The Los Angeles Lakers are reaping benefits as the defending NBA champions and will have almost two-thirds of their games nationally televised during the first half of the 2020-21 season, which is good for the most in the league.
L.A. will play in front of a national audience 22 times when accounting for broadcasts on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. The seven games shown by NBA TV, however, may be subject to local blackouts. In any event, all Lakers games will be carried on Spectrum SportsNet.
They lead the Brooklyn Nets (20 nationally televised games), New Orleans Pelicans (19), Golden State Warriors (19), and Boston Celtics (18).
Their local rivals, the L.A. Clippers, will play just 16 games in front of a national audience, including on Opening Night against the Lakers on Dec. 22 (TNT). Just three days later, the NBA champions will host Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks as part of the Christmas Day schedule. The game will broadcast simultaneously by ABC and ESPN.
The Lakers will have a slate of potentially enthralling games shown on national television in January. They face the Pelicans on Jan. 15 (ESPN), the Warriors three days later on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (TNT), the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 21 (TNT), and the Celtics on Jan. 30 (ABC).
L.A. will host the Miami Heat on Feb. 20 (ABC) for the first time since defeating them in the NBA Finals last season.
Of course, some of the aforementioned marquee matchups could drastically change based on where each respective team and its players are. Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has already indicated the team will strike a balance with workload.
Lakers games on national TV during first half of 2020-21 season
Dec. 22: vs. Clippers, 7 p.m. PT (TNT)
Dec. 25: vs. Mavericks, 5 p.m. (ABC, ESPN)
Dec. 27: vs. Timberwolves, 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
Dec. 28: vs. Trail Blazers, 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
Jan. 1: @ Spurs, 5 p.m. (NBA TV)
Jan. 5: @ Grizzles, 5 p.m. (NBA TV)
Jan. 12: @ Rockets, 5 p.m. (NBA TV)
Jan. 15: vs. Pelicans, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Jan. 18: vs. Warriors, 7 p.m. (TNT)
Jan. 21: @ Bucks, 4:30 p.m. (TNT)
Jan. 27: @ 76ers, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Jan. 30: @ Celtics, 5:30 p.m. (ABC)
Feb. 4: vs. Nuggets, 7 p.m. (TNT)
Feb. 12: vs. Grizzlies, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 14: @ Nuggets, 4:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
Feb. 18: vs. Nets, 7 p.m. (TNT)
Feb. 20: vs. Heat, 5:30 p.m. (ABC)
Feb. 22: vs. Wizards, 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
Feb. 24: @ Jazz, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 26: vs. Trail Blazers, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 28: vs. Warriors, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
March 2: vs. Suns, 7 p.m. (TNT)
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