The 2017/18 schedule includes the elimination of stretches where teams play four games in five nights, down from 20 total instances last season. This marks the first season in NBA history with no four-in-fives. In addition, the number of back-to-backs has been reduced to 14.4 per team from 16.3 per team – an all-time low for the third consecutive season. Since 2014/15, four-in-fives have dropped from 70 to zero and back-to-backs have been cut by 26 percent (or 4.9 per team).

In a new feature, the NBA is labeling its schedule by week to enhance the ability of fans to follow the 1,230-game season. Starting with Week 1 and ending with Week 26, the weekly structure will help reinforce awareness of upcoming games and communicate key storylines. Each week will run Monday through Sunday.

As previously announced, Week 1 will showcase 14 different teams playing eight national television games in the first four days of the season as part of Kia NBA Tip-Off 2017, with ESPN airing two doubleheaders. The doubleheaders on opening night will feature the Boston Celtics visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals, followed by the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors receiving their Championship rings before hosting the Houston Rockets.

The NBA last week also revealed its five-game Christmas Day schedule (Week 11), which includes a Finals rematch between Golden State and Cleveland as one of a record three games on December 25. ESPN will also televise one game that day.

All-Stars Visit Former Teams

ESPN’s coverage will also spotlight three interconference matchups in which 2017 All-Stars face their former teams as visitors for the first time:

• Week 9: Oklahoma City at Indiana (Wednesday, December 13) – Four-time All-Star Paul George leads the Thunder into Bankers Life Fieldhouse to play the Pacers.
• Week 17: Minnesota at Chicago (Friday, February 9) – Jimmy Butler, an All-Star with the Bulls in each of the last three seasons, visits the United Center with the Timberwolves.
• Week 24: Boston at Utah (Wednesday, March 28) – A first-time All-Star last season with the Jazz, the Celtics’ Gordon Hayward returns to Vivint Smart Home Arena.

NBA LEAGUE PASS will offer up to 40 live, out-of-market games each week through television, broadband and mobile for fans who want to watch their favorite teams, players and matchups from outside of their local markets (blackout restrictions apply). Games included in NBA LEAGUE PASS will be in addition to those available on Kwesé Sports, ESPN and NBA TV as well as local networks (such as a regional sports network and/or an over-the-air station). For more information about NBA LEAGUE PASS, visit nba.com/leaguepass/.

NBA.com and the NBA App will provide day-by-day and team-by-team schedules as well as regular-season telecast schedules of the League’s domestic broadcast partners. NBA programming and games are seen in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages.