LOS ANGELES — The Lakers have been slotted for two of the NBA's marquee matchups for the upcoming season, with an opening-night game Oct. 19 against Golden State and a Christmas game against Brooklyn.
The full schedule for the NBA's 2021-22 season will be revealed Friday at noon PDT, but the league on Tuesday announced the nationally televised matchups during its opening week and Christmas. The Lakers will play the Warriors at 7 p.m. PDT on TNT and three days later, on Oct. 22, they will host Western Conference champion Phoenix at 7 p.m. PDT on ESPN.
Their Christmas matchup against Brooklyn's Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving is slated for a 5 p.m. PDT tipoff — the first time since 2018 that Durant and LeBron James are scheduled to face each other. It will also be a reunion of Durant and his former Oklahoma City teammate, Russell Westbrook, the new Lakers point guard.
The Clippers will travel to San Francisco for their first nationally televised game on Oct. 21 against the Warriors (7 p.m. PDT, TNT). The Clippers will not play on Christmas after playing on the league's showcase day each of the last two years.
NBA opening week schedule (all times Pacific)
— Oct. 19
Brooklyn at Milwaukee, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Golden State at Lakers, 7 p.m., TNT
— Oct. 20
Boston at New York, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Denver at Phoenix, 7 p.m., ESPN
— Oct. 21
Dallas at Atlanta, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Clippers at Golden State, 10 p.m., TNT
— Oct. 22
Brooklyn at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Phoenix at Lakers, 7 p.m., ESPN
NBA Christmas Day schedule
Atlanta at New York, 9 a.m., ESPN
Boston at Milwaukee, 11:30 a.m., ABC
Golden State at Phoenix, 2 p.m., ABC
Brooklyn at Lakers, 5 p.m. ABC/ESPN
Dallas at Utah, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
