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The NBA is set to release the schedule for the first half of the 2020-21 season on Friday. The season will begin on Dec. 22 with the first anticipated slate of the season being Christmas Day, where we already have a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski going over the five games on tap. Here’s a look at the schedule for X-Mas:
Pelicans vs. Heat, 12:00 p.m. ET
Warriors vs. Bucks, 2:30 p.m. ET
Nets vs. Celtics, 5:00 p.m. ET
Mavericks vs. Lakers, 8:00 p.m. ET
Clippers vs. Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. ET
We should be getting the rest of the schedule by the end of the week before the weekend. The schedule released will be for the first half, which runs from Dec. 22 to March 4. After that, there will be an All-Star break — though no All-Star weekend festivities. Then we will get the rest of the schedule leading up to the play-in tournament on May 18-21. After that the 2021 postseason will begin on May 22.
Update, Dec. 4 — Here’s the expected schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Feb. 18, per Shams.
Sources: NBA’s Jan. 18 Martin Luther King Jr. Day schedule on TNT: Suns-Grizzlies in Memphis
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 4, 2020
Bucks-Nets in Brooklyn
Lakers-Warriors in LA
10-game schedule on MLK Day.
Update, Dec. 4 — The schedule is set to be released for the first half of the season shortly at 3 p.m. ET on Friday. We have some details on the Warriors schedule past the first couple of days. Here’s the scoop from Shams Charania and Anthony Slater:
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets will visit the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 13 in a primetime Saturday night game, marking Durant’s return to the Bay, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 4, 2020
The Warriors don't open at home until Jan. 1 against the Blazers, I'm told. They'll face the Blazers again in the Chase Center two days later, on Jan. 3. Every team will have repetitive matchups this season. Part of the necessary scheduling oddities.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 4, 2020
Update, Dec. 2 — The NBA officially announced a handful of dates early in the season that were previously reported. The Opening Night schedule was confirmed as Nets-Warriors and Lakers-Clippers. We also know that Dec. 23 will feature Celtics vs. Bucks and Mavericks vs. Suns. The NBA also confirmed the Christmas Day slate that was reported by Woj on Tuesday.
NBA schedule dates:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 2, 2020
Dec. 22: Nets-Warriors, Lakers-Clippers
Dec. 23: Celtics-Bucks, Mavericks-Suns
Dec. 25: Pelicans-Heat, Warriors-Bucks, Nets-Celtics, Mavericks-Lakers, Clippers-Nuggets
Update, Dec. 2 — The NBA opening night doubleheader could be way more fun than Christmas. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the doubleheader on Dec. 22 could feature the Brooklyn Nets vs. the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Los Angeles Clippers. Again tentative schedule.
The NBA’s tentative Dec. 22 opening night doubleheader on TNT: Nets vs. Warriors in Brooklyn and Lakers vs. Clippers in Los Angeles, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 2, 2020
So we’d be getting the L.A. rivalry renewed with Montrezl Harrell facing his former team. We’d also get Kevin Durant’s first game back from injury coming in his first game against his former team, the Warriors. High drama on TNT on opening night, sign me up!