appearance with Brooklyn at the AAC on Nov. 7.
- The Philadelphia 76ers with James Harden and Joel Embiid will come to town on March 2.
The Mavericks will play 30 nationally televised games — 10 on ESPN, nine on NBA TV, seven on TNT and four on ABC. The team’s local broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.
They will have 13 sets of back-to-back games, with two of those requiring no travel, both games being at AAC.
There are three five-game road trips on the schedule, starting in January when Oklahoma City, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland twice from Jan. 8-15.
They also will have five road games from Feb. 4-11 at Golden State, Utah, the LA Clippers and Sacramento twice.
The last of the five-gamers is in March and early April, when they go to Charlotte, Indiana, Philadelphia, Miami and Atlanta.
The Mavericks also will have a six-game home stand following the All-Star break in Salt Lake City when they entertain the San Antonio, the Lakers, Indiana, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Utah.
As was announced last week, for the second time in franchise history, the Mavericks will host a Christmas Day game, entertaining LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at 1:30 p.m. at American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks also will entertain the Lakers on Feb. 26.
The other Christmas Day game in Dallas was 2011, which was opening day in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season after the Mavericks had won the title. They had a rematch of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. The Mavericks lost that game, 105-94.
This will be the sixth Christmas Day game for the Mavericks. They own a 2-3 record on the holiday.
Most recently, they lost last season at Utah on Christmas night and lost at the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. They won Christmas games at Portland in 2008 and Sacramento in 2003.
The Mavericks have not yet announced their preseason schedule, but it is known that they will play Oklahoma City Oct. 5 in Tulsa, Orlando Oct. 7 at American Airlines Center and at Utah on Oct. 14.
Those teams already have announced their exhibition schedule.
There could be another exhibition added for the Mavericks.
THE FULL SCHEDULE (listed in Dallas times)
OCTOBER
Wed. Oct. 19 @ Phoenix 9:00 ESPN
Sat. Oct. 22 Memphis 7:30 NBA TV
Tues. Oct. 25 @ New Orleans 6:30 TNT
Thu. Oct. 27 @ Brooklyn 6:30 NBA TV
Sat. Oct. 29 Oklahoma City 8:00
Sun. Oct. 30 Orlando 6:30
NOVEMBER
Wed. Nov. 2 Utah 7:30
Fri. Nov. 4 Toronto 7:30
Mon. Nov. 7 Brooklyn 8:45
Wed. Nov. 9 @ Orlando 6:00
Thu. Nov. 10 @ Washington 6:00
Sat. Nov. 12 Portland 7:30
Tue. Nov. 15 L.A. Clippers 7:30
Wed. Nov. 16 Houston 7:30
Fri. Nov. 18 Denver 7:30
Sun. Nov. 20 Denver 6:30
Wed. Nov. 23 @ Boston 6:30 ESPN
Sat. Nov. 26 @ Toronto 4:00
Sun. Nov. 27 @ Milwaukee 7:00 NBA TV
Tue. Nov. 29 Golden State 6:30 TNT
DECEMBER
Thu. Dec. 1 @ Detroit 6:00 NBA TV
Sat. Dec. 3 @ New York 11:30
Mon. Dec. 5 Phoenix 7:30 NBA TV
Tues. Dec. 6 @ Denver 9:00 TNT
Fri. Dec. 9 Milwaukee 9:00 ESPN
Sat. Dec. 10 @ Chicago 7:00
Mon. Dec. 12 Oklahoma City 7:30
Wed. Dec. 14 Cleveland 8:00
Fri. Dec. 16 Portland 7:30
Sat. Dec. 17 @ Cleveland 7:00
Mon. Dec. 19 @ Minnesota 7:00
Wed. Dec. 21 @ Minnesota 7:00
Fri. Dec. 23 @ Houston 7:00
Sun. Dec. 25 L.A. Lakers 1:30 ABC
Tue. Dec. 27 New York 7:30
Thu. Dec. 29 Houston 7:30
Sat. Dec. 31 @ San Antonio 6:00
JANUARY
Mon. Jan. 2 @ Houston 7:00
Thu. Jan. 5 Boston 6:30 TNT
Sat. Jan. 7 New Orleans 7:00
Sun. Jan. 8 @ Oklahoma City 6:00
Tue. Jan. 10 @ L.A. Clippers 9:30
Thu. Jan. 12 @ L.A. Lakers 9:00 TNT
Sat. Jan. 14 @ Portland 9:00
Sun. Jan. 15 @ Portland 8:00
Wed. Jan. 18 Atlanta 6:30 ESPN
Fri. Jan. 20 Miami 6:30 ESPN
Sun. Jan. 22 L.A. Clippers 6:30
Tue. Jan. 24 Washington 7:30
Thu. Jan. 26 @ Phoenix 9:00 TNT
Sat. Jan. 28 @ Utah 8:00
Mon. Jan. 30 Detroit 7:30
FEBRUARY
Thu. Feb. 2 New Orleans 7:30
Sat. Feb. 4 @ Golden State 7:30 ABC
Mon. Feb. 6 @ Utah 8:00
Wed. Feb. 8 @ L.A. Clippers 9:00 ESPN
Fri. Feb. 10 @ Sacramento 9:00
Sat. Feb. 11 @ Sacramento 9:00
Mon. Feb. 13 Minnesota 7:30
Wed. Feb. 15 @ Denver 8:00
NBA All-Star 2023
Salt Lake City
Feb. 17-19
Thu. Feb. 23 San Antonio 7:30
Sun. Feb. 26 L.A. Lakers 2:30 ABC
Tue. Feb. 28 Indiana 7:30
MARCH
Thu. Mar. 2 Philadelphia 6:30 TNT
Sun. Mar. 5 Phoenix 12:00 ABC
Tue. Mar. 7 Utah 7:30
Wed. Mar. 8 @ New Orleans 6:30 ESPN
Sat. Mar. 11 @ Memphis 7:00
Mon. Mar. 13 Memphis 6:30 ESPN
Wed. Mar. 15 @ San Antonio 7:30
Fri. Mar. 17 @ L.A. Lakers 9:30 NBA TV
Mon. Mar. 20 @ Memphis 7:00 NBA TV
Wed. Mar. 22 Golden State 6:30 ESPN
Fri. Mar. 24 Charlotte 7:30
Sun. Mar. 26 @ Charlotte 12:00
Mon. Mar. 27 @ Indiana 6:00
Wed. Mar. 29 @ Philadelphia 6:30 ESPN
APRIL
Sat. Apr. 1 @ Miami 6:30 NBA TV
Sun. Apr. 2 @ Atlanta 5:00 NBA TV
Wed. Apr. 5 Sacramento 7:30
Fri. Apr. 7 Chicago 7:30
Sun. Apr. 9 San Antonio 2:30
TWITTER: @ESefko
