2010/11 NBA Schedule: See Every Team's Schedule Here

The Ten Best Games Of The 2010/11 Season By Month: March/April

It's often tough to tell which games are the ones to watch as we go down the stretch of the 2010/11 NBA schedule. Nevertheless, here's ten games we think will be good ones in March and April:

10.  Oklahoma City Thunder at Atlanta Hawks: March 4, 7:30 p.m.

9.  Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls: March 15, 8:00 p.m.

8.  Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz: April 15, 8:00 p.m.

7.  Washington Wizards at Los Angeles Clippers: March 23, 10:30 p.m.

6.  Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls: April 7, 8:00 p.m., TNT

5.  Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers: April 10, 9:30 p.m., NBATV

4.  Orlando Magic at Los Angeles Lakers: March 14, 10:30 p.m., ESPN

3.  Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers: March 29, 7:00 p.m.

2.  Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat: March 10, 8:00 p.m., TNT

1.  Miami Heat at Boston Celtics: April 10, 3:30 p.m., ABC

The Ten Best Games Of The 2010/11 Season By Month: February

The 2010/11 NBA schedule in February features the return of two free agent power forwards to the old teams. It also features the All-Star Game in Los Angeles, which will surely include three-fifths of the Heat's starting lineup. Here are the 10 games to watch in February:

10.  Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs: February 23, 8:00 p.m.

As great as the Thunder were last year, they had their problems with the cagey Spurs, especially late in games. Will those same problems resurface in this game? If not, maybe that means the young Thunder kids will be all grown up.

9.  Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers: February 23, 10:30 p.m.

The Lakers never play well in Portland, having lost their last eight games there before a win last March. The two teams have historically been rivals, and the Blazers crowd always gets louder for the Lakers than anyone else. Therefore, I couldn't think of too many better games to kick off the second half of the season.

8.  Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic: February 13, 3:30 p.m., ABC

This rematch of the 2009 Finals would have been more fun if Matt Barnes was a member of the Magic instead of being with the Lakers. Nevertheless, this should be a good one. 

7.  San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers: February 3, 10:30 p.m.

Because Spurs-Lakers is always fun.

6.  2010 NBA All-Star Game: February 20, 8:00 p.m., TNT

The stars play in the city of stars: Los Angeles. What, I'm just getting you ready for the bad puns.

5.  Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics: February 10, 8:00 p.m.

Another rematch of the NBA Finals from last year. The first ABC game should be more fun, but this one should be good regardless.

4.  Miami Heat at Orlando Magic: Feburary 3, 8:00 p.m., TNT

This won't be the first time the Florida teams will play this season, but seeing as Orlando should be Miami's top challenger in the East by this point, this game could carry a lot of weight in the standings.

3.  Chicago Bulls at Utah Jazz: February 9, 9:00 p.m.

Jazz fans still boo Derek Fisher for leaving the city to help his sick daughter. Imagine the reception Carlos Boozer will get.

2.  Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors: February 16, 7:00 p.m.

Raptors fans + Chris Bosh's first game back home=craziness. Vince Carter will be jealous at the bad reception Bosh will get.

1.  Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder: February 27, 2:30 p.m., ABC

The best playoff games of 2010 occurred at Oklahoma City. Therefore, I can't wait for the Lakers to come to town for the first time all season.

The Ten Best Games Of The 2010/11 Schedule By Month: January

January is the month during the 2011 NBA schedule in which the two participants in the epic 2010 NBA Finals - the Lakers and the Celtics - will play for the first time. But that's at the end of the month. What other games do you have to see before then? Here are our ten favorites.

10.  Washington Wizards at Philadelphia 76ers: January 5, 7:00 p.m.

Another homer pick, I know, but I think it's worth noting that this will be Gilbert Arenas' first trip back to Philadelphia since the infamous "finga gunz" incident. I wonder whether he'll pay tribute to that in any sort of way. On second thought, maybe not.

9.  Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers: January 2, 9:00 p.m., NBATV

I realize it's not likely that both Greg Oden and Yao Ming will be healthy for this game, but if they are, it should be a fun battle of well-known centers. If not? These two teams are still intriguing, and the bad blood from a first-round series in 2009 still lingers.

8.  Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets: January 13, 10:30 p.m., TNT

Last season, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony put on a show, with Anthony getting the last laugh with this game-winner. This will be the first time they'll be matched up against each other this season. 

