NBA UNVEILS 2018-19 GAME AND BROADCAST SCHEDULES
– Back-to-Backs at Historic Low for Fourth Consecutive Season; No Four-in-Fives for Second Straight Season –
NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2018 – The NBA today released its complete game schedule and broadcast schedules for ABC, TNT, ESPN, NBA TV andESPN Radio for the 2018-19 regular season. The league’s 73rd regular season will tip off on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018, and conclude on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.
As part of the 2018-19 schedule, the number of times when teams play games on back-to-back days will be an all-time low for the fourth consecutive season. The team average is 13.3 back-to-backs this season, down 31 percent since the 2014-15 season (19.3 per team). For the second season in a row, no team is scheduled to play a stretch with four games in five days. In addition, instances when teams play five games in seven days (0.7 per team) has been reduced by 42 percent from last season (1.2 per team) and 77 percent from the 2016-17 season (3.0 per team).
Also in 2018-19, the NBA will again label its schedule by week to enhance the ability of fans to follow the 1,230-game regular 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.
The NBA previously announced its national television schedule for Week 1 of the 2018-19 regular season as well as its lineup of five Christmas Day games on ESPN networks and three Martin Luther King Jr. Day games on TNT. (Click here for those schedules.) The season will begin on Oct. 16 with a doubleheader on TNT featuring the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the Boston Celtics (8 p.m. ET) and the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder (10:30 p.m. ET).
NBA on ABC
In addition to televising three Christmas Day games, ABC will have the following regular-season series:
• NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC: The fourth season of NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC will feature eight games, each scheduled to air at 8:30 p.m. ET. The series will tip off on Jan. 19 (Week 14) with the Los Angeles Lakers visiting the Houston Rockets, which will be preceded by a special matinee broadcast on ABC as Philadelphia hosts Oklahoma City at 3:30 p.m. ET. Other Primetime telecasts will include the Celtics playing interconference showdowns against the visiting Warriors on Jan. 26 (Week 15) and the host Lakers on March 9 (Week 21).
• NBA Sunday Showcase on ABC: ABC will present six Sunday afternoon games, starting on Feb. 3 (Week 16) with the Celtics taking on the Thunder in Boston (2 p.m. ET) and concluding on April 7 (Week 25) with the Thunder visiting the Minnesota Timberwolves (3:30 p.m. ET).
ABC will also televise the NBA Finals 2019 presented by YouTube TV – its 17th straight season as the exclusive home of the league’s championship series.
NBA on TNT
TNT will televise 21 Thursday doubleheaders and 10 Tuesday doubleheaders as part of Turner Sports’ 35th straight year of NBA coverage. All games will be live streamed via tntdrama.com/watchtnt and the Watch TNT App.
The network’s Players Only franchise – which comprises former professional basketball players in all broadcast roles – will return for its third year starting on Tuesday, Jan. 29 (Week 16) with a doubleheader showcasing the New Orleans Pelicans at the Rockets (8 p.m. ET) and the 76ers at the Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET). Players Only telecasts will air regularly on Tuesday nights from the series’ Jan. 29 debut through April 2 (Week 25).
As previously announced, TNT’s first Thursday doubleheader of the season, on Oct. 18, will include LeBron James’ debut with the Lakers as they visit the Portland Trail Blazers (10:30 p.m. ET).
Additional highlights of TNT’s regular-season schedule:
· Week 5: Golden State at Houston (Thursday, Nov. 15, 8 p.m. ET) – The Warriors and Rockets will square off for the first time since their seven-game series in the 2018 Western Conference Finals.
· Week 11: Philadelphia at Utah (Thursday, Dec. 27, 10:30 p.m. ET) – 2017-18 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons will lead the 76ers against last season’s runner-up, Donovan Mitchell, and the Jazz.
· Week 12: Toronto at San Antonio (Thursday, Jan. 3, 8 p.m. ET) – The Raptors and Spurs will face each other for the first time since their July 18 trade in which Toronto acquired Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green from San Antonio for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick.
