Orlando Magic 2022-2023 schedule announced

The Paolo Banchero era will officially begin on October 19.

We knew that already, but the NBA made it official on Wednesday by unveiling the full 2022-2023 regular-season schedule. So, that’s when the Orlando Magic and their new prized possession will open the season in Detroit against the Pistons.

Opening night for the Magic creates a matchup between the top overall picks in each of the last two drafts, with Banchero and the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham on the same court.

The Magic’s season opener will have plenty of juice with Banchero’s debut, the potential return of Jonathan Isaac (we think?), the start of the sophomore campaign for Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, a new beginning for Markelle Fultz coming off his first fully-healthy offseason, the follow-up to Wendell Carter Jr.’s best season to date and plenty of other intriguing questions and curiosities about the Magic’s rotations.

But Orlando’s second game of the season in Atlanta on Oct. 21 will be equally as intriguing thanks to some random offseason trash talk between Banchero and the Hawks’ recently-acquired guard Dejounte Murray. Chirping between the two Seattle-area products during a pro-am game earlier this month continued on social media...

Perhaps this is the start of an intradivision rivalry the Magic are in need of, and at the very least it’s nice to see that the dates of Magic games are worthy of being leaked by the national media for the first time in a long time.

Orlando opens the season with two straight road games, which is just the second time in franchise history they have done so (2013-2014, losses in Indiana and Minnesota).

Magic fans get their first regular-season look at Banchero the following night during the home opener on Oct. 22 against the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics.

An early-season seven-game homestand, the longest of the Magic’s season, includes matchups with the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Nov. 3, with No. 3 pick Jabari Smith and the Rockets on Nov. 7, with Luka Doncic and the Mavs on Nov. 9, with Chris Paul and the Suns on Nov. 9 and with Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves on Nov. 16.

Other notable home games include Steve Clifford’s return to Amway Center as coach of the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 28; a two-game set in Orlando against the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 25 and Nov. 27; Murray’s first game with the Hawks in Orlando on Nov. 30; Giannis and the Bucks on Dec. 5; a two-game set with reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes and the Raptors on Dec. 9 and Dec. 11; LeBron and the Lakers on Dec. 27; Holmgren and the Thunder on Jan. 4; Ja Morant and the Grizzlies on Jan. 5; Zion and the Pelicans on Jan. 20; reigning two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Feb. 9; and whatever remains of the Brooklyn Nets on March 26.

Despite Banchero joining an up-and-coming Magic core, there’s still not much love for the Magic nationally. But their road game against the Thunder on Nov. 1, the first matchup between Banchero and No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren, will air on TNT. The Magic also have three appearances on NBA TV, including their fourth game of the season on Oct. 28 against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, a matchup with the Suns in Phoenix on March 16 and a home game against the Knicks on March 23.

The Magic have 13 back-to-backs on the schedule. The Magic longest road trip of the season is a five-game stretch from Jan. 7 to Jan. 15, beginning with a matchup against the Warriors. Markelle Fultz returns to Philadelphia for a two-game set on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1.

Orlando closes the regular season in Miami on April 9.

Here is the full Orlando Magic 2022-2023 schedule:

October – PRESEASON

Mon. 3 @ Memphis 8 p.m.

Thu. 6 @ San Antonio 8:30 p.m.

Fri. 7 @ Dallas 8:30 p.m.

Tue. 11 MEMPHIS 7 p.m.

Fri. 14 CLEVELAND 7 p.m.

October – REGULAR SEASON

Wed. 19 @ Detroit 7 p.m.

Fri. 21 @ Atlanta 7:30 p.m.

Sat. 22 BOSTON 7 p.m.

Mon. 24 @ New York 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)

Wed. 26 @ Cleveland 7 p.m.

Fri. 28 CHARLOTTE 7 p.m.

Sun. 30 @ Dallas 7:30 p.m.

November

Tue. 1 @ Oklahoma City 7:30 p.m. (TNT)

Thu. 3 GOLDEN STATE 7 p.m.

Sat. 5 SACRAMENTO 5 p.m.

