After a summer full of major signings and blockbuster trades, NBA general managers have their rosters set, and the championship chase is wide open. The Warriors didn’t suddenly disappear, but they aren’t expected to continue their dominance over the rest of the league following a run of three titles in five years.
If you’re wondering when the regular season officially starts — and more importantly, when your favorite team plays its first game — we’ve got you covered. Here is the schedule breakdown for the first few days of the 2019-20 NBA season.
NBA PREDICTIONS 2019-20: SN’s Finals picks | Award winners
When does the NBA season start?
The 2019-20 campaign will tip off Tuesday, Oct. 22 on TNT with marquee matchups featuring the Pelicans, Raptors, Lakers and Clippers. No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson will make his regular-season debut against the defending champs in the early game (8 p.m. ET), and the Clippers’ new dynamic duo of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard will challenge Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the battle for Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. ET).
UPDATE: George will miss the opener as he continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgeries. The six-time All-Star is targeting a November return. Williamson is also out after undergoing knee surgery. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
That’s just a teaser for Wednesday’s slate, which features 11 games, including Celtics vs. 76ers (7:30 p.m. ET) and Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers (10 p.m. ET) on ESPN. The Hawks, Bucks, Rockets and Warriors will play their regular-season openers Thursday night. Golden State will face the Clippers in the first regular-season game at the new Chase Center.
