NBA releases schedule for the 2011-12 season The Wizards will open the condensed and reconfigured 66-game NBA schedule at home on Dec. 26 against the same opponent they were supposed to face had the season opened on time in November, the New Jersey Nets.
But from there, things will be unbalanced, unpredictable and at times unruly as the league, in its first shortened season since 1999, crams five months’ worth of games into four months with little regard for practice time or rest.
While the Wizards are part of a minority group of teams that will play three games in three nights twice during the season — each NBA team will play at least one “triple,” as it is being called on the NBA website — their first back-to-back-to-back set won’t come until March 24-26, when they’ll host Atlanta, travel to Boston, then return to D.C. to face Detroit.
| Wizards 2011-12 schedule | ||||
| December | ||||
| 26 | vs. New Jersey | 7 p.m. | ||
| 28 | at Atlanta | 7:30 p.m. | ||
| 30 | at Milwaukee | 8:30 p.m. | ||
| January | ||||
| 1 | vs. Boston | 6 p.m. | ||
| 2 | at Boston | 7:30 p.m. | ||
| 4 | at Orlando | 7 p.m. | ||
| 6 | vs. New York | 7 p.m. | ||
| 8 | vs. Minnesota | 1 p.m. | ||
| 10 | vs. Toronto | 7 p.m. | ||
| 11 | at Chicago | 8 p.m. | ||
| 13 | at Philadelphia | 7 p.m. | ||
| 14 | vs. Philadelphia | 7 p.m. | ||
| 16 | vs. Houston | 2 p.m. | ||
| 18 | vs. Oklahoma City | 7 p.m. | ||
| 20 | vs. Denver | 7 p.m. | ||
| 22 | vs. Boston | 1 p.m. | ||
| 23 | at Philadelphia | 7 p.m. | ||
| 25 | vs. Charlotte | 7 p.m. | ||
| 27 | at Houston | 8 p.m. | ||
| 28 | at Charlotte | 7 p.m. | ||
| 30 | vs. Chicago | 7 p.m. | ||
| February | ||||
| 1 | at Orlando | 7 p.m. | ||
| 3 | at Toronto | 7 p.m. | ||
| 4 | vs. L.A. CLippers | 7 p.m. | ||
| 6 | vs. Toronto | 7 p.m. | ||
| 8 | vs. New York | 7 p.m. | ||
| 10 | vs. Miami | 7 p.m. | ||
| 12 | at Detroit | 6 p.m. | ||
| 14 | at Portland | 10 P.M. | ||
| 15 | at L.A. Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | ||
| 17 | at Utah | 9 p.m. | ||
| 20 | at Phoenix | 9 p.m. | ||
| 22 | vs. Sacramento | 7 p.m. | ||
| 28 | at Milwaukee | 8 p.m. | ||
| 29 | vs. Orlando | 7 p.m. | ||
| March | ||||
| 3 | vs. Cleveland | 7 p.m. | ||
| 5 | vs. Golden State | 7 p.m. | ||
| 7 | vs. L.A. Lakers | 7 p.m. | ||
| 10 | vs. Portland | 7 p.m. | ||
| 12 | at San Antonio | 8:30 p.m. | ||
| 13 | at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. | ||
| 15 | at New Orleans | 8 p.m. | ||
| 16 | at Atlanta | 7:30 p.m. | ||
| 18 | at Memphis | 6 p.m. | ||
| 21 | at New Jersey | 7:30 p.m. | ||
| 22 | vs. Indiana | 7 p.m. | ||
| 24 | vs. Atlanta | 7 p.m. | ||
| 25 | at Boston | 6 p.m. | ||
| 26 | vs. Detroit | 7 p.m. | ||
| 29 | at Indiana | 7 p.m. | ||
| 30 | vs. Philadelphia | 7 p.m. | ||
| April | ||||
| 1 | at Toronto | 6 p.m. | ||
| 2 | vs. Milwaukee | 7 p.m. | ||
| 4 | vs. Indiana | 7 p.m. | ||
| 5 | at Detroit | 7:30 p.m. | ||
| 6 | at New Jersey | 7:30 p.m. | ||
| 9 | at Charlotte | 7 p.m. | ||
| 10 | vs. Orlando | 7 p.m. | ||
| 13 | at New York | 7:30 p.m. | ||
| 14 | vs. Cleveland | 7 p.m. | ||
| 16 | at Chicago | 8 p.m. | ||
| 18 | vs. Milwaukee | 7 p.m. | ||
| 21 | at Miami | 7:30 p.m. | ||
| 23 | vs. Charlotte | 7 p.m. | ||
| 25 | at Cleveland | 7 p.m. | ||
| 26 | vs. Miami | 8 p.m. | ||
The Wizards will then host Indiana before successive road games at Detroit and New Jersey from April 4-6, which will also conclude a stretch of 10 games in 14 days.
Starting with a New Year’s Day visit by the Celtics and a return game in Boston the next day, the Wizards will play 16 of the more conventional back-to-back sets of two games on consecutive nights.
Because the league has also trimmed the number of games that teams will play outside their own conference, the Wizards will not host the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks as well as Memphis, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Antonio or Utah.
John Wall will be paired against Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers both home and away, but that will be the only visit the Wizards make to the Staples Center, as Washington’s lone game against Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers will come at Verizon Center on March 7.
The Wizards will also not visit Denver, Golden State, Minnesota, Oklahoma City or Sacramento, playing only home games against those teams, including the annual homecoming for Thunder superstar Kevin Durant.
Grueling road trips do remain in store for the young Wizards, including a five-game swing from Feb. 12-20 (at Detroit, Portland, the Clippers, Utah and Phoenix) and the longest trip of the year, a six-game trek from March 12-21 (at San Antonio, Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis and New Jersey). Washington’s two longest home stands are both five games apiece.
As an example of the NBA utilizing every possible chance to fit in games, the Wizards will host Milwaukee on April 2, the night of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament final, a date the league normally takes off.
President Obama will be encouraged to attend a visit by reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 30. It is one of six Wizards games set for NBA TV, but Washington does not have a single nationally televised appearance scheduled on TNT or ESPN, including visits by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat on Feb. 10 and for the Wizards’ regular season finale on April 26.
