There will be 1,230 games played throughout the 2018-19 NBA regular season. For the fourth consecutive year, there will be an all-time-low of teams playing on back-to-back days. For the second straight year, no team will play four game in five days as well.
The regular season will run 26 weeks, ending on Wednesday, April 10.
When does the regular season start?
NBA teams have until 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Oct. 15 to have their opening day rosters set. On Tuesday, Oct. 16, the NBA's 73rd regular season begins.
Who plays on opening day?
The 2018-19 NBA regular season kicks off with a double-header of two marquee matchups.
The first game will feature Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics taking on Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. This marks a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference semifinals, and will be played at 8 p.m. Eastern Time at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
The second game of the double-header will have the defending champion Golden State Warriors take on Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. This game will be at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
When is the Toronto Raptors' first game?
The NBA returns to action the following day, Wednesday, Oct. 17. On that date, the Toronto Raptors will open their season at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game will be at Scotiabank Arena at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
Other notable games that night are the New Orleans Pelicans at the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at the San Antonio Spurs.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will open their season that Thursday, Oct. 18th, at the Portland Trail Blazers.