5 Mavericks home games to circle on your calendar

The Dallas Mavericks schedule was recently released for the 2022-23 season. With training camp still over a month away, this is the perfect time to comb through and find all the fun matchups for the coming year — some of the obvious, and hopefully not so obvious, games you’ll want to make a visit to the American Airlines Center for.

October 30th — vs Orlando Magic

There will be plenty of fireworks the weekend before, when the Mavericks host the Memphis Grizzlies for the home opener, but welcoming this summer’s number one pick to the league should be a fun visit to the AAC. Paolo Banchero was in some ways a surprise first selection, and he joins a young and athletic Magic squad still looking to find their footing.

This falls on the second night of a home back-to-back (Oklahoma City Thunder the night before) and you should be able to snag a cheap ticket to this Sunday evening game fully worth the price of admission — a look at the newest top pick in the draft, a Mavericks blowout victory, and maybe even a scuffle between Luka Doncic and Mo Wagner.

December 5th — vs Phoenix Suns

The Mavericks start their season back in Phoenix, their first visit since the epic Game 7 shellacking they administered to Devin Booker & Co. Expect a fiery Suns team that night, mixed with some false-dramatic storyline of he and Chris Paul getting redemption.

Instead, head downtown to welcome the Suns back to Dallas in December, their first visit to the AAC this season. The Mavericks have historically not played the Suns well in the regular season. I don’t think these teams are to a point of having any sort of long term rivalry, but if the Mavericks can start racking up regular season wins on top of last year’s postseason performance this could be a fun game to be in attendance.

December 27th — vs New York Knicks

Just two days after the Mavericks face the LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day, Luka Doncic will welcome old friend Jalen Brunson back to Dallas. The teams will have already met in New York (December 3) and this will be the former Mavericks guard’s only visit to the AAC — barring a finals series between the two teams.

I’m not entirely sure what the temperature of the game will be. Brunson was a beloved fan favorite, and I expect him to receive a warm welcome. But I also wouldn’t be surprised if he returned to prove a point. Either way, friendly or not, I expect both Doncic and Brunson’s competitive spirit to drive this game.

January 24th — vs Washington Wizards

Most days I forget that the Kristaps Porzingis trade was not so long ago. I’m not sure there is much rivalry or animosity between Porzingis and Dallas. But the surprising midseason move is still fresh enough that this will be a game worth being in-person for. That is...if Porzingis can playI’msorryIcouldn’thelpmyselfI’msorry.

February 13th — vs Minnesota Timberwolves

I don’t normally suggest going to games just before the all-star break. Teams are usually on their last leg trying to make it to some rest before the home stretch of the season. But this is also the only time the revamped Timberwolves visit Dallas.

At face value the Timberwolves last season were a very fun, young, athletic, feisty team. And this summer they reeeeally went for it and traded for Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert. Depending on your opinions on Gobert and his pairing with Karl-Anthony Towns (I’m out on both) then you might be looking at a fringe contender. Even if you’re out on them this should be a fun matchup among two teams fighting for legitimacy, and you’re one chance to catch the excitement of Anthony Edwards in person.