The NBA on Wednesday announced part of its national TV schedule for the coming 2018-19 season including opening week, Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Opening day will see the defending champion Golden State Warriors face the Oklahoma City Thunder at home on October 16.

Fifteen games will be broadcasted nationally from October 16 to 21, with the the first being the Boston Celtics against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. The Celtics will be able to send their best squad to the court after a season plagued by frequent injuries.

The Warriors will get their NBA championship rings before hosting Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Steven Adams at the Oracle Center. This will be the eighth competition between Westbrook and Kevin Durant since parting ways two summers ago. Durant has led so far with five wins, and the team won't want to tarnish their second ring with a loss. 

On October 17, the Houston Rockets and Carmelo Anthony will play their first game against the New Orleans Pelicans at home. In his debut game for the home team at the Toyota Center, Anthony will join James Harden and Chris Paul to show the world if their star combination will work in front of Anthony Davis, arguably the best power forward in today’s league.

On the same day, the Phoenix Suns will meet the visiting Dallas Mavericks – the first confrontation between DeAndre Ayton and Luka Doncic, the two rookies seen as the most promising from the recent draft. Many media outlets have pegged Doncic as the best bet for Rookie of the Year. Ayton who was selected by the Suns with the first pick, has every reason to prove his confidence in this game.

On October 18, the Los Angeles Lakers will play their first game in the 2018-19 season with four-time NBA MVP, LeBron James at the Moda Center against the Trail Blazers. Since 2011, every time James has left for a new team, he's taken them to the NBA Finals. Now that he’s in the Western Conference, will “the King” be able to do the same on the other side of the country?

On October 19, the Toronto Raptors will meet the Celtics at home as their first game. Usually the Canadian team does not draw much attention but it’s a different story this time because Kawhi Leonard, one of the best small forwards of the league, has arrived in “the North.” After the departure drama between him and the San Antonio Spurs, Leonard needs a successful season to restore his reputation and prove that he deserves a maximum salary contract.

The schedule for Christmas Day tallies with the CGTN report based on released information on Twitter by Marc Stein from the New York Times and ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Chris Hayes on Twitter.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 21, 2019), the NBA has arranged three games:  the Memphis Grizzlies will host the New Orleans Pelicans; the Philadelphia 76ers will meet the Houston Rockets at home; the Golden State Warriors will challenge the Los Angeles Lakers in an away game.

(Top picture: Russell Westbrook #0 and Kevin Durant #35 /VCG Photo)