5 Must Watch Games From The Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2023-24 Schedule

The 2023-24 NBA regular season schedule is out in full. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, that means their path towards redemption after last year’s playoff debacle is set. That path begins on Wednesday, Oct. 25 with a road game against the Brooklyn Nets. The Cavs’ home opener is on Friday, Oct. 27 with a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The upcoming season also features the first in-season tournament, which includes group stage games that also count towards regular season win totals. Cleveland — in a group with the Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons — begins play on Nov. 3 with a road game against the Pacers.

Here are five games worth clearing your schedule for.

Tuesday, Oct. 31: Cavs vs. New York Knicks

How could Cavs-Knicks not make the list? (This is actually a double feature, with the Cavs playing them again the next night at Madison Square Garden.) This is the team that knocked Cleveland out of the playoffs last season in borderline dominant fashion. The Cavs, despite being the higher seed and the team that traded for Donovan Mitchell, went home in five games. That has to sting.

This is too early in the season to really know if this Cavs teams is different or not. The only way to know that or not is when the playoffs come around and if the Cavs, win or lose, present themselves differently. But this early season matchup will offer some insight into how the changes Cleveland did make in the summer will impact this specific matchup. And it will say something about how much last year’s playoff loss still stings.

Monday, Nov. 13: Cavs at Sacramento Kings

In November 2022, the Cavs played in Sacramento and lost to the Kings 127-120. At the time, it felt like a bad loss brought on by poor late game execution. But as the season went on, and the Kings just kept winning, that perception changed.

Now, this is an enticing early season matchup between two good teams with contrasting styles, different kinds of All-Star level guard play and different kinds of bigs. It’s a late game, but worth the extra cup of coffee needed the next morning.

Wednesday, Nov. 22: Cavs vs. Miami Heat

There are two ways to look at this game. The first is obvious: Let’s see how the Cavs stack up against the team that made the NBA Finals last season out of the Eastern Conference. There’s also the possibility that, by the time this game happens, Damian Lillard will be on the Heat. That only ramps up the possible excitement.

The second way to look at this is through Kevin Love. This will be Love’s first game back in Cleveland since he left the team last season via a buyout and signed with the Heat. (He, by the way, was effective against the Knicks in the playoffs.) Expect a tribute video and more questioning about how Love ended up leaving the Cavs in the first place.

Tuesday, Dec. 12: Cavs at Boston Celtics

This will be a new-look Celtics team. Gone is Marcus Smart, in is Kristaps Porzingis. But Boston still has its two elite wings (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) to press on the Cavs’ defense and lack of a traditional large wing defender. (Maybe this is where Evan Mobley takes on that role? It’s at least possible.)

This matchup is also the first of two in three days in Boston, giving it somewhat of a playoff feel. This also falls right after the in-season tournament wraps up in Las Vegas, which could mean the Cavs have had some extended time off or are coming off playing in Vegas.

Wednesday, April 10: Cavs vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Cleveland’s run towards the end of the season is interesting. Before playing Memphis at home, they are on the West Coast from March 31 (playing in Denver) through April 7 (when they play the Clippers as part of a Los Angeles back-to-back). It’s a daunting trip just before the playoffs.

That’s also what makes April 10 against the Grizzlies so interesting. There are two home games after this one, but with all due respect to the Pacers and Charlotte Hornets, the Grizzlies are a real step above those two. This will be Cleveland’s last real test against a good team before the playoffs start.