Everything You Need to Know About the 2024 NBA Preseason: Dates, Time, How to Watch

The wait for NBA basketball is almost over. After a three-month hiatus, fans can finally witness NBA basketball, when reigning champions Boston Celtics tip-off the NBA Preseason against 2022 NBA winners, Denver Nuggets.

The NBA Preseason kicks off on October 4th in Abu Dhabi and wraps up on October 18th in the USA. It's the first real chance for players to get back into the grind, both physically and mentally, ahead of a long and grueling season. But fans shouldn’t read too much into these preseason results—after all, they can be misleading. Just look at the Toronto Raptors, who won all five of their preseason games in 2023 but went on to finish 12th in the Eastern Conference with only 25 wins in 82 games. On the flip side, the preseason can sometimes give us a sneak peek of what’s to come. Take the Minnesota Timberwolves, for instance. The T-Wolves looked dominant last preseason, winning all five games. And that form translated into the regular season. They had one of their best regular seasons to date, finishing as the 3rd seed in a stacked Western Conference, before going on to advance to the Western Conference finals. So, while it’s not always a clear predictor, the preseason can offer hints of what's to come. 

Besides providing a sneak peek into the NBA regular season, preseason is also an opportunity to get a good look at the rookies. The 2024 No. 1 pick, Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks, had a brief but promising stint in the Summer League, playing just two games and averaging 14.5 points. Now, with preseason around the corner, he’ll have a chance to make an even bigger impression as the team gears up for the regular season. Reed Sheppard from the Houston Rockets and Rob Dillingham from the Minnesota Timberwolves also shone during the Summer League, and they’ll be looking to keep that momentum going. Meanwhile, Rookies like Alex Sarr, Tidjane Salaun, and Ron Holland, who didn’t quite light up the Summer League, now have another shot to win over fans and scouts alike. Moreover, preseason often brings out hidden gems, so fans should definitely keep a close watch on their favorite teams to spot the next breakout star. 

With excitement surrounding the 2024/25 NBA season reaching a crescendo, here’s the full slate of NBA’s Preseason games, starting tonight.  

2024 NBA Preseason Schedule 

All timings listed here are IST (Indian Standard Time) 

Friday, October 4 

• Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets – 9:30 p.m. IST 

Saturday, October 5 

• Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 8:00 a.m. IST  

Sunday, October 6 

• Denver Nuggets vs. Boston Celtics – 7:30 p.m. IST 
• Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 4:30 a.m. IST  

Monday, October 7 

• New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Hornets – 2:30 a.m. IST  
• Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons – 4:30 a.m. IST 
• Washington Wizards vs. Toronto Raptors – 4:00 a.m. IST 
• Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 6:30 a.m. IST 
• Orlando Magic vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 11:00 p.m. IST  

Tuesday, October 8 

• Memphis Grizzlies vs. Dallas Mavericks – 5:30 a.m. IST 
• Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs – 5:30 a.m. IST  
• Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz – 6:30 a.m. IST  

Wednesday, October 9 

• Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets – 4:30 a.m. IST  
• Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – 4:30 a.m. IST  
• Phoenix Suns vs. Detroit Pistons – 4:30 a.m. IST  
• Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks – 5:00 a.m. IST  
• Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 8:00 a.m. IST  
• Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks – 5:00 a.m. IST 
• Orlando Magic vs. San Antonio Spurs – 5:30 a.m. IST 
• Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – 5:30 a.m. IST 
• Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings – 8:00 a.m. IST 

Thursday, October 10 

• Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – 4:30 a.m. IST 
• Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat – 5:00 a.m. IST 
• Charlotte Hornets vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 5:30 a.m. IST 
• Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks – 5:30 a.m. IST 
• Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks – 5:30 a.m. IST 

Friday, October 11 

• Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Philadelphia 76ers – 4:30 a.m. IST 
• New Orleans Pelicans vs. Orlando Magic – 4:30 a.m. IST 

Saturday, October 12 

• Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards – 4:30 a.m. IST  
• Detroit Pistons vs. Phoenix Suns – 7:30 a.m. IST  
• Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – 7:30 a.m. IST  
• Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 7:30 a.m. IST  

Sunday, October 13 

• Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics – 5:30 a.m. IST  
• Memphis Grizzlies vs. Chicago Bulls – 5:30 a.m. IST  
• Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs – 5:30 a.m. IST  

Monday, October 14 

• New Orleans Pelicans vs. Miami Heat – 12:00 a.m. IST  
• Portland Trail Blazers vs. Sacramento Kings – 2:30 a.m. IST  
• Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New York Knicks – 2:30 a.m. IST  
• Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics – 3:00 a.m. IST  
• Detroit Pistons vs. Golden State Warriors – 4:30 a.m. IST  
• Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets – 4:30 a.m. IST  
• Memphis Grizzlies vs. Indiana Pacers – 5:30 a.m. IST 
• Washington Wizards vs. Brooklyn Nets – 6:00 a.m. IST 
• Philadelphia 76ers vs. Atlanta Hawks – 6:00 a.m. IST 
• Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks – 6:30 a.m. IST 
• Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 9:00 a.m. IST 

Tuesday, October 15 

• Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors – 4:30 a.m. IST 
• Charlotte Hornets vs. New York Knicks – 5:00 a.m. IST 
• San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat – 5:00 a.m. IST 
• New Orleans Pelicans vs. Houston Rockets – 5:30 a.m. IST 
• Sacramento Kings vs. Utah Jazz – 6:30 a.m. IST 
• Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets – 6:30 a.m. IST 
• Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 7:30 a.m. IST 

Wednesday, October 16 

• Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons – 4:30 a.m. IST 
• Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers – 4:30 a.m. IST 
• Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Chicago Bulls – 5:30 a.m. IST 

Thursday, October 17 

• Charlotte Hornets vs. Indiana Pacers – 4:30 a.m. IST 
• Milwaukee Bucks vs. Dallas Mavericks – 5:00 a.m. IST 
• San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets – 5:30 a.m. IST 
• Atlanta Hawks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – 5:30 a.m. IST 
• Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns – 7:30 a.m. IST 
• Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 8:00 a.m. IST 

Friday, October 18 

• New York Knicks vs. Washington Wizards – 4:30 a.m. IST 
• Philadelphia 76ers vs. Orlando Magic – 4:30 a.m. IST 
• Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets – 5:00 a.m. IST 

Where Can I Watch the NBA Preseason? 

The majority of NBA preseason games will air on NBA TV or NBA League Pass. In India, some games will stream on the JioCinema app and website.