New NBA Schedule Features No Late National Start Times On ESPN, TNT, Geographic Series To Reduce Travel

The first half of the NBA 2020-2021 schedule, through the beginning of March, was released Friday as part of a 72-game season across the league this season.

The quick format is that each team will play opponents in its respective conferences three times, representing 42 games, and each of its 15 non-conference opponents home and away for the additional 30 games. The first half of the season will have each team play either 37 or 38 games, per a league source, and 558 of the 1,080 games (51.7%) will be payed in the first half. Each team will average 7.5 road trips in the first half, a 22% proportional drop from last season, and each team will average 2.5 single-game road trips in the first half, 44% proportionally from 2019-2020.

To reduce travel amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the league is instituting what it’s calling a “series” model. In instances where teams are supposed to play two road games in one market, those games will be played consecutively. Each team will play four of these series, two at home and two on the road. And the NBA is trying to make an effort to have teams play road games against teams that are geographically close to one another in one shot to reduce travel during the times of COVID, the league source said.

And in an effort to boost league ratings, or as the league source put it, “a continuous effort to present national television games to the largest possible audience,” the NBA is eliminating the late national doubleheader start times of 8 and 10:30 p.m. eastern, with twinbills starting at either 7 or 7:30 and 9:30 or 10 eastern.

NBA 2020-2021 ABC/ESPN National Schedule

ABC and ESPN will broadcast 49 first half games starting on Dec. 23 when Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks visit Devin Booker, Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns. It continues on Christmas Day with the traditional five matchups as previously announced by the league.

ABC’s flagship Saturday Primetime schedule begins on Jan. 30 when the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers visit the Boston Celtics. It will also feature the Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets twice each. There will also be Sunday ABC games on Feb. 21 when the Celtics visit Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans and Feb. 28 when Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers battle Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Both those games are at 3:30 p.m. eastern.

The ESPN TV schedule through March 3 features a minimum five appearances from the Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, Celtics, Mavericks and Pelicans. The first doubleheader on Jan. 6 features an Eastern Conference Finals rematch between Boston and Miami before the Clippers visit Golden State. On Jan. 15, Doncic and Antetokounmpo go head to head before Williamson and New Orleans take on LeBron and the Lakers.

NBA 2020-2021 TNT National Schedule

TNT will feature 66 games on its schedule, starting with the previously mentioned doubleheader of the Brooklyn Nets hosting the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers playing the Los Angeles Lakers. The network’s marquee Martin Luther King Day tripleheader features the Milwaukee Bucks and Nets and the Lakers against the Warriors.

Tuesday Dec. 22– 7 p.m.Golden State Warriors vs. Brooklyn Nets

10 p.m. LA Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Wednesday Dec. 23- 7:30 p.m.Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics

Tuesday Dec. 29- 7:30 p.m.Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat

10 p.m. New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns

Thursday Jan. 7- 7:30 p.m.Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets

10 p.m.Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets

Thursday Jan. 14- 7:30 p.m.Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers

10 p.m.Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets

Monday Jan. 18- 5 p.m.Phoenix Suns vs. Memphis Grizzlies

7:30 p.m.Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets

10 p.m.Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Thursday Jan. 21– 7:30 p.m.Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks

10 p.m.New Orleans Pelicans vs. Utah Jazz

Thursday Jan. 28- 7 p.m.LA Clippers vs. Miami Heat

9:30 p.m.Portland Trail Blazers vs. Houston Rockets

Tuesday Feb. 2- 7:30 p.m.LA Clippers vs. Brooklyn Nets

10 p.m.Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors

Thursday Feb. 4- 7:30 p.m.Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks

10 p.m.Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Tuesday Feb. 9- 7:30 p.m.Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans

10 p.m. Boston Celtics vs. Utah Jazz

Thursday Feb. 11- 7:30 p.m.Miami Heat vs. Houston Rockets

10 p.m.Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Tuesday Feb. 16- 7:30 p.m.New Orleans Pelicans vs. Memphis Grizzlies

10 p.m.Brooklyn Nets vs. Phoenix Suns

Thursday Feb. 18- 7:30 p.m.Toronto Raptors vs. Milwaukee Bucks

10 p.m.Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Tuesday Feb. 23- 7:30 p.m.Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks

10 p.m.Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets

Thursday Feb. 25- 7 p.m.Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

9:30 p.m.New Orleans Pelicans vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Tuesday March 2- 7:30 p.m.LA Clippers vs. Boston Celtics

10 p.m.Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Thursday March 4- 7 p.m.Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics

9:30 p.m.Miami Heat vs. New Orleans Pelicans