10 Most important games on Dallas Mavericks' 2024-25 schedule

The long wait has officially ended for all Dallas Mavericks fans of wondering when the 2024-25 Mavericks schedule will be released. It was finally released yesterday.

With Klay Thompson now on board to join forces with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, excitement among the Mavs fans is extremely high. The American Airlines Center will be buzzing all season long following an impressive 2023-24 run.

Now, all 82 games are important for the Mavs, but which are the most important? This is a countdown of which games on the Mavs schedule are the most important for the season.

10 Most important games on the Dallas Mavericks' 2024-25 schedule

The Mavs will have a target on their back to defend their Western Conference title, but will want to silence doubters to show that the 2023-24 season wasn't a fluke.

Dallas made the necessary moves to ensure they'll be contenders once again, and their 2024-25 schedule is loaded with tough stretches and plenty of marquee matchups.

10. April 9 vs Los Angeles Lakers

April 9 will mark the Mavericks' 80th game of the 2024-25 season, and it's against the Los Angeles Lakers led by their duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Late season games are important for teams in the mix of the playoff race, and whether or not a team can get home-court advantage for round one of the playoffs.

For the Mavs, this game could shape out to be a game where they can fight to secure home-court advantage and move higher in the standings, but also beating a Lakers team will give them momentum toward the final days of the regular season.

James and Davis will be leading a Lakers team with uncertainty for the playoffs, and the Mavs could have a chance to drop them in the standings. This could also be a preview of a potential first-round matchup in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

Games in April for playoff-contending teams are crucial, and the Mavs have a big one against the Lakers. Any game against James will be circled, and this one will have a lot of fate for the Mavs in the West.

9. Season opener against San Antonio Spurs

This game was leaked before the full schedule was announced. The Mavericks will host their in-state rival on I-35 South, the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center on October 24 with the game being broadcasted on TNT.

Opening the season against a rival will always be a good test, and the Mavs have a good opportunity to make a statement against the Spurs. This game adds a lot of hype when it comes to the talk around Luka Doncic going head-to-head against Victor Wembanyama.

Even though the Spurs struggled last season winning 22 games, Wembanyama's hype coming into this season is incredibly high, and he can potentially be in the MVP discussion. But, Doncic will also be in MVP discussion after he finished third last season.

Doncic having a dominant performance against Wembanyama and the Spurs would be a great way for the Mavs to start the season, but also for Doncic to have a strong start to open a claim to be the 2024-25 MVP. The season opener against the Spurs will also mark the debut of Klay Thompson in a Mavericks jersey.

Thompson in Dallas has brought so much hype and excitement around the team, and Mavs fans are ready to see Thompson's career take off in Big D.

Season openers are always important for any team, and the Mavs' season opener against the Spurs will be an important game to start the season on the right track.

8. Day before Thanksgiving clash against New York Knicks

Before the Mavericks sit down at the Thanksgiving table and potentially watch the annual Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game, the Mavericks have an elite game against an Eastern Conference team on November 27 as they host the New York Knicks.

This matchup is a good contest for both teams who had good seasons last season. The Mavericks reached the Finals, and the Knicks finished as the second seed in the East.

The hype surrounding the Knicks is high with ex-Maverick Jalen Brunson leading the team to a 50-win season last season and is now the team captain. For the Mavericks, a win against an East team with a lot of hype provides a statement that the Mavs can compete with any elite team.

With the hype surrounding both teams, it could also be a potential Finals matchup. The Knicks were eliminated in seven games of the second round last season by the Indiana Pacers, and would've faced the Boston Celtics had they won. The Knicks and Celtics always have tough games.

The Mavericks and Knicks game before Thanksgiving is another important game for the season. It will be broadcast on ESPN, and a good amount of people will be tuned in to see how Brunson plays his former team but also to see if the Mavs can beat top teams in the East.

7. First Western Conference Finals rematch against the Timberwolves

One team that desperately wants to face the Mavericks is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who the Mavs defeated in five games to clinch the West. The two teams will meet for the first time in the 2024-25 season on October 29 in Minneapolis with the game being broadcast on TNT.

These two teams will be competitive for years to come in the West with the superstars of Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards, and both of them have the potential to win the 2024-25 MVP. Having these two players go at it in what will be the Mavs' fourth game of the season, will have people's eyes.

One thing was for sure for the Mavs when they faced the Timberwolves in the Conference Finals, they were comfortable playing in Minneapolis. The Mavs won all three road games of the series, and the Timberwolves will want to defend their home court.

Going to Minneapolis early in the season could also provide another chance for Doncic to talk back to the Minnesota fans, especially after his all-time trash-talk moment during Game 5 of the Conference Finals.

An early season game against an elite team like the Timberwolves also can see just how good the Mavs can be because if the Mavs get a good road win, it shows the NBA the Mavs will be ready to compete with the elite teams early on and also can win on the road.

6. and 5. Back-to-back home games against the Denver Nuggets in January

The Mavericks will have two of their most important games in back-to-back games. On January 12 and January 14, the Mavericks will host the Denver Nuggets. Having both of these games at home is very crucial for the Mavs.

