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The month is already three days old, but now it’s time to evaluate December’s schedule now that the Emirates NBA Cup Group Play is complete and the league has announced the 30 games that will be played from December 10th to 16th become.

Here’s a breakdown of the December schedule, including the 25 games already played.

Note 1: To calculate the strength of schedule for the eight teams in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals, their second game of the tournament will be presented as a neutral game against an opponent that is average (in terms of record and their offensive and defensive standings). They were able to play in the semi-finals with two teams.

Note 2: A game with residual advantage (or game with residual disadvantage) is a game in which one team played the day/night before but the other (the team with the advantage) did not. Through December 3, the teams are 45-36 (.556) in residual advantage games, 24-18 (.571) at home and 21-18 (.538) on the road.

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Strength of schedule in December

Here’s a look at the December schedule for each team, ranked from toughest (in terms of opponent’s cumulative win percentage) to easiest:

OppPCT = Opponent’s Cumulative Winning Percentage (as of December 3)
B2B = Back-to-Backs (including two back-to-backs from November 31st to December 1st)
H | R = home games | Street games

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Eastern Conference Notes

• The Hawks have a relatively home-heavy December (seven or eight of 12 games at State Farm Arena), but their longest road trip of the season (six games over 12 days) begins December 29th. Three of their first four December games (including Wednesday at Milwaukee) are residual advantage games.

• The Celtics have the league’s most home-intensive December schedule with 10 of their 14 games at TD Garden. They currently have two games in their first stretch of five games in seven days, but after that stretch is complete, only one of their final nine games in December (December 23 in Orlando) will be against a team that currently has a winning record can.

• The networks are 6-1 against the Western Conference (and 3-12 within the East), so they should be happy they got one of the two interconference games announced early Wednesday. The game is against the team (Memphis) they beat twice.

• The Hornets are playing eight of their Dec. 12 games in the East’s final six, including three games against the Sixers (including a six-point loss on Tuesday) and two each against the Bulls and Wizards.

• The Bulls are 1-7 against the Western Conference, but play 11 of their December 12 games in the East. The only exception is a game in San Antonio on Thursday.

• The Cavs are 4-0 against the West but will face some tough interconference tests this month. They host the Nuggets on Thursday. After Christmas, they embark on a four-game trip with visits to Denver, Golden State, the Lakers and Dallas.

• The Pistons played the highest number of games in the league with 22 games through November and is the only team with fewer than 12 games this month. They only have 10, and only three of them are at home.

• The heat The East has the second-toughest schedule in December in terms of opponents’ overall winning percentage (.577) and is the only East team with four consecutive games in December.

• The dollar have the league’s easiest December schedule in terms of opposing defenses, with only seven of their 12 games coming against teams on that end of the floor that are currently ranked in the bottom 10. This includes two games each against the Bulls and Nets.

• The Curtsy have by far the league’s easiest December schedule in terms of overall opponent win percentage, with 10 of their 14 games through Tuesday coming against teams with a losing record. This includes two games each against the two teams – New Orleans and Washington – that are ranked in the bottom three on both ends of the floor. They started the month with a 33-point win over the Pelicans.

• The magic have the longest homestand in the league this month, and it could be even longer. Right now it’s six games in 11 days (December 19-29) and includes two separate visits from the Heat. But if the Magic and Knicks lose in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the Knicks would play in Orlando on December 15th, which means Seven-Game Homestand.

• The Sixers have two six-game road trips this season, with the first starting with the Christmas game in Boston and then taking them west.

• The is until November 30th wizard had played the league’s toughest schedule in terms of opponents’ overall win percentage. Relief won’t come this month. Ten of their games on December 12th will be against teams with winning records (and top-10 offenses). December started with a 31-point loss in Cleveland and next week they’re back at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

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Western Conference Notes

• The Mavs are one of the hottest teams in the league and have won nine of their last ten games. That includes a win in Oklahoma City, where they also won two games in the 2024 playoffs. They’ll be back in OKC next week for the NBA Cup quarterfinals.

• The Nuggets are one of seven teams with three five-game stretches in seven days this season. Their first game will be December 22-28 and includes a home game against the Suns. The second of the two games is their Christmas game in Phoenix.

• The warrior have three homestands this season with at least six games, with the first (six games over 11 days) starting on December 28th and taking them into the new year. Their game against the Rockets on Thursday marks the start of seven straight games (depending on NBA Cup results) against teams currently ranked in the top seven defensively (including three games against Minnesota).

• The Rockets are the only team that hasn’t had a rest advantage game yet, and their first isn’t until December 29th when they host the Heat.

• The Hair clippers are the only team that has no games against the Eastern Conference in December (currently 5-1 vs. the East). They will play eight of 10 away games from December 19th to January 8th, a stretch that begins with a big two-game series in Dallas.

• Nine of them LakersThe first games on Dec. 10 will be against teams currently at or below .500, although that includes a 29-point loss (with a residual disadvantage) at Minnesota on Monday. Luckily, that was their only encounter that month.

• The is until December 26th Grizzlies will have played 18 of its 31 games at home. But starting December 27th, they will play nine of 11 games away from home.

• The Wolves are one of two teams – the other being the Blazers – that haven’t played a back-to-back game in December, and they have a league-most four remaining advantage games. But they are the only team that, as of Tuesday, has not played a single December game against teams with losing records. Eleven of their 12 play against teams currently over .500, and they will begin a three-game trip on Dec. 23 against the 11-11 Hawks.

• Things don’t get any easier for them Pelicans. They have the league’s fourth-toughest schedule in December in terms of overall opponent win percentage, with 10 of their 13 games through Tuesday coming against teams with winning records. They’re also one of two teams – the Heat being the other – with four straight games in December. Their longest homestand of the season (five games in 10 days) will take place December 21-30.

• The thunder have the Western Conference’s easiest December schedule in terms of opponents’ cumulative winning percentage (.444), as only five of their 13 games through Tuesday have come against teams with winning records. But they currently have five games in a row, playing 10 (or 11, depending on NBA Cup results) of 14 on the road.

• The Suns were generously given two rescheduled games on Wednesday – in Utah against Portland – despite previously only being scheduled to play three times against the Jazz and Blazers. Through December 27th, they will have played 17 of their 30 games at home and only twice in the Eastern time zone. Therefore, some trips take place in January and February.

• The blazer are one of two teams – the Wolves are the other – that did not meet in December. They have two remaining advantage games this month (the first was a loss on Sunday) and both are at home against the Mavs.

• The Kings are one of five teams with just four away games this month. The new schedule calls for them to travel to New Orleans for just one game, but take a three-day break before and after.

• The Spurs will be the last team to play in the Eastern time zone, doing so for the first time on December 23rd when they begin a four-game road trip (and a stretch in which they play nine of 11 away games) in Philadelphia.

• The jazzThe defeat in Oklahoma City on Tuesday began a phase in which they play eight of nine away games. And they’re only home for two games at the end of the month before another trip to start 2025.

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John Schuhmann is a senior statistical analyst for NBA.com. You can email him here, his archive can be found here and Follow him on X.

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