7.  Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets: January 21, 10:30 p.m., ESPN

There is no love lost between these two teams after an intense playoff battle in 2009, and that makes for some great basketball, especially in Denver. The Nuggets always get up for the Lakers, especially at home, and usually, that convinces the Lakers to shift into another gear.

6.  Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls: January 15, 8:00 p.m., NBATV

Dwyane Wade returns home to Chicago after a summer in which he sort of pretended to consider signing with the Bulls, but was only really distracting them in the LeBron James chase. I'm guessing most Bulls fans that would attend the game won't understand all of that, but this one should still be fun.

5.  New York Knicks at Phoenix Suns: January 7, 10:30 p.m., ESPN

Amare Stoudemire makes his return to Phoenix for the first time this season. There will be offense. There will probably not be a lot of defense.

4.  Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers: January 17, 10:30 p.m., TNT

3.  Miami Heat at Oklahoma City Thunder: January 30, 1:00 p.m., ABC

"THE HUMBLE STAR" vs. "THE GUY WHO WANTED ATTENTION." What, I'm just preparing you for the dumb ABC marketing campaign surrounding this game.

2.  Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics: January 17, 8:00 p.m., TNT

The Magic's season ended on this floor last year. This will be the first time they will return in 2011.

1.  Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers: January 30, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Wait, so ABC's first big game is a rematch of last year's Finals? How original!

In all seriousness, I'm interested to see if the Shaq/Kobe part of this adds to the intrigue. Okay, not really. But still, it's a rematch of one of the best Finals in recent memory. That'll be fun.

The Ten Best Games Of The 2010/11 Schedule By Month: December

There are many great games on the NBA 2010/11 December calendar, but two stand out above the rest, and they both involve a player that rhymes with SaJohn Lames. (And no, that didn't make any sense. Sorry). Here are the ten games you need to watch in December.

10.  Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs: December 28, 8:30 p.m.

The Lakers-Spurs rivalry is kind of old at this point, considering they haven't met in the playoffs since 2008 (and before that, 2004). However, with the Spurs retooled and younger this season, thanks to newcomers Tiago Splitter and James Anderson, they could be the biggest threat to LA in the West. This might be an early tuneup for both.

9.  Denver Nuggets at New York Knicks: December 12, Noon

"WE WANT MELO! WE WANT MELO!"

-Knicks fans.

8.  Miami Heat at New York Knicks: December 17, 7:00 p.m., ESPN

The first of several "return games" of sorts for LeBron James on this list. No, he never played in New York, and no, New York never hated his guts. But many Knicks fans still feel the team threw away two years to get him, and in the end, he went elsewhere. I look forward to seeing what kind of reception he'll get.

7.  Miami Heat at Washington Wizards: December 18, 7:00 p.m., NBATV

CRAB DRIBBLE!

6.  Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks: December 17, 9:30 p.m., ESPN

The Suns may have a completely new look this year, because of the loss of Amare Stoudemire, but whenever Steve Nash plays Dirk Nowitzki, fun things happen. Mavericks-Suns games rarely disappoint, no matter where either is in the standings, and I don't expect that to change on this night. Get ready for some great offense and a great finish.

5.  Washington Wizards at Sacramento Kings: December 8, 10:00 p.m.

College teammates John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins will play each other for the first time. Considering just how much each player raised the other's stock while in college (Wall needed a big man like Cousins who could finish anything around the basket; Cousins needed an elite PG like Wall to get him the ball), it'll probably be odd for both to be on opposite teams.

4.  Sacramento Kings at Oklahoma City Thunder: December 17, 8:00 p.m.

The casual NBA fan probably thinks this is way too high. But here's the thing: if there's any team poised for a Thunder-like breakout this year, it's the Kings. They already have their franchise cornerstone in Tyreke Evans, who is probably going to make a major jump this year. They have Cousins, who could dominate inside from Day 1. Finally, they have some other nice young players and a coach (Paul Westphal) that can deal with all the pieces. (Okay, maybe I'm reaching on that last one, but work with me here). Maybe the Kings disappoint, but there's a chance this could be Young Guns I vs. Young Guns II.

3.  Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic: December 25, 2:30 p.m., ABC

A rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals. Will Dwight Howard be able to score on the Celtics one-on-one with Kendrick Perkins injured?

2.  Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers: December 25, 5:00 p.m., ABC

For obvious reasons.

1.  Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers: December 2, 8:00 p.m, TNT

For more obvious reasons.

The Ten Best Games Of The 2010/11 Schedule, By Month: October/November

The best games of the NBA's 2010/11 October and November schedule are invariably skewed toward the opening week. Nevertheless, there are some interesting games at other times on the calendar. Here are the ten games you absolutely need to watch.

10.  Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers: October 26, 10:00 p.m., TNT

The Lakers will open up the season at home on opening night, as usual, so I'm not really excited about this game because of them. No, I'm excited because this should mark Yao Ming's return to the court. The Rockets could potentially be very interesting this year, with three excellent standstill three-point shooters (Kevin Martin, Aaron Brooks and Trevor Ariza) surrounding one of the best high post passers in basketball. This will be our first chance to see if Yao's feet can hold up their end of the bargain.

9.  Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Clippers: November 25, 10:30 p.m., TNT

This is a Thanksgiving game for the basketball junkies. On one side, you have DeMarcus Cousins, who dominated the NBA's Summer League despite being a post-up big man (the kind of players who always struggle out in Vegas). On the other, you have Blake Griffin, last year's number one pick. I look forward to seeing them battle each other in this one.

8.  Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: October 31, 7:00 p.m.

Unfortunately, this one isn't on national TV, but I'm excited because last year, these two played arguably the best game of the season. Need a reminder?

7.  Philadelphia 76ers at Washington Wizards: November 2, 7:00 p.m.

Okay, so I'm a little biased here, but how cool is it that the Wizards' home opener features John Wall against Evan Turner? I look forward to reviving that contrived "who should go No. 1" argument.

6.  Washington Wizards at Orlando Magic: October 28, 8:00 p.m., TNT

The NBA debut of Wall, combined with the first game in Orlando's new arena? Sounds like fun to me. And this time you can't accuse me of bias.

5.  Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs: November 26, 8:30 p.m.

There are a lot of supposed rivalries in this game, but none are more compelling to me than Spurs-Mavericks. Ever since Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki came into their own, those two teams have been fighting it out at the top of the Western Conference. We've seen some great series' over the years (2003 Western Conference Finals, 2006 Western Conference Semifinals, last year's first-round). This is the first time we'll see these teams play each other this year.

4.  Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks: November 22, 7:00 p.m.

Speaking of budding rivalries, we forget this, but the Hawks owned the Celtics last year. They won all four games against them during the regular season (all great games too), something that went unnoticed as Boston marched to the NBA Finals. The two teams return largely intact, so this one should be fun.

3.  Chicago Bulls at Oklahoma City Thunder: October 28, ESPN, 8:00 p.m.

Derrick Rose. Kevin Durant. Two probable 50-win teams. I'm in.

2.  Miami Heat at Boston Celtics: October 26, TNT, 7:30 p.m.

I know, I know, it's the debut for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. But honestly, I'm worried this one could be a rout, since Boston always struggles with fast wing players. Therefore, this game gets second instead of ...

1.  Orlando Magic at Miami Heat: October 29, ESPN, 8:00 p.m.

... this one. Orlando is a legitimate threat to Miami, and this will also be the Heat's home opener. Give me this game instead of the October 26 one (though both will of course be great).

A List Of Each NBA Team's 2010/11 Back-To-Back Sets

Basketball Prospectus' Bradford Doolittle has a list of how many sets of back-to-back games each NBA team is playing. Here it is, with a breakdown of those games in parenthesis.

1. CHI 23
2. MIL 23
3. CHA 22
4. CLE 22
5. LAC 22
6. NJN 22
7. PHI 22
8. POR 22
9. DET 21
10. HOU 21
11. IND 21
12. MEM 21
13. NY 21
14. WAS 21
15. DAL 20
16. ORL 20
17. BOS 19
18. DEN 19
19. MIA 19
20. MIN 19
21. TOR 19
22. UTA 19
23. GSW 18
24. NO 18
25. SAC 18
26. SAS 18
27. ATL 17
28. OKC 17
29. PHX 16
30. LAL 15

There will certainly be snickers from the peanut gallery about the fact that the Lakers only have 15 back-to-backs, but this is not uncommon for them. 

The Complete List Of NBA 2010-11 Home Openers

Now that we know the full NBA schedule for the 2010-11 season, we can start picking apart the details.