Mon. 7 HOUSTON 7:15 p.m.

Wed. 9 DALLAS 7 p.m.

Fri. 11 PHOENIX 7 p.m.

Mon. 14 CHARLOTTE 7 p.m.

Wed. 16 MINNESOTA 7 p.m.

Fri. 18 @ Chicago 8 p.m.

Sat. 19 @ Indiana 7 p.m.

Mon. 21 @ Indiana 7 p.m.

Fri. 25 PHILADELPHIA 7 p.m.

Sun. 27 PHILADELPHIA 6 p.m.

Mon. 28 @ Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.

Wed. 30 ATLANTA 7 p.m.

December

Fri. 2 @ Cleveland 7:30 p.m.

Sat. 3 @ Toronto 8 p.m.

Mon. 5 MILWAUKEE 7 p.m.

Wed. 7 L.A. CLIPPERS 7 p.m.

Fri. 9 TORONTO 7 p.m.

Sun. 11 TORONTO 6 p.m.

Wed. 14 ATLANTA 7 p.m.

Fri. 16 @ Boston 7:30 p.m.

Sun. 18 @ Boston 3 p.m.

Mon. 19 @ Atlanta 7:30 p.m.

Wed. 21 @ Houston 8 p.m.

Fri. 23 SAN ANTONIO 7 p.m.

Tue. 27 L.A. LAKERS 7 p.m.

Wed. 28 @ Detroit 7 p.m.

Fri. 30 WASHINGTON 7 p.m.

January

Wed. 4 OKLAHOMA CITY 7 p.m.

Thu. 5 MEMPHIS 7 p.m.

Sat. 7 @ Golden State 8:30 p.m.

Mon. 9 @ Sacramento 10 p.m.

Tue. 10 @ Portland 10 p.m.

Fri. 13 @ Utah 9 p.m.

Sun. 15 @ Denver 8 p.m.

Fri. 20 NEW ORLEANS 7 p.m.

Sat. 21 @ Washington 7 p.m.

Mon. 23 BOSTON 7 p.m.

Wed. 25 INDIANA 7 p.m.

Fri. 27 @ Miami 8 p.m.

Sat. 28 CHICAGO 7 p.m.

Mon. 30 @ Philadelphia 7 p.m.

February

Wed. 1 @ Philadelphia 7 p.m.

Fri. 3 @ Minnesota 8 p.m.

Sun. 5 @ Charlotte 1 p.m.

Tue. 7 NEW YORK 7 p.m.

Thu. 9 DENVER 7 p.m.

Sat. 11 MIAMI 7 p.m.

Mon. 13 @ Chicago 8 p.m.

Tue. 14 @ Toronto 7:30 p.m.

17-22 NBA All-Star Break (Salt Lake City, UT)

Thu. 23 DETROIT 7 p.m.

Sat. 25 INDIANA 7 p.m.

Mon. 27 @ New Orleans 8 p.m.

March

Wed. 1 @ Milwaukee 8 p.m.

Fri. 3 @ Charlotte 7 p.m.

Sun. 5 PORTLAND 6 p.m.

Tue. 7 MILWAUKEE 7 p.m.

Thu. 9 UTAH 7 p.m.

Sat. 11 MIAMI 7 p.m.

Tue. 14 @ San Antonio 8 p.m.

Thu. 16 @ Phoenix 10 p.m. (NBA TV)

Sat. 18 @ L.A. Clippers 3 p.m.

Sun. 19 @ L.A. Lakers 9:30 p.m.

Tue. 21 WASHINGTON 7 p.m.

Thu. 23 NEW YORK 7 p.m. (NBA TV)

Sun. 26 BROOKLYN 6 p.m.

Tue. 28 @ Memphis 8 p.m.

Fri. 31 @ Washington 7 p.m.

April

Sun. 2 DETROIT 6 p.m.

Tue. 4 CLEVELAND 7 p.m.

Thu. 6 CLEVELAND 7 p.m.

Fri. 7 @ Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.

Sun. 9 @ Miami 1 p.m.