In addition to its regular-season coverage, TNT will air NBA All-Star 2019 events from Feb. 15-17 in Charlotte, culminating with the NBA’s 68th All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 17.
TNT will also exclusively televise the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals.
NBA on ESPN
In its 17th consecutive season of NBA coverage, ESPN will present 21 Wednesday doubleheaders and 16 Friday doubleheaders. The network’s telecasts will be available via the ESPN App. ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language U.S. sports network, will also have a full slate of regular-season games.
ESPN’s regular-season schedule will feature:
· Week 4: Boston at Utah (Friday, Nov. 9, 9:30 p.m. ET) – Celtics forward/guard Gordon Hayward is set to face the Jazz for the first time.
· Week 6: Los Angeles Lakers at Cleveland (Wednesday, Nov. 21, 8 p.m. ET) – Four-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James and the Lakers will make their one regular-season visit to Cleveland.
· Week 19: San Antonio at Toronto (Friday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m. ET) – Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors’ career scoring leader, will play his first game at Scotiabank Arena as a visitor.
ESPN will be the exclusive network of the 2019 Western Conference Finals.
NBA on NBA TV
NBA TV will televise 30 doubleheaders during the season as well as a tripleheader on April 7 (Week 25), its last day of live game coverage for the 2018-19 regular season.
The network’s coverage will feature a special afternoon doubleheader on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 21 (Week 15) as the Knicks take on the Thunder at Madison Square Garden (12:30 p.m. ET) and the Magic visits the Atlanta Hawks (3 p.m. ET).
NBA TV’s regular-season schedule will also include:
· Week 6: Phoenix at Philadelphia; Oklahoma City at Sacramento (Monday, Nov. 19) – The top two selections from the NBA Draft 2018 presented by State Farm will be in action as No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton and the Suns visit the 76ers (7 p.m. ET), followed by No. 2 pick Marvin Bagley III and the Kings facing the Thunder at Golden 1 Center (10 p.m. ET).
· Week 9: NBA Mexico City Games 2018 (Saturday, Dec. 15, 5 p.m. ET) – The Jazz and the Orlando Magic will play the second of the NBA’s two games in Mexico City during the 2018-19 season.
· Week 14: NBA London Game 2019 (Thursday, Jan. 17, 3 p.m. ET) – The New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards will meet at The O2 in the NBA’s ninth regular-season game in London.
NBA on ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio will air 26 games during the regular season, including Warriors vs. Thunder on opening night and two Christmas Day matchups in Celtics vs. 76ers and Warriors vs. Lakers. It will also provide coverage from NBA All-Star 2019 and broadcast the NBA Finals 2019 presented by YouTube TV.
Additional 2018-19 Schedule Highlights
The NBA on ABC, TNT, ESPN and NBA TV will present flexible scheduling throughout the regular season to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience.
The NBA on ABC, TNT, ESPN and NBA TV will present flexible scheduling throughout the regular season to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience.
NBA League Pass will offer up to 40 live, out-of-market games each week through connected televisions, the NBA App, NBA.com and B/R Live for fans who want to watch their favorite teams, players and matchups from outside their local markets (blackout restrictions apply). Games included in NBA League Pass will be in addition to those available on TNT, ESPN, ABC 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/.
The 2018-19 season will feature 42 games on Saturdays and Sundays during primetime for fans in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This marks the most primetime games for fans in these regions and the fifth consecutive season with at least 20 such games.
The schedule also includes five consecutive Sunday games from March 10 to April 7 that will air in primetime in India. This marks the second straight year that five games will be televised in primetime in India.
NBA programming and games are seen in 215 countries and territories in 50 languages.
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.
