Defending champion San Antonio tips off NBQA’s 69th season as league releases 2014-15 game and broadcast schedules. This opening week features 11 games in six days on TNT, ESPN, and NBA TV.
NBA releaseed its complete game schedule for ABC, TNT, ESPN, NBA TV and NBA on ESPN Radio for the upcoming season, with the reigning champion San Antonio Suprs tipping of league’s 2014-15 campaign at home against the Dallas Mavericks.
The NBA’s 69th season begins on Tuesday, October 28 with a TNT doubleheader, marking the 19th straight year the network has tipped off with two games on the season’s first night. In keeping with NBA tradition, the defending NBA champion Spurs will be home on opening night to receivbe their rings in a nationally televised ceremony as part of TNT’s pregame coverage, which begins at 7 p.m. ET.
After the ceremony, the Spurs will host Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks at 8 p.m. ET, with Kobe Bryant returning to action in the nightcap as the Los Angeles Lakers, with new coach Byron Scott, host James Harden and the Hosuton Rockets (10:30 p.m. ET).
ESPN begins its 13th consecutive year of NBA coverage with two doubleheaders during opening week. On Wednesday, October 29, the first game of the evening’s doubledip features Chicago Bulls, with Derrick Rose and reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah, visiting Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks, at 8 p.m. ET. In the second game, reigning MVP Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder travel to Portland to take on LaMarcus Aldridge and tyhe Trail Blazersat 10:30 p.m. ET.
Opening week continues on TNT on Thursday, Oct. 30, with the Cleveland and Cavaliers – in Lebron James’ first game back with his original team after spending four seasons and winning two champsionships with the Miami Heat – hosting the Knicks at 8 p.m. ET. The Thunder visits the Los Angeles Clippers in the second game (10:30 p.m. ET).
The second ESPN doubleheader of opening week takes place on Friday, October 31, and features James and the Cavaliers visiting the Bulls at 8 p.m. ET. The nightcap will be a Los Angeles affair as the Lakers host Chri Paul and the Clippers at 10:30 p.m. ET.
NBA TV begins its 97-game schedule wioth three games during opening week, including two games on Saturday, November 1, when the Minnesota Timberwolves host he Bullws at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the Golden State Warriors and new coach Steve Kerr welcoming the Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET). The opening week’s national slate concludes on NBA TV on Sunday, November 2, with the Knicks hosting the newly re-named Charlotte Hornets, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Christmas Day action begins in New York at noon ET on ESPN, when the Knicks and Washington Wizards square off at Madison Square Garden. Action shifts to ABC at 2:30 p.m. ET, as Tony Parker and the Spurs host thet Thunder in a rematch of the 2014 Western Conference Finals. In the second game on ABC (5 p.m. ET), James and the Cavaliers travel to Miami to take on the Heat in the four-time MVP’s return to South Florida. Two more games on TNT complete the holiday extravaganza, as the Lakers visit the Bulls and free agent signee Pau Gasol at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Stephen Curry and the Warriors taking on Blake Griffin and the Clippers in Los Angelesat 10:30 p.m. ET.
Four nationally televised games highlight the NBA’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day schedule, beginning with the Detroit Pistons and new coach Stan Van Gundy visiting the Atlanta Hawks ESPN (2:30 p.m. ET). Action continues on NBA TV at 5 p.m. ET, wioth thet Mavericks travelling to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies, led bythe trio of Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. The day concludes with a doubleheader on TNT, as the Bulls take on the Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the Lakers visiting the Phoenix Suns, looking to build off a 48-win season, at 10:30 p.m. ET.
More highly anticipated TV matchups throughout the regular season include :
*Both matchups between the defending champion Spurs anmd Cavaliers will be televised nationally, with the first game coming in Cleveland on November 19, on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET. James and Cavaliers travel to San Antonio on March 12, on TNT at 8 p.m. ET.
*ABC’s first non-Christmas doubleheader of the season takes place on January 25 and the re-tooled Heat visiting the Bulls (1 p.m. ET), followed by the Thunder and Cavaliers from Cleveland at 3:30 p.m. ET.
*TNT’s doubleheader on March 31 features a rematch of the 2014 Finals in the first game, with the Spurs visiting the Heat t 8 p.m. ET. In he second game, at 10:30 p.m., the Warriors take on the Clippers, who needed seven games to dispatch Golden State in the first round of the 2014 playoffs.
*The Brooklyn Nets, with new coach Lionel Hollins, return to Toronto on December 17, to take on Kyle Lowry and the Raptors on ESPN (8 p.m. ET). These two teams went seven games in the first round of the 2014 playoffs, with Brooklyn winning Game 7 in Toronto.
*The Wizards, coming off a trip to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2005, host the Cavaliers on November 21, on ESPN (8 p.m. ET). In addition to re-signing Marcin Gortat, the Wizards added Paul Pierce to an exciting nucleus that features 2014 All-Star John Wall and Bradley Beal.
*TNT will televise the Lakers qand 16-time NBA All-Star Bryqant as they visit the Thunder and Duranty on March 24 (8 p.m. ET).
*The November 12 game between the Timberwolves and Rockets will take place in Mexico City and will be televised on ESPN (10 p.m. ET). The January 15 game between the Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks will take place in London and televised on NBA TV (3 p.m. ET).
*NBA TV’s doubleheader on January 5 is a star-studded affair featuring Anthony Davisd and the New Orleans Pelicans hosting the Wizards at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Russell Westbrook and the Thunder visiting Klay Thompson and the Warriors (10:30 p.m. ET).
In its 31st year of NBA coverage, TNT will televise 53 regular-season games, including 19 Thursday night doubleheaders. TNT will xclusively televise NBA All-Star 2015 festivities in New York City February 13-15, culminating with the NBA’s 64th All-Star Game on Sunday, February 15.
ESPN will televise 75 regular-season gqmes, including 39 games on Wednesdays and 28 on Fridays. ESPN telecasts are also available via WatchESPN, with nearly all n ESPNmobile V. ESPN Deportes (ESPN’s Spanish-language US sports Network) will also televise select regular-season games. The ABC national television schedule consists of 15 regular-season broadcasts.
The NBA on ABC and ESPN, and NBA TV present flexible scheduling throughout the regularseason in order to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience.
The NBA on ESPN Raqdio’s 29-game regular-season schedule begins opening night, with Dallas at San Antonio (8 p.m. ET). The NBA on ESPN Radio will also broadcast all the events from NBA All-Star 2015.
For the 13th straight season, ABCwill exclusively broadcast The Finals, which tips off in June 2015. This season, TNT is the exclusive home of the 2015 NBA Eastern Conference Finals and ESPN will exclusively televise the 2015 NBA Western Conference Finals.
Once again, NBA LEAGUE PASS will offer up to 40 live out-of-market games each week through television, broadband, and mobile for basketball fans who want to watch their favorite teams, players and matchups from outside their local markets (blackout restrictions apply). Games included in NBA LEAGUE PASS are in addition to those available on ABC, TNT, ESPN, and NBA TV as well as local networks (such as regional sports network and/or over-the-air station). NBA LEAGUE PASS is available through cable, satellite and telco distributors.
NBA.com offers day-by-day and team-by-team schedules of the league’s domestic broadcast partners – ABC, ESPN, TNT, NBA TV, and the NBA on ESPN Radio. Last season, NBA games and programming were seen in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages.
