OKC to play Hornets on consecutive nights
The NBA will announce its league-wide 2008-09 schedule today at 11 a.m., according to multiple league sources, and Oklahoma City will play the New Orleans Hornets in a home and away on back-to-back nights this season, The Oklahoman has learned.
It’s unclear which team Oklahoma City will play in its home and season opener, which will be Oct. 29. But Oklahoma City appears destined to open the season against an Eastern Conference team. Indiana and Milwaukee are the two most likely possibilities.
It would be the first time the franchise formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics opened the season against an Eastern Conference opponent since opening at hoome against the New York Nets to start the 1976-77 season.
The Hornets, who played two displaced seasons at the Ford Center from 2005-07, will make the first of two appearances in Oklahoma City on Nov. 21. Oklahoma City will then travel to New Orleans on Nov. 22. The Hornets make their second trip to the Ford Center on Feb. 17.
Kobe Bryant and the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to come to town on Feb. 24. The Lakers will return in March.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, a Northwest Division opponent, will be the second team to visit Oklahoma City on Nov. 2. The Atlanta Hawks are scheduled on Nov. 9.
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are scheduled to make their lone visit to the Ford Center in late November. The exact date is unclear, but it could be Nov. 25 or 28.
The Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings are the only Western Conference teams that won’t make two trips to Oklahoma City.
Every Eastern Conference team will come to town once.
-DM-
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I thought Dallas was one of the Western Conference teams that was only making one visit to the Ford Center.
(Alex, you’re right. My mistake. Thanks for catching that. -DM-)