First up: Here's a complete list of the home openers for all 30 NBA teams; mark your calendars accordingly.

• Hawks: October 30 vs. Wizards
• Celtics: October 26 vs. Heat (on TNT)
• Bobcats: October 29 vs. Pacers
• Bulls: October 30 vs. Pistons
• Cavaliers: October 27 vs. Celtics
• Mavericks: October 27 vs. Bobcats
• Nuggets: October 27 vs. Jazz
• Pistons: October 29 vs. Thunder
• Warriors: October 27 vs. Rockets
• Rockets: October 30 vs. Nuggets
• Pacers: October 30 vs. 76ers
• Clippers: October 27 vs. Blazers (ESPN)
• Lakers: October 26 vs. Rockets (TNT)
• Grizzlies: October 27 vs. Hawks
• Heat: October 29 vs. Magic (ESPN)
• Bucks: October 30 vs. Bobcats
• Timberwolves: October 27 vs. Kings
• Nets: October 27 vs. Pistons
• Hornets: October 27 vs. Bucks
• Knicks: October 30 vs. Trail Blazers
• Thunder: October 27 vs. Bulls (ESPN)
• Magic: October 28 vs. Wizards
• 76ers: October 27 vs. Heat
• Suns: October 29 vs. Lakers (ESPN)
• Blazers: October 26 vs. Suns
• Kings: November 1 vs. Raptors
• Spurs: October 27 vs. Pacers
• Raptors: October 27 vs. Knicks
• Jazz: October 28 vs. Suns (TNT)
• Wizards: November 2 vs. Sixers

The Full 2010/11 NBA Schedule Is Out

The NBA released the rest of the 2010/11 NBA Schedule today. We will have more analysis to come, but for now, here's where you can find each team's schedule.

(Also see: the full ESPN/ABC schedule here, the full TNT schedule here and the full NBATV schedule here).

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Charlotte
• Chicago
• Cleveland
• Dallas
• Denver
• Detroit
• Golden State
• Houston 
• Indiana
• LA Clippers
• LA Lakers
• Memphis
• Miami
• Milwaukee
• Minnesota
• New Jersey
• New Orleans
• New York
• Oklahoma City
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Portland
• Sacramento
• San Antonio
• Toronto
• Utah
• Washington

2010/11 NBA Schedule: The Full List Of 'Marquee' NBA Matchups

We've broken down some of the key games in separate StoryStream updates, but here's a full list of all the games that were announced on NBATV just now. All times are Eastern.

Season Opener, October 26, TNT

• Miami Heat at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. 
• Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m. 

2010/11 NBA Schedule: Magic/Celtics Highlights Martin Luther King Day Quadruple-header

Last season, the NBA televised a slate of games on Martin Luther King Day for the first time. They will do it again in 2010/11, with a four-game slate that includes a rematch of the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals between the Magic and Celtics.

Here's the full MLK Day slate:

• 1:00 p.m. EDT: Chicago Bulls at Memphis Grizzlies, ESPN.
• 4:00 p.m. EDT: Sacramento Kings at Atlanta Hawks, NBATV.
• 8:00 p.m. EDT: Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics, TNT.
• 10:30 p.m. EDT: Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers, TNT.

2010/11 NBA Schedule: Rest Of Opening-Week Slate Features John Wall's Debut

The NBA has also released the rest of the first week of the 2010/11 NBA television schedule. The slate is highlighted by a fun Derrick Rose-Kevin Durant matchup and the debut of Wizards' No. 1 overall pick John Wall. All times EDT:

ESPN, October 27

• 8:00 p.m.: Chicago Bulls at Oklahoma City Thunder
• 10:30 p.m.: Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers.

2010/11 NBA Schedule: Heat/Lakers Headlines Five-Game Christmas Slate

The NBA has just announced it's five-game slate for Christmas Day, and the headline matchup features the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers against most people's paper champion, the Miami Heat. Here's the full slate (all times EDT):

• Noon: Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks, ESPN
• 2:30 p.m.: Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic, ABC
• 5:00 p.m.: Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers, ABC
• 8:00 p.m.: Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN.
• 10:30 p.m.: Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors, ESPN.

