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The Portland Trail Blazers have announced their 2011-2012 NBA schedule on Blazers.com and via press release. Here's a printable version in PDF. The Blazers will play 66 games during the abbreviated season with 48 coming against Western Conference foes and 18 against Eastern Conference opponents.
The Blazers open their season on Dec. 26 at home against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Rose Garden.
Monthly breakdown
- December: 3 -- 3 home, 0 road
- January: 18 -- 7 home, 11 road
- February: 14 -- 8 home, 6 road
- March: 17 -- 8 home, 9 road
- April: 14 -- 7 home, 7 road
- Road trips: 1 seven game trip; 1 six game trip; 1 three game trip; 4 two game trips; 9 one game trips
- Home stands: 7 three game home stands; 3 two game home stands; 6 one game home stands
- Vs. Kings, Vs. Grizzlies, At Warriors on January 23-25
- Vs. Wizards, At Warriors, Vs. Clippers on February 14-16
Each Western Conference team will only play three Eastern Conference teams twice. The Blazers will play the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards twice.
Update: I created this chart to compare Portland's draw here to other teams around the league. The chart lays out the win differentials between all 30 NBA teams and the three non-conference opponents they have to play twice based on last year's results. The Blazers have a differential of +14 (48 wins last year and an average of 34 opponent wins) which happens to be the fourth highest differential in the league (trailing only San Antonio, Chicago and Houston). So if you thought drawing Milwaukee, Atlanta and Washington was a stroke of very good luck for the Blazers, you were right.
Eastern Conference home vs. road games
Each Western Conference team will play the other 12 Eastern Conference teams just once. Of note, the Blazers will travel for road games against the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls but will get the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat at home.
The Blazers previously announced a home-and-home 2-game preseason schedule with the Utah Jazz on Dec. 19 and Dec. 21.
Click through for the full schedule and the text of the press release. Chime in with your thoughts and win prediction totals in the comments!
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter
Here's the schedule via Blazers.com.
December |
Opponent |
Time |
Mon 26 |
vs Philadelphia |
7:00pm |
Tue 27 |
vs Sacramento |
7:00pm |
Thu 29 |
vs Denver |
7:00pm |
January |
Opponent |
Time |
Sun 01 |
@ LA Clippers |
6:30pm |
Tue 03 |
@ Oklahoma City |
5:00pm |
Thu 05 |
vs LA Lakers |
7:30pm |
Fri 06 |
@ Phoenix |
7:30pm |
Sun 08 |
vs Cleveland |
6:00pm |
Tue 10 |
vs LA Clippers |
7:00pm |
Wed 11 |
vs Orlando |
7:00pm |
Fri 13 |
@ San Antonio |
5:30pm |
Sat 14 |
@ Houston |
5:00pm |
Mon 16 |
@ New Orleans |
12:00pm |
Wed 18 |
@ Atlanta |
5:00pm |
Fri 20 |
@ Toronto |
4:00pm |
Sat 21 |
@ Detroit |
4:30pm |
Mon 23 |
vs Sacramento |
7:00pm |
Tue 24 |
vs Memphis |
7:00pm |
Wed 25 |
@ Golden State |
7:30pm |
Fri 27 |
vs Phoenix |
7:00pm |
Mon 30 |
@ Utah |
6:00pm |
February |
Opponent |
Time |
Wed 01 |
vs Charlotte |
7:00pm |
Thu 02 |
@ Sacramento |
7:00pm |
Sat 04 |
vs Denver |
7:00pm |
Mon 06 |
vs Oklahoma City |
7:00pm |
Wed 08 |
vs Houston |
7:00pm |
Fri 10 |
@ New Orleans |
5:00pm |
Sat 11 |
@ Dallas |
5:30pm |
Tue 14 |
vs Washington |
7:00pm |
Wed 15 |
@ Golden State |
7:00pm |
Thu 16 |
vs LA Clippers |
7:30pm |
Sat 18 |
vs Atlanta |
7:00pm |
Mon 20 |
@ LA Lakers |
7:30pm |
Tue 21 |
vs San Antonio |
7:00pm |
Wed 29 |
@ Denver |
6:00pm |
March |
Opponent |
Time |
Thu 01 |
vs Miami |
7:30pm |
Sat 03 |
vs Minnesota |
7:00pm |
Mon 05 |
vs New Orleans |
7:00pm |
Wed 07 |
@ Minnesota |
5:00pm |
Fri 09 |
@ Boston |
4:30pm |
Sat 10 |
@ Washington |
4:00pm |
Tue 13 |
@ Indiana |
4:00pm |
Wed 14 |
@ New York |
4:30pm |
Fri 16 |
@ Chicago |
5:00pm |
Sun 18 |
@ Oklahoma City |
6:30pm |
Tue 20 |
vs Milwaukee |
7:00pm |
Thu 22 |
vs Memphis |
7:00pm |
Fri 23 |
@ LA Lakers |
7:30pm |
Sun 25 |
vs Golden State |
6:00pm |
Tue 27 |
vs Oklahoma City |
7:00pm |
Thu 29 |
vs New Orleans |
7:00pm |
Fri 30 |
@ LA Clippers |
7:30pm |
April |
Opponent |
Time |
Sun 01 |
vs Minnesota |
6:00pm |
Mon 02 |
vs Utah |
7:00pm |
Wed 04 |
vs New Jersey |
7:00pm |
Fri 06 |
@ Dallas |
5:30pm |
Sat 07 |
@ Milwaukee |
5:30pm |
Mon 09 |
vs Houston |
7:00pm |
Wed 11 |
vs Golden State |
7:30pm |
Fri 13 |
vs Dallas |
7:30pm |
Sun 15 |
@ Sacramento |
3:00pm |
Mon 16 |
@ Phoenix |
7:00pm |
Wed 18 |
vs Utah |
7:00pm |
Sat 21 |
@ Memphis |
5:00pm |
Mon 23 |
@ San Antonio |
5:30pm |
Thu 26 |
@ Utah |
5:00pm |
Here's the press release...
The Portland Trail Blazers will tip-off their 42nd NBA season by hosting the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a three-game home stand, marking the third straight year the team has opened at the Rose Garden.
All 66 Trail Blazers games (33 home, 33 away) will be aired on the Trail Blazers Broadcast Television Network or national carriers. Portland's complete broadcast schedule will be available in the coming days.
Portland plays seven of its first 10 games at home and closes the season by playing five of its last six on the road. The schedule includes a six-game road trip (Jan. 13-21) and a season-high, seven-game trip (March 7-18).
The Trail Blazers will face each Western Conference opponent at least three times, including four contests with Golden State, the L.A. Clippers, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Sacramento and Utah.
Each of Portland's four Northwest Division opponents will visit the Rose Garden twice. The Trail Blazers will make two trips to both Oklahoma City and Utah, while visiting Minnesota and Denver just once.
Portland will play 18 games against Eastern Conference opponents (nine home, nine away). The Trail Blazers will face each Eastern Conference opponent at least once, including two games against Atlanta, Milwaukee and Washington.
The 66-game schedule features two back-to-back-to-back scenarios (Jan. 23-25, Feb. 14-16) and 16 back-to-back games.
Among the top teams making the trip to the Rose City in 2011-12: the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks on April 13; the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat on March 1 and the Western Conference rival L.A. Lakers on Jan. 5.
The Trail Blazers close out the 2011-12 NBA regular season at Utah on Thursday, April 26.
Tickets for individual games go on sale on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m., exclusively on trailblazers.com.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter