Most Anticipated NBA Games of the 2012-2013 Season

As we do at this time here at MANDOM, it's time to take a look at some of the notable games for the upcoming NBA season. The following are just a few of the games that I've got circled on my calendar to watch, starting with the slate lined up for the NBA season open.

The nationally televised games feature the last five NBA Champions (Boston in 2008, Los Angeles in 2009 and 2010, Dallas in 2011, and Miami in 2012).
There are three games on the official opening night for the 2012-2013 season, but these are the two that the nation will be watching: On October 30th, Miami gets their rings and faces off against their nemesis, the Celtics. Be on the lookout for the announcing crew to make a big deal about whether or not Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen exchange pleasantries. The late game features the new look Lakers against a remodeled Dallas team led by Dirk Nowitzki. Dwight Howard is not expected to play in the season opener as he continues to recover from back surgery.


For the complete National Television schedule click here.

October 30, 2012
Boston Celtics at Miami Heat
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers

October 31, 2012
San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis makes his NBA debut against another former number one pick who changed his franchise's fortunes. Timmy.

November 1, 2012
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
New York Knicks at Brooklyn Nets: Hello Brooklyn, yadda yadda yadda. The hype will reach new levels between these two teams. Hopefully the product on the court can live up to that hype.

November 2, 2012
Miami Heat at New York Knicks
Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers: The champs make their first visit to the Garden and the Clippers take on the new look Lakers in their first matchup of the season.

November 14, 2012
Miami Heat at Los Angeles Clippers: Expect a lot of plays that will find themselves on Sportscenter's Top 10.

November 15, 2012
Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets
Beantown meets Bucktown in the house that Prokhorov built.

November 23, 2012
Oklahoma City Thunder at Boston Celtics: This is a possible NBA Finals matchup.

December 1, 2012
Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat: The Brooklyn team that thinks it's super takes on the team that has actually proven itself to be super.

December 2, 2012
Orlando Magic at Los Angeles Lakers: Dwight Howard goes against his old team for the first time. There will be blood.

December 7, 2012
Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder: This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams that many expect to meet in the Western Conference Finals.

December 13, 2012
Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks: West meets East as Kobe Bryant and his superfriends take their show to the most famous arena in the NBA.

December 17, 2012
Houston Rockets at New York Knicks: Jeremy Lin returns to the city that made him famous. Will their be boos? Cheers? Beers? Definitely beers.

December 19, 2012
Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks: Cross town beef! The second meeting of the season for these two squads takes place at the "original" home of New York basketball.

December 20, 2012
Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks: The last two NBA champions square off in the first of two meetings this season. Expect the rivalry to be as intense as ever.

December 25, 2012
New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers
Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat: The unofficial start of the NBA season in the eyes of the losers that haven't been paying attention. The big game of the day is the first matchup between the champs and the chumps from the 2012 NBA Finals - the Heat and the Thunder.

January 4, 2013
Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics: The Pacers are a team on the rise. If they want anyone to truly take them seriously, they have to be able to beat teams like the Celtics. Doing it on national television would help their case as well.

January 11, 2013
Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks: #TheReturn?

January 24, 2013
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics: The first matchup of the season between these two division rivals. Let's see which Knick allows himself to get sonned on national television this time.

January 30, 2013
Miami Heat at Brooklyn Nets: The Heat make their first appearance in Brooklyn. No word on if Jay-Z will be paying Dwyane Wade.

February 1, 2013
Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers: A rematch of a second round playoff meeting that was fairly competitive until Danny Granger assumed the role of Fugazi.

February 7, 2013
Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics: Meeting number one between the NBA's most famous rivals.

February 10, 2013
Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat: This is the matchup that David Stern would absolutely, positively love to see happen in the NBA Finals. This will have to do for the time being.

February 14, 2013
Miami Heat at Oklahoma City Thunder: Second rematch of the season between last year's NBA Finalists.

February 20, 2013
Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers: Second and last meeting between the NBA's winningest franchises. Possible NBA Finals matchup.

February 21, 2013
Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls: #TheReturn??

February 28, 2013
Philadelphia 76ers at Chicago Bulls: First meeting of the season between these two teams. The Sixers traumatized the Bulls in more ways than one last season. Will this game mark #TheReturn???

April 14, 2013
Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat: Ok, Derrick Rose should be back by now.