REGRESAN LOS EXPLOSIVOS DE MOCA A LA LIGA PUERTORIQUEÑA DE BALONCESTO
Moca, Puerto Rico – Hablar de los Explosivos de Moca, en la Liga Puertorriqueña de Baloncesto era hablar de uno de los equipos más fogosos y agresivos de los 90’s. Jugadores como Edwin Pellot, James Carter, José “Canito” Nieves, pusieron a gozar a la fanaticada mocana y la de los pueblos del noroeste del país.
Su campeonato en el 1993 contra los Ganaderos de Hatillo 88 por 83 en tiempo extra en el juego decisivo celebrado en el vetusto y legendario coliseo Árquelio Torres Ramírez de San Germán. Bajo el mando de su entonces dirigente Ángel “Caco” Cancel, sin dudas marco un día magno historia del deporte en la periferia del noroeste del país, el cual sigue vivo en la memoria de cano mocano.
25 años han pasado de ese campeonato y ahora vuelve la explosión a la “Capital del Mundillo” con la nueva representación de los Explosivos TNT en Moca ahora con el deportista Jesús Rosario como apoderado de la franquicia y el bajo la dirección de Xavier Aponte, actual asistente de los Leones de Ponce en el BSN.
Los Explosivos TNT tendrán como sede su coliseo el doctor Juan Sánchez Acevedo y la temporada dará inicio el 17 de noviembre de 2018.
MIKE FRATELLO PARTICIPARÁ DE CLÍNICA
PARA COACHES, JUGADORES Y PADRES
GUAYNABO, PUERTO RICO - El conocido exentrenador y analista de NBA, Mike Fratello, participará junto al exjugador y asistente de NBA, Ed Pinckney, y los entrenadores locales Leo Arill y el experimentado Flor Meléndez, de una clínica para entrenadores, jugadores, padres y todos los amantes del baloncesto.
La clínica se llevará a cabo en el coliseo Mario “Quijote” Morales de Guaynabo el próximo domingo 12 de agosto de 2018.
“Lo interesante de ésta clínica es que puede participar cualquier persona amante del deporte del baloncesto. Estamos juntando estos excelentes entrenadores para ayudar a los que asistan a continuar reforzando sus conocimientos dentro del juego. Será una actividad única y de mucho aprendizaje”, comentó por su parte Sammy Díaz, organizador del evento. Díaz también informó que el viernes, 10 de agosto se ofrecerá una conferencia de prensa a las 6:00pm en el Marriott Resort de San Juan (Condado), donde se darán cita dichos entrenadores.
El horario del evento será de 8:00am a 5:00pm, tendrá un costo de $80.00 por persona e incluye el almuerzo.
Para inscripciones se pueden comunicar al 787-934-6267 ó 787-637-2096; o a través de PRTicket.com .
EDUCACIÓN CONTINUA APROBADA POR FBPUR Y DRD
La clínica servirá como curso de educación continua para los entrenadores certificados por la Federación de Baloncesto de Puerto Rico y el Departamento de Recreación y Deportes. “Esta es la oportunidad perfecta para que los entrenadores certificados puedan acreditar esas horas de aprendizaje, mientras comparten junto a jugadores y padres que también se podrán beneficiar del conocimiento de estos expertos”, culminó explicando Díaz.
NBA MEXICO CITY GAMES 2018 TO FEATURE ORLANDO MAGIC HOSTING CHICAGO BULLS AND UTAH JAZZ
- NBA to Play Two Regular-Season Games in Mexico City for Third Consecutive Season -
- NBA and Zignia Live Announce Multiyear Partnership Extension for Two Regular-Season Games at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico Each of the Next Three Seasons -
MEXICO CITY, Aug. 7, 2018 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Zignia Live announced today that the NBA Mexico City Games 2018 will feature the Orlando Magic playing regular-season games against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, Dec. 13, and against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Dec. 15 at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City. The games will mark the third consecutive season the NBA will play two regular-season games in Mexico City.
As part of today’s announcement, the NBA and Zignia Live have also forged a multiyear partnership to collaborate on future games over the next several years in Mexico.
