Defending champ Cavs host Knicks on opening night as 2016-17 schedule unveiled

NEW YORK — The NBA today released its complete game schedule and broadcast schedules for TNT, ESPN, ABC, NBA TV and ESPN Radio for the 2016-17 regular season, which features an opening night with the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the New York Knicks. The league’s 71st season tips off Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, and concludes Wednesday, April 12, 2017. For the first time ever, each team is scheduled to appear on at least one of the league’s national television partners (TNT, ESPN or ABC).

For the second season in a row, teams will play fewer stretches of four games in five nights and back-to-back games than ever before. Four-in-fives have been cut to 0.7 per team (20 total), a 71 percent reduction from 2.3 per team (70 total) in 2014-15 and a 26 percent reduction from 0.9 per team (27 total) last season. Back-to-backs have been cut to 16.3 per team, a 16 percent reduction from 19.3 per team in 2014-15 and an 8 percent reduction from 17.8 per team last season.

Kia NBA Tip-Off 2016 Kia NBA Tip-Off 2016 includes 14 teams playing eight national television games in the first four days of the season. The 2016-17 season begins Oct. 25 with a TNT doubleheader, marking the 21st straight year the network has started with two games on opening night.

TNT’s first game Tuesday features four-time Kia NBA MVP LeBron James and the Cavaliers receiving their championship rings in a nationally televised ceremony before taking on the Knicks, who acquired former Kia NBA MVP Derrick Rose in the offseason and hired Jeff Hornacek as head coach (8 p.m. ET). In the second game, two-time reigning Kia NBA MVP Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, who finished a league-record 73-9 last season, face two-time reigning Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs (franchise-record 67-15 last season) in Oakland, Calif., as four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant makes his Warriors debut (10:30 p.m. ET).

ESPN launches its 15th consecutive year of NBA coverage with two doubleheaders during opening week. On Wednesday, Oct. 26, the top pick of NBA Draft 2016 presented by State Farm, Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, makes his debut as the Sixers meet 2015-16 All-NBA First Team selection Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder in Philadelphia

(8 p.m. ET). In the second game, the No. 2 pick of NBA Draft 2016, Brandon Ingram, and new head coach Luke Walton lead the Los Angeles Lakers against four-time All-Star James Harden, new head coach Mike D’Antoni and the Houston Rockets in L.A. (10:30 p.m. ET).

Kia NBA Tip-Off 2016 continues Thursday, Oct. 27 with a TNT doubleheader. Newly acquired 12-time All-Star Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls host recently signed four-time All-Star Al Horford and the Boston Celtics (8 p.m. ET), and nine-time All-Star Chris Paul and the LA Clippers visit two-time All-Star Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers (10:30 p.m. ET).

ESPN’s second opening-week doubleheader takes place Friday, Oct. 28 and begins with Cleveland visiting two-time All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors in a rematch of the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals (7 p.m. ET). The second game features three-time All-Star Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans hosting the Warriors (9:30 p.m. …

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