With David Stern and the NBA owners unable to shut down the league for at least five more years, the NBA schedule will return to normal this season.
The 2012-13 NBA regular season will begin with the defending champion Miami Heat hosting the Boston Celtics on October 30, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Monday. According to the report, the full NBA schedule will be released later this week.
Celtics/Heat would be the first traditional ‘Opening Night’ NBA game in two years, and would mark the fourth ‘Opening Night’ meeting between the Celtics and LeBron James.
The Heat would also face the Thunder on Christmas Day, in a rematch of the 2012 NBA Finals. Other games, according to report, would include Heat/Knicks on Friday, November 2 (presumably on ESPN), Heat/Lakers on Thursday, January 17 (presumably on TNT), and Lakers/Heat on Sunday, February 10 (presumably on ABC).
The 2011-12 NBA regular season was delayed and shortened due to the owners’ five-month lockout of players, the fourth work stoppage in NBA history (all owner-imposed lockouts).
(Monday’s news from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
