|
Editor's note: Get the VCRs and TIVOs ready, NBA League Pass subscribers. You don't want to miss the following games.
Oct. 29, Opening Day
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers: There are also tilts between the Cleveland and Sacramento and Philadelphia and Orlando, but having the three-time defending world champions on the dockets certainly adds an extra sense of credibility to the proceedings. And they're off...!!!
Oct. 30
Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Clippers: Normally, Yawn. But hey, after all the hubub this summer about trade talks between the teams, this will give Andre Miller the opportunity to show the Cavs they made a mistake by not giving him the max.
Utah Jazz at New Orleans Hornets: Congratulations to Matt Winick for this bit of scheduling wizardry, the first NBA game in New Orleans since the Jazz re-located. The only question that remains is whether Larry H. Miller will announce just before tipoff that he has sold the rights for the name "Jazz" to New Orleans, leaving the public address guy in a quandary about what to call both teams.
Nov. 2
Toronto Raptors at Houston Rockets: This was the day that Hakeem Olajuwon wanted to announce his retirement, but the club was not going to let Olajuwon steal the excitement of Yao Ming's first home game. Yao-Za!
|  | | Coach Frank Johnson, left, may be the only Sun to welcome Jason Kidd back to Phoenix. |
Nov. 9
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets: This is when Olajuwon will announce his retirement. Thanks for the memories, Dream.
Nov. 27
New Jersey Nets at Phoenix Suns: Jason Kidd returning to the Valley of the Sun is always interesting. Last year, he gave his former fans the universal salute for I-am-testing-the-wind-with-my-middle-finger-stuck-in-the-air. As an added bonus, Stephon Marbury and Byron Scott will have a debate on the finer points of teamwork.
Nov. 29
San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns: A chance to see maybe the two best rookies -- Manu Ginobili and Amare Stoudemire -- on the court at the same time. Take my word for it, both are incredibly gifted.
Dec. 4
Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons: Finally, a game that has an interest for Washington that does not involve Michael Jordan. This is Jerry Stackhouse's return to the Motor City for the first time since being dealt to the Wiz. It's a bit anticlimactic because the teams met in the preseason and Stackhouse had a nice reception, but don't they always stress that preseason doesn't count?
Dec. 5
Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks: This is the first time the teams will play since the Glenn Robinson trade. In an added bit of drama, Ray Allen and Big Dog have been taking shots at each other in the newspaper. Of course, Allen complained that Robinson got more shots at him in the paper than he got with Robinson.
Dec. 19
Los Angeles Lakers at New Jersey Nets: In a twist, the Lakers will now run over the Nets in a month other than June.
Dec. 25
Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers: In a bit of holiday goodwill and cheer, we will see if Rick Fox has calmed down yet. Last we heard, he was combing Staples Center for places to jump out of when the Kings' bus comes rolling into the arena.
Jan. 2
Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls: It must be pretty cool walking into an arena that has your statue outside. One good thing for MJ: He won't have to worry about getting tickets for the woman he is suing. So he's got that going for him.
Jan. 3
Orlando Magic at New Orleans Hornets: By this game, we should have a pretty good idea of whether or not Grant Hill is healthy again, and whether he has regained the form that made so many people compare him to Michael Jordan early in his career.
|  | | Glenn Robinson will hear a familiar scream from the sideline in Milwaukee. |
Jan. 14
Atlanta Hawks at Milwaukee Bucks: Big Dog returns to the Bradley Center, where George Karl starts to yell at him because he is not playing enough defense for Lon Kruger.
Jan. 15
New Jersey Nets at Philadelphia 76ers: Somehow, despite being in the same division, these teams managed to wait until mid-January to play. It should give Dikembe Mutombo and Larry Brown a chance to throw elbows at each other, which will only be the undercard for the real showdown -- Kenyon Martin vs. Keith Van Horn. Let's see who gets the final word on this one.
Jan. 19
Dallas Mavericks at Seattle SuperSonics: This will give Mark Cuban a chance to show Rashard Lewis exactly what it is he is missing in Big D by re-signing with the Sonics after flirting with Cuban all summer. Of course, that is assuming that Lewis still is around and his season has not ended with a shoulder injury.
Jan. 22
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers: Nothing notable here, other than the halfway point of the Warriors' season. That's the over-under on Danny Fortson killing one of his teammates.
Jan. 31
Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings: Is it safe to say that Shaquille O'Neal considers Chris Webber the King of Queens?
Feb. 5 and 11
Seattle SuperSonics and Boston Celtics: A home-and-home series between the Sonics and Celtics with the All-Star game in between. My prediction: Vin Baker
will NOT be attending the All-Star festivities as he gets completely bamboozled about playing his former team, then returning to his former haunts to get lustily booed by Seattle's faithful. But I've been wrong before.
Feb. 9
All-Star Game in Atlanta: Phil Jackson will coach the team and force his players to read "How the West was Won."
March 12
Detroit Pistons at Los Angeles Lakers: An otherwise meaningless game, except this marks the time when the Lakers actually start to take an interest in the season.
March 20
Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings: If he were alive today, could Freddie Mercury have played point guard in Mike Bibby's absence?
April 10
Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers: Following up on dropping the puck at an NHL game, Shaquille O'Neal symbolically convinces Queen Elizabeth to toss up the opening tip in the teams' last meeting before the Western Conference finals.
April 16
Utah Jazz at Sacramento Kings: This may be the last regular-season game that Karl Malone and John Stockton play together. One of the best duos of all-time.
April 16
Houston Rockets at Denver Nuggets: Not only is it the last game of the season for the Nuggets, but it very well could be the pivotal game that lets us know whether they are the worst team of all time. Nine wins or bust, baby!
Frank Hughes, who covers the NBA for the The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.), is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
| |
|
