The results may not mean much, but Thursday's four-game slate of NBA preseason action features some pretty intriguing matchups. Starting in the morning with the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets tipping off from Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Philippines, it's an all-day affair for basketball junkies.
NBA preseason schedule: Pacers, Rockets tip off early from the Philippines
Thursday’s NBA schedule starts early with Houston and Indiana tipping off overseas.
Thomas B. Shea
With the Pacers tipping off against the new-look Rockets at 7:30 a.m. ET thousands of miles away, most fans probably won't be able to tune in for that game. However, the 7:30 p.m. matchup between the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons could be equally intriguing as Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith fit into their new digs.
On Tuesday, the Pistons faced Israel’s Maccabi Haifa in an exhibition match and earned an easy 91-69 victory. Facing the defending NBA champions, Detroit will have a much different challenge even if the results are still ultimately meaningless.
It should be an especially interesting test for Detroit's starting frontcourt, which physically overwhelmed its opponents in the preseason opener -- 42 points on 16-of-24 shooting and 21 rebounds combined. Obviously, that won't work nearly as well against the likes of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, so we'll see if the Pistons' newly fashioned set of big men can continue its dominance.
Here’s Thursday’s full schedule, all times Eastern:
Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers, 7:30 a.m., NBA TV
Miami Heat at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m.
Milwaukee Bucks at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m.
Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., NBA TV
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