The NBA Mexico City Games 2018 will be broadcast live by ESPN and on NBA League Pass International. Fans can register their interest in tickets and gain access to presale information, exclusive offers and more by visiting https://mexicogames.nba.com.
The NBA Mexico City Games 2018 will mark the 27th and 28th games in Mexico since 1992, the most NBA games held in any country outside the United States and Canada.
The Magic’s roster currently features Aaron Gordon and 2018 No. 6 overall draft pick Mohamed Bamba. The Bulls’ roster currently includes two-time Verizon Slam DunkChampion Zach LaVine and forward Lauri Markkanen (Finland). The Jazz are led by Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio and 2018 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert (France).
The NBA Mexico City Games 2018 will be supported by a full roster of marketing partners, including Nike, SAP, Gatorade and Tissot with additional partners to be announced in the coming months.
In 2017, the NBA played four games in Mexico, which marked the first time the league has held four regular-season games in one country outside the U.S. and Canada in one calendar year.
Following the conclusion of the NBA Mexico City Games 2020, the league will have played 32 games in Mexico since 1992.
Details about future games will be announced at a later date.
Fans can find more NBA information at NBA.com, Facebook.com/NBA_Mexico and on Twitter (@NBAMEX). Fans can also purchase all the latest NBA merchandise atNBATienda.com and at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico on game nights.
Executive and Player Quotes:
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:
“Returning to Mexico City for two regular-season games this season reinforces our commitment to growing basketball in Mexico and Latin America. NBA teams have been playing in Mexico for more than 25 years, and the Bulls, Jazz and Magic organizations are excited to continue the tradition of bringing the live game experience to our passionate Mexican fans.”
Zignia Live Director of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Ignacio Sáenz:
“I´m so proud, that once again, NBA Mexico City Games will be held in our
country this upcoming December. The enthusiasm and dedication of every Mexican fan resulted in a multiyear partnership, that will see future games played in Mexico City over the next several years. The Arena Ciudad de México is the ideal setting to enjoy the magic of basketball as a family, and we are sure that the games will be an unforgettable and memorable experience for all. We thank the NBA, the teams and of course, the fans in Mexico for all their support. We continue making history together!”
country this upcoming December. The enthusiasm and dedication of every Mexican fan resulted in a multiyear partnership, that will see future games played in Mexico City over the next several years. The Arena Ciudad de México is the ideal setting to enjoy the magic of basketball as a family, and we are sure that the games will be an unforgettable and memorable experience for all. We thank the NBA, the teams and of course, the fans in Mexico for all their support. We continue making history together!”
Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins:
“Having played in England twice, Japan, China, Mexico and Brazil, the Orlando Magic are always honored to participate in the NBA’s Global Games and look forward to again representing the Central Florida community and the NBA. From our previous experience of playing in Mexico City, we know the passion of the fans and look forward to this amazing opportunity.”
“We are honored that the NBA invited the Chicago Bulls to be a part of sharing a game we love with a global audience. While our home town is Chicago, the Bulls are fortunate to have fans around the world and we are excited to take our team on the road and help bring the NBA-game experience to Mexico City. On behalf of the entire organization, I want to thank Adam Silver, the NBA, and Mexico City for this opportunity.”
Utah Jazz President Steve Starks:
“The Utah Jazz are excited to play in Mexico City and are proud to represent our fans and the NBA on a global stage. This will be our fourth time playing in Mexico and first time back in 15 years. Our organization thanks the NBA and the people of Mexico City for this unique opportunity.”
About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2017-18 season featured 108 international players from a record 42 countries and territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.5 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.
About Zignia Live
Zignia Live is a subsidiary of Avalanz Group, and is known for hosting first class events in the most modern and comfortable venues every year while offering the public a unique and world-class experience every time. In partnership with leading companies in the live entertainment industry, Zignia Live brings the best music, family and sporting events closer to Mexican public.
