The NBA schedule is out and the Mavericks will start the season in front of the home crowd.
Dallas will play four of their first five games in downtown Dallas, opening against the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 18. The Mavericks will face the defending world champion Golden State Warriors twice at American Airlines Center with the first matchup happening on Oct. 23. LeBron James and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers will make their only trip to Dallas on Nov. 11.
The Mavericks will play a season-high 16 games during the month of December, ten of those on the road that includes trips to Boston, Golden State, San Antonio, Miami and Oklahoma City. Ten of the Mavericks’ final 15 games will also be on the road. The regular season finale is on April 10 against the Phoenix Suns in Dallas.
The NBA is making the effort to extend the regular season across a couple of weeks in October in order to cut down on back-to-back games and completely eliminate the four-game, five night stretches for all teams. The Mavericks have 15 back-to-backs this season, 11 before the All-Star Break.
The 2017-18 season will also be the 20th for the face of the Mavs franchise, Dirk Nowitzki. He will become just the second player to ever play 20 seasons for one team, joining former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant.
