January NBA Schedule Outlook – East Contenders

Cleveland Cavaliers: Cleveland is off to an amazing start to the season but the schedule grades as one of the weakest in the NBA. Through December 31 the Cavaliers will have played just nine games vs. Western Conference teams but they have seven such games in January alone including two games with the Thunder and Rockets plus games with Dallas and Minnesota for a daunting path in the next month. Cleveland has eight of 15 January games at home as it will remain a home-heavy path for the Cavaliers before a long stretch of mostly road games in late February and March. 

 

Boston Celtics: The defending NBA champions will open 2025 with an incredibly difficult road trip facing Minnesota, Houston, Oklahoma City, and Denver all on the road in the span of six days. There is another four-game road trip vs. quality Western Conference teams in late January ahead for Boston as well with 10 of 16 January games on the schedule away from the Garden. Boston isn’t going anywhere as a top Eastern Conference contender, but it is unlikely that the Celtics will close the gap on the Cavaliers in January. 

 

New York Knicks: The Knicks have played 18 of the team’s first 32 games on the road and have kept pace, sitting third in the Eastern Conference standings, just behind Boston. New York has a favorable January schedule as the Knicks will play only four of 15 January games on the road and one of those games is just across town in Brooklyn. The Knicks do face home and road games vs. the Thunder plus home dates with the Magic, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Nuggets as there are challenging games ahead but all-in-all the Knicks may have a chance to move up with a strong month of January. The Knicks have three remaining games with the Celtics after January and will face a daunting road schedule in March as now is the time to shine for New York to solidify a top four spot in the East standings. 

 

Orlando Magic: The Magic have navigated injuries to maintain a solid position in the Eastern Conference heading into 2025. January should provide the return of Paolo Banchero and given the path ahead, the Magic may need a boost with a challenging January schedule. The Magic have eight road games in January including games in New York, Milwaukee, and Boston. The Magic have home games with the Timberwolves, Bucks, and Nuggets as well. Orlando will play Detroit and Toronto twice each, but the month will end with the start of a six-game road trip into February. 

 

Atlanta Hawks: After making a nice run in the NBA Cup Tournament, The Hawks have proven to be an upstart in the Eastern Conference race. January’s schedule will greatly test the staying power for the Hawks however with eight of the team’s first 10 games on the road including several tough draws with a five-game west coast trip plus road games in Boston and New York. The month will close with the start of a four-game road trip including the first two stops being Minnesota and Cleveland. Atlanta has only five home games in January so it won’t be a shock if the Hawks slip below .500 by the end of the month despite a solid start to the season.

 

Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks have shaken off a 2-8 start to the season and are playing like a true contender. The NBA Cup title was a galvanizing moment and while the overall ledger is uneven, Milwaukee has a chance to continue a positive trajectory into January to climb higher in the Eastern Conference standings. The Bucks have eight road games in January but four of those will be at the end of the month in a west coast trip and the matchups aren’t overly daunting. The Bucks will only play three games all month vs. the five teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings and none of those will be against the Celtics or Cavaliers.