20 can’t-miss games on NBA League Pass in 2023-24
The Suns and Clippers headline several must-see NBA League Pass games.
The 2023-24 NBA regular season tips off in just two weeks and NBA League Pass is your ticket to the action all season long. From returning stars, new-look teams, an exciting rookie class and the brand new In-Season Tournament, the 2023-24 season is filled with can’t-miss games.
From opening night on Oct. 24 until the regular season finale on April 14, there will be 934 games available exclusively on NBA League Pass. Don’t worry, we’ve combed through the schedule to give you 20 games to lock into your calendar now. Sign up today so you’re ready for the upcoming season.
October
Oct. 30: Miami at Milwaukee, 8 ET
This is the first meeting between the Heat and Bucks since Miami pulled off the No. 8 over No. 1 upset in last year’s playoffs, clinching the series with a Game 5 win in Milwaukee, which is the site of this early season rematch. Will Jimmy Butler still be on fire against the Bucks, or will he have finally cooled off over the summer?
November
The Mavericks will visit the Lakers in November for an NBA League Pass showdown.
Nov. 1: Sacramento at Golden State, 10 ET
It’s a rematch from the outstanding first-round series during last season’s playoffs. The showdown went the full seven games before the Warriors prevailed behind a 50-point performance from Stephen Curry. That was the first playoff meeting between the two Northern California squads and a perfect way to grow a rivalry between the teams separated by just 87 miles.
Nov. 8: Boston at Philadelphia, 7 ET
The Celtics and Sixers delivered outstanding games during both the regular season (all four games decided by single digits with Boston winning the series 3-1) and a seven-game series in the Eastern Conference semifinals (three more games decided by single digits with Boston winning the series 4-3). This is also an early-season test for the new-look Celtics as they added Kristaps Porzingis to play alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown while moving Marcus Smart.
Nov. 19: Boston at Memphis, 8 ET
Speaking of Smart, he will face his former team for the first time when the Celtics visit the Grizzlies. The former Kia Defensive Player of the Year and three-time Hustle Award winner spent his first nine seasons with the Celtics before being traded to Memphis in the offseason. We have to wait until Feb. 4 for Smart’s return game to TD Garden (on ESPN), but he’ll face his former teammates early in the season.
Nov. 22: Dallas at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 ET
This matchup delivered some standout games from last season, as the final three games were all decided by four points or less and went as follows: a double-overtime classic that saw Luka Doncic hit clutch 3-pointers to force overtime and finish with a 35-14-13 triple-double in a Dallas win; the Lakers pulling off a 27-point comeback behind a combined 56 points from LeBron James and Anthony Davis; Maxi Kleber delivering a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. What will these two teams do when they meet for the first time this season?
December
Bradley Beal will face off against his former team on Dec. 17.
Dec. 12: Sacramento at LA Clippers, 10:30 ET
The two most recent games between the Kings and Clippers were decided by one point, including a double-overtime classic. The Kings prevailed 176-175 in the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.
Dec. 13: Brooklyn at Phoenix, 9 ET
This marks the first meeting between the Nets and Suns since last season’s blockbuster trade sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and multiple future Draft picks. Bridges experienced an offensive breakthrough after the trade as he became the primary option in Brooklyn. What will he and Johnson have in store in their first game back in the Valley since the trade?
Dec. 17: Washington at Phoenix, 8 ET
Bradley Beal will play his first game ever against the Washington Wizards, the team that drafted him third overall in 2012. He spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Wizards, where he became one of the franchise’s all-time leading scorers. Beal’s return game to D.C. won’t be until February on NBA TV, but his first game against his former squad is on League Pass.
Dec. 30: Dallas at Golden State, 8:30 ET
A matchup between two superstar backcourts as Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson matchup with Dallas’ Kyrie Irving and Doncic for the first time. The teams met once after Irving was traded to Dallas at the deadline, but Irving missed the game due to injury. These two teams delivered three games decided by six points or less last season, and all four of those guards have proven they can decide a game single-handedly.
January
Donovan Mitchell dropped an NBA season-high 71 points last season against Chicago.
Jan. 3: LA Clippers at Phoenix Suns, 9 ET
This is the first meeting between these teams since the Suns eliminated the Clippers in five games in the first round of last season’s playoffs. We have to mention that the Clippers were shorthanded in that series as they played without Paul George for its entirety and Kawhi Leonard missed the final three games of the series after suffering a knee injury. If the stars are healthy, this is a can’t-miss matchup as the Clippers’ duo takes on the new-look Suns’ trio of Durant, Booker and Beal.
