NBA Regular Season opens with a tripleheader on October 29

[mistwiya]

NBA

The 2008-09 NBA schedule will begin with a preseason doubleheader Friday, Oct. 24, at 8 and 10:30 p.m. on ESPN. The regular-season schedule will start with a NBA Wednesday tripleheader October 29, at 5:30, 8 and 10:30 p.m. with a NBA Friday doubleheader October 31, at 8 and 10:30 p.m.

I'm guessing its going to be the Champs vs an up and comming team
Celtics vs Phily

2 top draft picks square off
Bulls vs Heat

not sure of what the other game might be.

[Pistons < Spurs]

I could envision opening day games for CP3 and Oden

[monosylab1k]

Lakers will be in there somewhere.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Heat vs. Bulls
Lakers vs. Celtics
Clippers vs. Sixers

[MavDynasty]

Heat vs. Bulls
Lakers vs. Celtics
Clippers vs. Sixers

I wish there was a mavs vs spurs

[stretch]

you should expect the lakers, celtics, and lebron all to be somewhere in there.

[Spurs1234]

from years past, it seems the team that loses in the finals gets the opening game, didnt the mavs and spurs play in 2007 after the mavs lost, and didnt the cavs play the first game last year....then the champs play the next night...with LA being the team that lost, you can be sure they play on that night

[ShoogarBear]

Heat vs. Bulls
Lakers vs. Celtics
Clippers vs. Sixers

No way will they open the season with Lakers vs. Celtics.

[mistwiya]

from years past, it seems the team that loses in the finals gets the opening game, didnt the mavs and spurs play in 2007 after the mavs lost, and didnt the cavs play the first game last year....then the champs play the next night...with LA being the team that lost, you can be sure they play on that night

actually the past 2 years, opening games were played by champs
2007 Heat vs Bulls
2008 Spurs vs Blazers

[Tippecanoe]

im gonna go ahead and guess
Celtics vs Cavs
Blazers vs Sixers
Hornets vs OKC

[ShoogarBear]

oooh, Hornets @OKC is a strong guess, son.

[MavDynasty]

oooh, Hornets @OKC is a strong guess, son.

god bless

[hater]

Suns/Hornets/Dallas vs. Spurs/Houston/GS

[Findog]

No way will they open the season with Lakers vs. Celtics.

They'll be the Christmas game.

[IronMexican]

I expected LA vs beantown to be saved up for christmas, this is a shocker, but i like it.

[NBA Junkie]

Celtics will be in the Oct 28 game one doubleheader at home since the league likes to showcase the fact that the champs get their rings that night.

[FromWayDowntown]

Celtics will get the prime time slot on opening night -- Spurs @ Celtics?

That probably means a game played on the East Coast will get that odd 5:30 slot. If the Clippers had more star power, I could see LAC @ PHIL, but I don't think that will happen. Maybe something like Portland @ Miami (Oden v. Beasley) or Hornets @ Sixers?

I agree that the Lakers will get the late slot -- wouldn't shock me to see that game be Spurs @ Lakers, although Phoenix @ LA and Portland @ LA would make sense too. If it's not the Lakers, maybe Phoenix/Portland? I could also see getting the Hornets into that mix if they're not playing on the East Coast.

[xtremesteven33]

Heat vs Celtics

Lakers vs Blazers

Spurs vs Suns


Book it!

[1Parker1]

I'm guessing:

Cavs @ Celtics

Phoenix/or LA @ SA

Blazers @ Chicago/or Miami

[ThunderStix®]

They'll be the Christmas game.

I can see a Christmas day double-header featuring Celtics vs Cavs followed by Lakers vs Suns

[baseline bum]

If I had to pick 3 games I wanted to see off the top of my head:


1. Magic @ Celtics (early game)
2. Lakers @ Spurs (middle game)
3. Hornets @ Blazers (late game)

- or switch 2 and 3, with the games played in LA and NO.

[Burn531]

Pistons vs Spurs :hat

[Ill Cosby]

Lakers vs. Celtics


LOL that looks like a punishment. Kobe's not ready the pain is still there

:lobt2::lmao

[Gino]

You guys got it all wrong.

Cavaliers at Celtics
Bulls at Knicks
Suns at Lakers (we still havent seen Shaq in L.A. as a Sun, so this is a given)

[ShoogarBear]

Suns at Lakers (we still havent seen Shaq in L.A. as a Sun, so this is a given)

Excellent call.

TNT will call it the Opening Day Ass-Tasting.

[tlongII]

I think the Lakers vs Blazers will be one of them. Oden vs Bynum.

[Gino]

I think the Lakers vs Blazers will be one of them. Oden vs Bynum.

The league already got burned once booking the Blazers on opening night.

[Ill Cosby]

TNT will call it the Opening Day Ass-Tasting.

LMAO

[BruceLeeBowen]

I wanna see Hornets @ Lakers

[ThunderStix®]

You guys got it all wrong.

Cavaliers at Celtics
Bulls at Knicks
Suns at Lakers (we still havent seen Shaq in L.A. as a Sun, so this is a given)

I think this is one of the better ideas in this thread.

I would enjoy those matchups.

[IronMexican]

i don't think the NBA would want 2 Eastern conference games.

I could see Dallas vs SA, or something like that, instead of CLE vs NY/

[dknights411]

I wish there was a mavs vs spurs

Honestly, I'd love to see Mavs-Spurs on opening night. (has that ever happened before?)

[ShoogarBear]

Honestly, I'd love to see Mavs-Spurs on opening night. (has that ever happened before?)

Wasn't opening night, but 2006 Spurs @ Mavs was the first game for both. You know, the game where Cuban didn't want to raise the Western Conference championship banner.

[dknights411]

Wasn't opening night, but 2006 Spurs @ Mavs was the first game for both. You know, the game where Cuban didn't want to raise the Western Conference championship banner.

I knew that was early, but was that really on night 1?