Around this time in January, it could be likely that the Mavs and Nuggets will be close to each other in the Western Conference standings. The Mavs need to knock off the Nuggets and be ahead of them in the standings, and having two consecutive games at home in January is a perfect time for the Mavs to get ahead of the Nuggets.

The Mavs winning both games would send a good message to the Nuggets that they can compete with any team, especially after the Mavs were ranked below the Nuggets in a power rankings preview. The Mavs have extra motivation to be ahead of the Nuggets for next season.

These two games are also perfect games for Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic to show who can potentially be the 2024-25 MVP too. Doncic can also have extra motivation to show off in front of Jokic at home after Doncic finished third in MVP voting last season to Jokic who won the MVP last season. And, Doncic has more motivation with being second on FanDuel to win next season's MVP behind Jokic.

Having back-to-back games against the Nuggets at home in January will be two games that will determine the standings, MVP race, and momentum in the middle of the season.

4. First playoff rematch against the Oklahoma City Thunder

One team that the Mavs will be chasing in the Western Conference, and who they want to beat again is the team they defeated in the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The two teams will face off against each other for the first time in the 2024-25 season on November 17 in Oklahoma City.

Both Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be extra eager to face off against each other after the two of them finished below Nikola Jokic for the 2023-24 MVP.

The Thunder were the top seed in the Western Conference last season, and they will want to prove being a top seed wasn't a fluke, but the Mavs want to show that their playoff series win against the Thunder wasn't a fluke. So, the two teams have a good chance to show each other who is more ready with a matchup in November.

Playing in Oklahoma City can be a challenge for any team in the playoffs, but the Mavs went 2-1 on the road against the Thunder in the second round. A big road win in November against an elite team sends a message to the rest of the conference the Mavs can win anywhere in the West.

The Mavs' first game against the Thunder will be a big contest early in the season. The Mavs will need early success against the Thunder that can carry over for the rest of the season and put them in a good position to win the tiebreaker.

3. First rematch of the 2024 Finals against the Boston Celtics

"To be the best, you have to beat the best," is something the Mavs will have to remember for the 2024-25 season. The Mavs will be playing the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics twice next season, and the first matchup will be on January 25 on ABC.

Every Mavs fan wants them to get revenge on the Celtics, and the Mavs having the first Finals rematch in Dallas is a great way to send a message to the NBA that they are ready to get back to the Finals, with the Celtics being a potential 2025 Finals opponent.

The matchup at home against the Celtics can provide Kyrie Irving comfort after he deeply struggled against the Celtics in Boston during the Finals. The matchup also provides Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis to be fully healthy to play against his former team (if he has returned by then).

Porzingis didn't play much with injuries against the Mavs in the Finals, but had bad blood like Irving against each other's former teams. If healthy, both can have bad blood to settle at full force.

Playing at home against the Celtics is another good test for the Mavs to see how good they can be in the middle of the season against the defending champions. A statement win at home sends a message to the NBA the Mavs are ready to get back to the Finals, and be a tough team to beat.

2. Klay Thompson's emotional return to Golden State to start the NBA Cup

Klay Thompson was a member of the Golden State Warriors organization since 2011, and not many expected him to be in another uniform. But, Thompson is ready for a fresh start in Dallas, and will be fueled for his first game against his former team.

The Mavs and Warriors will play for the first time in the 2024-25 season on November 12 in San Francisco. Just like the season opener against the San Antonio Spurs, this game was leaked early before the full schedule was released. This game is arguably the biggest return for any NBA player this season against his old team.

But, this game also is crucial for the Mavs with it being their first game of the NBA Cup, and it being crucial to win on the road early into the season. Winning on the road against Stephen Curry isn't easy, but the Mavs can make a strong statement game in the first game of the NBA Cup, and with Thompson returning it adds more fuel to the fire.

The Warriors might be extremely bitter about Thompson joining the Mavs, and the two teams could have the rivalry grow more with Thompson wearing a new jersey.

While this game will be emotional for Thompson, it also provides him with a perfect opportunity to show the Warriors they should've wanted to keep him. Thompson will be eager to lead the Mavs to their first win in the NBA Cup against his old team in his old arena.

1. Christmas Day showdown against the Minnesota Timberwolves

Christmas Day and basketball certainly go well together, and the NBA is coming back to Big D on Christmas. The Mavs will be playing on Christmas for the fifth consecutive season, and they will host the team they defeated in the 2024 Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Christmas will be the second time the Mavs and Timberwolves will face each other in the 2024-25 season, and with the second meeting being on Christmas, it provides a great opportunity to tune in and see another potential playoff matchup.

This game will be the most important because with a lot of eyes watching on a day like Christmas, it provides a great opportunity for the Mavs to show that they are the team in the West to beat as 2024 will be coming to an end.

It also can be a game where the Mavs could be just ahead or below the Timberwolves in the standings, and they will need this game to get an edge on them in the standings.

A holiday like Christmas will also provide Luka Doncic to outperform Anthony Edwards in the MVP race because experts will talk about an elite performance on Christmas. Doncic had a 50-point, 15-assist game on Christmas last season against the Suns. The Mavs are 4-3 all-time on Christmas and will be eager to make it 5-3.

With the Mavericks 2024-25 schedule fully released, important games are on the schedule, and Christmas will mark the Mavericks' most important game against the Timberwolves.