Knicks' schedule announced, open vs. Celts
The Knicks will open the NBA season against Boston. (undated file photo) Credit: Jim McIsaac
The NBA schedule-maker was relatively kind to the Knicks with the revamped 66-game schedule, which was released last night. Carmelo Anthony was even spared of a return to Denver this season.
As expected, the Knicks will open the NBA season at noon on Christmas Day against the Boston Celtics and will then immediately hit the road for a West Coast trip that begins at Golden State on Dec. 28, followed by a visit to Staples Center the next night against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The trip ends against the Kings in Sacramento on New Year's Eve with an 8 p.m. ET tipoff.
Mike D'Antoni's Knicks will play 19 back-to-backs -- they had 20 last season in an 82-game schedule -- and one back-to-back-to-back scenario, which will be a tough one: against the Bulls, at Boston and then back home against the Nets from Feb. 2-4. They have one week, March 11-17, that brings five games in a seven-day span, which comes after a tough stretch against the Celtics, Mavericks and Spurs from March 4-7.
The Knicks will host the Orlando Magic -- with or without free-agent-to-be all-star center Dwight Howard, who is rumored to be on the trading block -- in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day game on Jan. 16.
As for another star on the trading block, Chris Paul, the Knicks won't visit his current team, the New Orleans Hornets. But will Carmelo's buddy be in the building -- for either team -- when the Hornets come to the Garden on Feb. 17?
The Knicks face Melo's other pals, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat, three times, starting Jan. 27 in Miami. The Heat make just one appearance at the Garden this season, and not until April 15. Kobe and the Lakers will make their annual Garden stop on Feb. 10.
The drawing power of Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire are evident in the national broadcast schedule, which includes the Knicks a total of 21 times. They'll open the season on TNT, the first of seven games on the network, play 10 games on ESPN and four on the coveted ABC Sunday afternoon schedule, starting Feb. 19 against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks.
The players will vote Wednesday to ratify the collective bargaining agreement and if it passes, the NBA's Board of Governors will vote Thursday. The lockout is expected to be officially lifted by then, which will allow for training camps to open on Friday.
