The NBA Thursday released its complete game schedule for the 2016-17 regular season, which features an opening night with the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the New York Knicks.
The league's 71st season tips off Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, and concludes Wednesday, April 12, 2017. For the first time ever, each team is scheduled to appear on at least one of the league's national television partners.
Christmas Day
The NBA's five-game showcase on Christmas Day (Sunday, Dec. 25) is headlined by a Finals 2016 rematch between the Cavaliers and Warriors in Cleveland at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC. That game is followed on ABC by the Spurs facing the Bulls in San Antonio at 5 p.m. ET.
Christmas Day action begins at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN with Boston visiting New York. In the network's other two Dec. 25 games, the Thunder and Timberwolves match up in Oklahoma City (8 p.m. ET), and the Clippers and Lakers meet at Staples Center (10:30 p.m. ET).
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Four nationally televised games are part of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 16. TNT's doubleheader opens with Cleveland facing Golden State in the Cavaliers' first game at Oracle Arena since completing a historic comeback in Game 7 of The Finals 2016 (8 p.m. ET). The late game pits the Thunder against the Clippers in Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. ET).
More Highly Anticipated Matchups
- NBA TV Fan Night (Tuesday, Nov. 1): Fan Night's season debut is a doubleheader -- Rockets at Cavaliers (7 p.m. ET) and Warriors at Trail Blazers (10 p.m. ET).
- Knicks at Bulls (Friday, Nov. 4, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN): Rose, the 2010-11 Kia NBA MVP with the Bulls, returns to Chicago as a member of the Knicks.
- Bulls at Miami Heat (Thursday, Nov. 10, 8 p.m. ET, TNT): Wade, Miami's all-time leader in scoring, assists and steals, faces his former team for the first time.
- Lakers at 76ers (Friday, Dec. 16, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN): Simmons and the 76ers host Ingram and the Lakers in a matchup between the top two picks in NBA Draft 2016 presented by State Farm.
- NBA Global Games (Jan. 12 and 14): Thursday, Jan. 12 includes NBA Global Games London 2017, a matchup between the Pacers and Nuggets (3 p.m. ET, NBA TV), and NBA Global Games Mexico City 2017, a contest between 2015-16 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns and 13-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. The Suns also play the Spurs in Mexico City on Saturday, Jan. 14, marking the first consecutive regular-season games in Mexico.
- Warriors at Thunder (Saturday, Feb. 11, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC): Durant, the 2013-14 Kia NBA MVP with the Thunder, makes his first regular-season visit to Oklahoma City.
- Timberwolves at Trail Blazers (Thursday, April 6, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT): Three of the last four Kia NBA Rookie of the Year winners -- Portland's Lillard (2012-13) and Minnesota's Andrew Wiggins (2014-15) and Towns (2015-16) -- headline the matchup.
See complete NBA 2016-17 game schedule