2010/11 NBA Schedule: Heat/Celtics, Rockets/Lakers To Play In TNT Season-Opening Doubleheader October 26

The NBA has just announced the teams that will play in TNT's season-opening doubleheader on October 26. Unsurprisingly, the Miami Heat, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, are involved, as are the defending-champion Lakers.

The doubleheader will feature the following two games:

• Miami Heat at Boston Celtics: 7:30 p.m. EDT
• Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers: 10:30 p.m. EDT

When Will LeBron James And The Heat Visit Cleveland?

According to Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the matchup that everyone’s been waiting for will happen on December 2nd, when Miami visits Cleveland in primetime.

The long-awaited matchup will be televised by TNT, giving national audiences a firsthand look at the reception from Cavs fans to their hero-turned-villain, LeBron James. Will they shower him with boos? Will they feign indifference? Will they go with the best option of all, and collectively boycott the game, leaving LeBron to play in an empty arena?

According to Windhorst, we’ll find out on December 2nd.

The 2010-11 NBA Schedule Reportedly Begins In Boston With Heat-Celtics

According to the Boston Globe, the Miami Heat will travel to Boston to open the 2010 season against the Celtics. From the Globe:

Miami’s new Big Three will be making their regular-season debut against the Celtics’ Big Three at TD Garden.

According to a league sources, the revamped Heat, featuring the daunting trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, will open the NBA season against the Celtics Oct. 26, a clash that will be nationally televised by TNT.

So, given some of the reports thus far, the current slate of opening week games looks something like this:

• Heat at Celtics, October 26th
• Wizards at Magic, October 27th
• Celtics at Cavaliers, October 27th
• Rockets at Lakers, TBD
• Heat at Magic, October 28th

Those matchups are all subject to change, but for now, that’s what we’ve got. Stay tuned.

NBA Schedule To Be Released Tonight, And Nobody Knows Anything

The NBA is poised to release the 2010-2011 schedule of "marquee games" at 7 p.m. Tuesday night, but with the "Selection Special" looming, there have been conflicting reports as to which teams will be featured in the NBA's opening week, let alone the marquee games later in the season.

On Monday, reports surfaced that had the Heat and Magic opening the season (and Orlando's new arena) on October 28th in Orlando. Later on, a report from Cleveland's Brian Windhorst reported the Celtics and Cavaliers would be opening things on October 27th. Now, Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears adds a wrinkle:

LeBron-Heat open @ BOS Oct 26, sources tell Y! Wiz Wall debuts Oct 27 @ ORL. Rumor is Lakers open versus Rockets in Yao's possible return.

So as of this moment, what do we know in advance of tonight's special? Nothing, really, except that some combination of the Celtics, Heat, Magic, Lakers, and possibly the Rockets or Cavaliers will be involved in the season-opening festivities in 2010. But you probably could have guessed that on your own. 

For now, sit tight, and as news becomes more concrete, we'll keep you updated.

Report: Boston Celtics Will Open Season At Cleveland

With LeBron gone, you’d think Cleveland Plain-Dealer reporter Brian Windhorst would have nothing left to talk about. Well he’s finding things after all, including a report that the Boston Celtics will open the 2010-2011 NBA season October 27th against the Cavaliers in Cleveland.

The Celtics eliminated the Cavs in the playoffs this past season. So while it won’t be the same without LeBron, the bad blood still remains.

Report: Heat And Magic Will Open The NBA Schedule On October 28th

According to a report from the Sports Business Journal, the Orlando Magic will open their brand new Amway Arena against the newly-minted Biggest Villains in the NBA, the Miami Heat.

More important than opening Amway, though, it'll be the tip-off of the 2010-11 NBA season, starting things with a rivalry game that fans have been anticipating since the moment LeBron James announced plans to join the Miami Heat. The gauntlet has been thrown down in the state of Florida, and it's up to the Magic to answer the call.

The rest of the NBA's marquee games won't be announced until Tuesday, but for now, we've got this initial news to whet our appetite. Will LeBron and Kobe face off on Christmas? When do the Heat play in Cleveland? When do the Heat play in New York City? Will the Heat play every game on National TV?

Yeah: Most of the anticipation here surrounds the team that everyone loves to hate.

But for now, we know one thing: The Miami Heat will open the season against their Florida counterparts that everyone seems to have forgotten, in the Magic's new arena, in front of a crowd that will be out for blood from the outset.

This should be fun. We'll have more schedule news as it trickles out from the league office.