The 2011-2012 NBA schedule was released on Tuesday, despite the NBA lockout currently in its third week. Opening week of the (fingers crossed) '11-12 campaign includes four national TV double-headers, with three teams -- the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and, somewhat oddly, Portland Trail Blazers -- featured twice each.
NBA Schedule 2011-2012: Opening Week Heavy On Lakers, Heat, Blazers On TV
The Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls begin the schedule on Tuesday, November 1, meeting up at the American Airlines Center in Big D. The Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder will match up in the second game of TNT's double-header that day.
On Wednesday, ESPN takes over TV duties as the Miami Heat visit the New York Knicks and Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors, starring former ESPN analyst Mark Jackson. (Let's make sure Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy work the late game, OK?)
TNT has its regular Thursday double-header, and it gets a couple of division rivalries: the Orlando Magic visit the Miami Heat, and the Portland Trail Blazers take on the Denver Nuggets. (NBA.com's schedule currently lists Magic-Heat as a League Pass game and Utah Jazz-Memphis Grizzlies as a 9 p.m. TNT game, but that has to be wrong.)
ESPN's Friday double-header features the Boston Celtics visiting the Atlanta Hawks, and Blazers visiting Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers.
The NBA has no national TV games (except for a couple of NBA TV games) on opening weekend.
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