They will return to Denver for a one-game homestand only four times, and they will leave town for an awkward one-game excursion only six times \u2014 seven fewer than last season in both cases, enabling them to enjoy the comforts of home more.<\/p>\n
The full NBA schedule was unveiled Thursday afternoon, minus two to-be-determined games for each team that will have to wait for the results of the NBA Cup group stage. Here are 10 key games for Nuggets fans to circle on the calendar \u2014 excluding the season opener at Oklahoma City and Christmas nightcap at Golden State, which were already announced Tuesday<\/a>. It goes without saying that those are interesting, premier games.<\/p>\n Tip times are listed in MT. Nationally broadcasted games are denoted by the TV network or streaming service on which they\u2019ll appear.<\/p>\n Nov. 2 vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 7 p.m.<\/p>\n Denver\u2019s home opener on Oct. 24 against the Pelicans will certainly be intriguing, as fans will greet the team in a competitive environment for the first time since last season ended on the road in an abrupt and embarrassing fashion<\/a>. But the third home game of the year is even more worth watching. Jokic\u2019s pal Micah Nori has taken over as Portland\u2019s head coach, and he\u2019s tasked with finding a synergy between wild card newcomer Ja Morant and franchise icon Damian Lillard, who\u2019s coming off a torn Achilles tendon and should return to the court as a Blazer for the first time since 2023, a week before this matchup.<\/p>\n Speaking of Achilles injuries, this game is fascinating for a couple of reasons, primarily because it\u2019s scheduled early in the NBA\u2019s reintroduction of Tyrese Haliburton. He and Jokic might be the two greatest passers in the sport today, point gods of the highest order, following in the footsteps of Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. They combined for 34 assists when they faced off two years ago in Indiana. Also, Mexico City is cool.<\/p>\n Nov. 27 at Utah Jazz, 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n Denver will face the Suns (Oct. 30 in Phoenix), Rockets (Nov. 20 at home), Mavericks (Nov. 24 at home) and Jazz in the NBA Cup group stage. It\u2019s the first time the Nuggets haven\u2019t found themselves in a \u201cgroup of death\u201d since 2023. And this will be the grand finale, potentially with a trip to the knockout stage on the line, if you care about those things. If you don\u2019t? Utah is still a more interesting opponent than it has been in recent years, with No. 2 overall draft pick Darryn Peterson arriving and Jaren Jackson Jr. joining the frontcourt.<\/p>\n Dec. 19 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 7 p.m.<\/p>\n Jokic vs. Doncic is always appointment viewing, and the Lakers have reassembled their roster to better suit Luka\u2019s needs this offseason. JJ Redick will naturally be eager to put Jokic in as many actions as possible. This will be the three-time MVP\u2019s first time trying to defend the Doncic-Walker Kessler pick-and-roll, which Los Angeles clearly expects to be a dominant bread-and-butter play for years to come. These teams meet again in Hollywood four days later.<\/p>\n And then on the other side of Christmas, on the second night of a back-to-back, the Nuggets face their first encounter with the LaMelo Ball-Anthony Edwards tandem. Bitter playoff memories could bubble to the surface in this two-game series, which begins in Denver and switches to Minnesota on New Year\u2019s Eve. The Wolves made a big offseason change to their lineup, but Jaden McDaniels and his trash-talking ways<\/a> haven\u2019t gone anywhere.<\/p>\n Jan. 11 at New York Knicks, 5:30 p.m. (Peacock)<\/p>\n The annual trip to Madison Square Garden, which is not only the world\u2019s most famous arena but also the home of the champions now. Jalen Brunson scored 42 points when the Nuggets visited last season, lifting the Knicks to a double-overtime win. Playing in that game was so fun, Jamal Murray said afterward, that he didn\u2019t even notice when Peyton Watson left the floor with a hamstring injury that altered the course of Denver\u2019s season.<\/p>\n Jan. 21 vs. Washington Wizards, 7 p.m.<\/p>\n Nobody knows what to make of the Wizards. They\u2019re a remarkably strange team, blessed with the No. 1 overall pick in this year\u2019s draft lottery (AJ Dybantsa), yet also suddenly headlined by Anthony Davis and Trae Young. Their mix of compelling young talent and overpriced star power has resulted in a wide range of predictions for their season. In any case, they should be an interesting opponent for Denver to host a couple of weeks before the trade deadline.<\/p>\n Feb. 28 at San Antonio Spurs, 11 a.m. (ABC)<\/p>\n For the second consecutive year, you\u2019re gonna have to wait to watch Jokic and Victor Wembanyama go head-to-head in the post. They didn\u2019t share the court until April 6 last season, due to a combination of scheduling and injury misfortune. But when they finally did match up, it was everything a hoops fan dreamt it would be. The power structure has shifted since then. Wembanyama has led San Antonio to the NBA Finals. It\u2019s his league, not Jokic\u2019s. Until further notice.<\/p>\n March 14 vs. Miami Heat, 5:30 p.m. (NBC)<\/p>\n Denver\u2019s two meetings with the new-look Heat are both in March; the game in Miami is scheduled for a week after this. Will the physicality and rim protection of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins make the Nuggets\u2019 mighty offense look bad? Or will Miami\u2019s utter lack of spacing do the improbable and make their defense look good? A fun subplot here: Tim Hardaway Jr. returns to Ball Arena, likely to the tune of a standing ovation.<\/p>\n March 28 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 8 p.m. (NBC)<\/p>\n If these 10 games were ranked on a scale of anticipation, rather than listed chronologically, Philly\u2019s visit to Ball Arena would be a pretty obvious No. 1. Where to start? It might be LeBron James\u2019 last game in Denver. It might be Joel Embiid\u2019s first game in Denver in seven and a half years (or it might not be \u2014 great theater either way). And it\u2019s an up-close look at the NBA\u2019s newest superteam, featuring Jaylen Brown vs. Aaron Gordon and Tyrese Maxey vs. Jamal Murray and even a cameo from old friend Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. When the Sixers come to town, it\u2019ll be the hottest ticket of the season.<\/p>\n![\"Tyrese](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2208368683.jpg\")
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers drives against Aaron Gordon #32 of the Denver Nuggets during the third quarter at Ball Arena on April 6, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds\/Getty Images)
\nNov. 7 at Indiana Pacers (Mexico City), 3 p.m.<\/p>\n![\"Jaden](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TDP-L-NUGGETS-TWOLVESAO1_6179x_9ac667.jpg\")
Jaden McDaniels (3) of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends Jamal Murray (27) of the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter of Game 6 of their NBA Playoffs series at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz\/The Denver Post)
\nDec. 28 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)<\/p>\n