Jan. 7: LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers, 9:30 ET
The Clippers have always played the little brother role to the Lakers in Los Angeles since arriving from San Diego in the mid-80s during the Lakers’ Showtime Era. But in recent years, the Clippers have finally found success against the Lakers as they enter this season having won 11 straight games in the intra-city rivalry. The last Lakers win over the Clippers came in the bubble during the 2020 season restart.
Jan. 11: New York at Dallas, 8:30 ET
The last time these two teams met in Dallas, Luka Doncic posted the first-ever 60-20-10 triple-double in NBA history. He led the Mavericks to a 126-121 overtime win in an absolute classic. Jalen Brunson was sidelined for that game, so he has yet to play in Dallas since signing with the Knicks as a free agent in the summer of 2022.
Jan. 15: Chicago at Cleveland, 7 ET
Can Donovan Mitchell recreate the magic he had against Chicago last season when he dropped 71 points in a 145-134 overtime win over the Bulls? Not only was that a career-high and franchise record for points, but Mitchell also became just the sixth player in league history to score at least 71 points in a game, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor and David Robinson, with Damian Lillard joining the club less than two months later.
Jan. 31: Orlando at San Antonio, 8 ET
This matchup features the past two No. 1 overall picks – Orlando’s Paolo Banchero (2022) and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama (2023). Can Wemby follow in Banchero’s shoes and become the 23rd No. 1 overall pick to win Kia Rookie of the Year honors?
February
Potential Kia Rookie of the Year candidates Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren will face off in February.
Feb. 3: Brooklyn at Philadelphia, 6 ET
In addition to being a rematch of the 2023 first-round series sweep by the Sixers, there will always be intrigue whenever Ben Simmons returns to Philadelphia, where he played the first four seasons of his career before an unceremonious exit at the 2022 trade deadline that brought James Harden to the Sixers. Harden’s status with the team is a bit uncertain entering the season as this game falls just five days before the trade deadline.
Feb. 29: Oklahoma City at San Antonio, 8:30 ET
Celebrate leap day with two teams looking to make a leap behind rookie big men – Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, who missed all of the 2022-23 with a foot injury after being selected No. 2 overall, and San Antonio’s Wembanyama. This will be the third meeting of the season between the two players tabbed as Kia Rookie of the Year favorites.
March
March 15: Orlando at Toronto, 7:30 ET
This matchup features the last two Kia Rookie of the Year winners – Banchero and Scottie Barnes. Banchero and the Magic finished 13th in the Eastern Conference last season (34-48) but have a promising group of young talent entering the 2023-24 season. Barnes and the Raptors missed the playoffs last season and saw All-Star guard Fred VanVleet leave for Houston and head coach Nick Nurse move to Philadelphia. How much larger of a role will Barnes play with VanVleet no longer in The North?
March 27: Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis, 8 ET
This is a rematch of last season’s first-round series that saw the No. 7 seed Lakers take out the No. 2 seed Grizzlies in six games as the Lakers began their run to the conference finals. While this rematch will not feature the entertaining Dillon Brooks vs. LeBron James storyline as Brooks is now in Houston, this game will feature Ja Morant as he will be clear of his 25-game suspension to open the season.
March 29: Minnesota at Denver, 9 ET
We couldn’t put this list together without including the defending champion Denver Nuggets. However, with the Nuggets featured on national television 30 times – including both Finals rematches with Miami and both head-to-head matchups between the two most recent Kia MVPs in Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid – we didn’t have as many games to choose from. With that said, we chose a rematch of Denver’s first-round series with Minnesota. While the Nuggets won the series in five games, it was a competitive series and also gives us an opportunity to highlight Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, who was Team USA’s breakout star during the FIBA World Cup and is poised for a big year.
April
April 2: New York at Miami, 7:30 ET
We close out this list with a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals between longtime rivals Miami and New York. The Heat prevailed in the series in six games as they eventually made their way to the NBA Finals, despite the best efforts by Jalen Brunson to keep the Knicks season alive. He posted 41 points in the elimination game and established himself as the Knick’s go-to guy in his first season in New York City.
