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Thursday marks the busiest day of the NBA preseason thus far, with nine games in total on the schedule.
Fans will get a second look at Philadelphia 76ers stud rookie Jahlil Okafor, who looked impressive in his first NBA action, scoring 12 points in 17 minutes. Going up against a Cleveland Cavaliers team that will likely sit LeBron James and start James Jones and Timofey Mozgov in the frontcourt, the polished Okafor should again have his way on the offensive end.
There are several other intriguing youngsters in action Thursday. Denver’s Emmanuel Mudiay has the keys to the Nuggets offense but has looked polarizing in his first two games. Detroit’s Stanley Johnson poured in 26 in his NBA debut, so it will be interesting to see what he does for an encore against the Nets. D’Angelo Russell is questionable with a bruised glute, and if he plays he’ll be worth watching after logging just four minutes in the opener.
In what is perhaps the most compelling game of the day, the Boston Celtics go to Spain to take on Euroleague champs Real Madrid, which can be watched nationally on NBA TV.
Here’s a look at the complete schedule and viewing information for Thursday. Note that some games aren’t being televised, while others will only be shown on NBA League Pass.
NBA Preseason Schedule: Thursday, October 8
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Celtics at Real Madrid (3 p.m. ET): NBA TV, NBA TV Canada, CSNNE
Cavaliers at 76ers (7 p.m. ET): NBA TV, NBA TV Canada, CSN, Fox Sports Ohio
Magic at Pacers (7 p.m. ET): No TV
Nets at Pistons (7:30 p.m. ET): No TV
Haifa Maccabi at Grizzlies (8 p.m. ET): No TV
Bulls at Nuggets (9 p.m. ET): NBA League Pass, WPWR
Warriors at Trail Blazers (10 p.m. ET): NBA League Pass, CSNNW
Spurs at Kings (10 p.m. ET): NBA League Pass, CSN-CA
Raptors at Lakers (10 p.m. ET): NBA TV, NBA TV Canada, TWC SportsNet