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Mark these 18 games on your 2017-18 NBA calendar

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

After releasing the upcoming season's opening night and Christmas Day slates last week, the NBA unveiled its full 2017-18 schedule on Monday, highlighted by the following must-watch contests.

Oct. 17: Celtics @ Cavaliers

After the addition of Gordon Hayward, are the Celtics still behind the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference's pecking order? Heck, if Kyrie Irving is traded, can Cleveland recoup enough value to hang on to its mantle of conference favorite? It'll obviously be too early to tell on opening night, but Boston and Cleveland will face off in a rematch of last spring's Eastern finals.

Oct. 17: Rockets @ Warriors

It's hard to say if the Rockets are done adding to their new-look squad, but even as is, Houston will be one of the most intriguing Western Conference challengers to the Warriors this coming season. Can the James Harden-Chris Paul backcourt coexist with just one ball? Their first test comes against the very best.

Oct. 20: 76ers vs. Celtics

After Boston traded the No. 1 pick - and the right to select Fultz - to the Sixers, eventual No. 3 pick Jayson Tatum claimed he was the Celtics' desired target in the first place, and that Philadelphia could have landed Fultz without sacrificing an additional future draft asset. The first meeting between the two teams will give both sides an opportunity to see first-hand whether that trade was the right decision.

Oct. 26: Pelicans @ Kings

DeMarcus Cousins faced his former team once after being traded to the Pelicans last year, but that game was in New Orleans. This early-season contest sends him back to Sacramento in a visiting uniform for the first time, and it'll be fascinating to see how Kings fans receive him. Cousins had a tumultuous tenure there, but he was also just about the only thing the fan base had to cheer about for seven years, and he was loyal to the franchise until the day he got traded.

Oct. 27: Nuggets @ Hawks

Paul Millsap has never been better than as a Hawk in Mike Budenholzer's system. Will he be as good a fit in Denver? Hawks fans will get an up-close glimpse as their former franchise player returns to Phillips Arena with his new Mile High City companions.

Nov. 1: Rockets @ Knicks

Carmelo Anthony will almost certainly be playing in this game. Which team he's playing for, however, remains an open question. The two sides have reportedly re-engaged on trade talks, so this could end up being Anthony's first game back at Madison Square Garden, or another chapter in his drawn-out drama with the Knicks, during which he can gaze longingly at the opposing bench and wonder, "what if?"

Nov. 15: Lakers vs. 76ers

The top two picks from this year's draft will square off for the first time in the pros on Nov. 15. Lonzo Ball will have the opportunity to prove he's better than rival Markelle Fultz despite being selected after him. Subplot: Will Ben Simmons fulfill Joel Embiid's request by dunking on Ball so hard that his father, LaVar, has to save him?

Nov. 22: Warriors @ Thunder

It's unlikely Thunder fans have forgiven Kevin Durant yet, so expect another hostile crowd and references to cupcakes just like last year. The matchup should be even better this time around since the Thunder improved significantly over the offseason. Paul George and Patrick Patterson were brought in to help MVP Russell Westbrook take down Durant, who's fresh off capturing his first title and Finals MVP award.

3 Lonzo games - vs. Cavs, Warriors, Hornets

The Ball show is already a circus, and the Lakers' No. 2 overall pick hasn't even made his regular-season debut. The rookie's first matchups against the Warriors and Cavaliers, on Nov. 29 and Dec. 14, respectively, will give him a chance to back up the incessant trash talk directed at the stars of both teams by his father in recent months.

And while the Charlotte Hornets didn't make the playoffs last season, expect owner Michael Jordan to take particular interest in his squad's first game against the Lakers this season on Dec. 9. The greatest player of all time was also subjected to LaVar's ludicrous claims in recent months, eliciting a response from the legend.

Dec. 13: Thunder @ Pacers

Paul George revisits the Hoosier state in an OKC uniform alongside new running mate Russell Westbrook. Pacers fans don't figure to have much to get excited about this season, but having George back in the building for a night should at least produce some nostalgic fun.

Dec. 15: Raptors vs. Nets

On the surface, this doesn't appear to be a must-watch game, but DeMarre Carroll made things interesting this summer by criticizing his former team after being traded to Brooklyn. While the game itself isn't likely to be an instant classic, Carroll is almost certain to receive an earful from the Air Canada Centre crowd throughout the contest.

Dec. 25: Warriors vs. Cavaliers

Will Irving still be a member of the Cavs on Christmas Day? Only time will tell. Meeting in the NBA Finals the last three seasons also means the Cavs and Warriors will spend the holiday together for the third straight year, and last year's edition was an all-timer.

Much is made of the fact that LeBron James has reached seven straight Finals. The last time he wasn't involved in a Christmas game was 2006.

Dec. 25: Celtics vs. Wizards

One of the biggest rivalries in basketball last season was between a pair of Eastern heavyweights. After Washington and Boston took shots at one another throughout the regular season, things hit a boiling point in the playoffs when Kelly Oubre decked then-Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk in the Eastern Conference semis.

Expect more fireworks when the two sides meet again.

Jan. 15: Rockets @ Clippers

Chris Paul returns to Los Angeles to face the once-moribund franchise that he made credible. But what could really make this game essential viewing is former Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley, who plays with perhaps the league's largest chip on his shoulder and will be eager to prove he can lock down the man Houston traded him for.

Feb 9: Timberwolves @ Bulls

Much like Cousins with the Kings, Jimmy Butler was committed to staying in Chicago and keeping the Bulls respectable, but management opted to trade him for pennies on the dollar. Butler's return to Chicago with his new and formidable Timberwolves entourage will be sure to break hometown hearts - unless this turns out to be the Zach LaVine revenge game.

Mar. 28: Celtics @ Jazz

Hayward is a strong candidate for Player Most Likely to be Booed During His Welcome-Back Video Tribute. Hayward did a lot for the Jazz, but he also jumped ship just as their multi-year rebuilding project had begun to bear fruit. Unlike the Pacers without George and the Bulls without Butler, the Jazz actually figure to remain pretty good, so the hometown team will have a shot at snagging a gratifying revenge win.

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