Knicks' NBA schedule for 2024-25 begins with four playoff teams
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart dribbles by Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith in Game 7 of an Eastern Conference semfinals at MSG on May 19, 2024. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The Knicks will open the season with four games against teams that made the Eastern Conference playoffs last season.
The NBA released its schedule for the 2024-25 season on Thursday and as previously reported, the Knicks will meet the champion Celtics in Boston in the league’s opening game of the season on Oct. 22. The Knicks have made it clear with their roster retooling that they are gunning for the world champions and this will be the first chance to see how they measure up.
They will follow that by hosting the Indiana Pacers in their home opener on Oct. 25. Knicks fans will remember that the team’s last game at Madison Square Garden was when Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers eliminated them from the playoffs with a Game 7 win in the second round. The Knicks will then host Cleveland on Oct. 28 before playing at the rival Miami Heat on Oct. 30.
Another notable early Knicks game is their Nov. 12 date in Philadelphia. With the addition of Paul George, the 76ers will be a much tougher out than the team the Knicks eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
The Knicks will play on Christmas Day for the fourth consecutive season as Victor Wembanyama and his San Antonio Spurs come to town.
Fans will have to wait until Jan. 10 for Isaiah Hartenstein to return to MSG for the first time since signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency. Though only a Knick for two years, Hartenstein became a fan favorite last season as he played a huge role in the team’s playoff run.
The Knicks’ Mikal Bridges will play his first game against the Nets team he escaped on Nov. 15 at MSG, followed by a game at Barclays Center on Nov. 17. The Nets open their season at Atlanta on Oct. 23 and their first home game is against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 27.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
