The 2007-08 NBA season schedule is out, and so is the national TV schedule. Not surprisingly, there are suddenly a lot more Boston Celtics games on TV this year. Here are a few of the TV highlights:
Oct. 30 – Portland at San Antonio and Houston at L.A. Lakers (TNT). The season opens with No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden and the Blazers against Tim Duncan and the defending champion Spurs.
Oct. 31 — Dallas at Cleveland and Seattle at Denver (ESPN). You’ll get to see No. 2 pick Kevin Durant and the Sonics against Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets.
Nov. 2 — Washington at Boston and L.A. Lakers at Phoenix (ESPN). Kevin Garnett makes his debut with the Celtics against the Wizards.
Nov. 3 — Portland at Houston (NBA TV). The NBA TV schedule opens with an appearance by Oden against the Rockets.
Nov. 8 — Detroit at Chicago and Dallas at Golden State (TNT). This doubleheader features a rematch between Eastern Conference semifinalists Detroit and Chicago, and Golden State meets Dallas again after sending the Mavericks packing in the first round of the playoffs last season.
Dec. 6 — Denver at Dallas and Miami at Portland (TNT). Shaq gets his first crack at Oden as the Heat visit the Blazers.
Dec. 17 — Phoenix at San Antonio (NBA TV). The first of four meetings between Western Conference semifinalists, and probably the two best teams in the West, if not the entire league.
Dec. 25 — Miami at Cleveland and Phoenix at L.A. Lakers (ABC), and Seattle at Portland (ESPN). Christmas day is full of stars past, present and future: Shaq, Dwyane Wade and the Heat vs. LeBron and the Cavs, Steve Nash and the Suns vs. Kobe and the Lakers, and the first meeting between Oden and Durant when the Sonics meet the Blazers.
Jan. 17 — Cleveland at San Antonio and Phoenix at L.A. Lakers (TNT). NBA Finals rematch when the Cavs visit the Spurs.
Feb. 8 — Boston at Minnesota and Washington at Denver (ESPN). Kevin Garnett returns to Minnesota.
Feb. 10 — Denver at Cleveland and L.A. Lakers at Miami (ABC). Two good rivalries in Carmelo Anthony vs. LeBron and Shaq vs. Kobe.
Feb. 14 — Miami at Chicago and Dallas at Phoenix (TNT). The Bulls and Heat have a rematch of last season’s first round, plus Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki try to outscore each other.
Feb. 21 — Miami at Houston and Seattle at Portland (TNT). More Oden vs. Durant!
April 1 — Boston at Chicago (NBA TV). A good late-season matchup between East contenders who could meet again in the playoffs.
April 9 — New Jersey at Cleveland and Phoenix at San Antonio (ESPN). Conference semifinal foes face each other again in what could also be a playoff preview.
April 16 — Utah at San Antonio and Seattle at Golden State (ESPN). The last day of the regular season brings a Western Conference finals rematch between Utah and San Antonio. And assuming they don’t make the playoffs, this might be the Sonics’ last game as a Seattle team. (Also, the Pistons are at the Cavs on this day, but ESPN chose Jazz/Spurs instead. Shows you the respect that the East gets.)
