Celtics to play two 2024 preseason games in Abu Dhabi vs. Nuggets
Celtics to play two 2024 preseason games in Abu Dhabi vs. Nuggets originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics will be going global later this year.
The Celtics will play two 2024 preseason games against the Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on Oct. 4 and Oct. 6 as part of the 2024 NBA Abu Dhabi Games.
We're excited to announce that the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024 presented by ADQ returns for the third year. NBA icons Boston Celtics & Denver Nuggets will play 2 pre-season games on 4 & 6 October in Abu Dhabi.
#DCTAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/x3WkYP2KXg— Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (@dctabudhabi) March 6, 2024
Celtics vs. Nuggets in Abu Dhabi will be the third installment of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games, which began in 2022 as part of a multi-year partnership between the NBA and Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism.
Current Celtics guard Jrue Holiday participated in the 2022 Abu Dhabi Games when his Milwaukee Bucks played a pair of preseason games against the Atlanta Hawks. Last year's matchups featured the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves.
While the stakes will be low in these preseason contests, there should be plenty of buzz around Celtics vs. Nuggets, which could be a potential 2024 NBA Finals rematch. The Celtics and Nuggets are the current favorites to win their respective conferences and meet in the Finals in June.
The NBA has staged preseason games overseas on a regular basis since 1991 -- the 2007-08 Celtics played preseason games in Rome and London -- but the 2022 matchups in Abu Dhabi marked the league's first games in the Middle East.