2008-2009 NBA schedule [Merged]

[zuppafly]

December and January with a lot of away tough games and March also having us playing away against top teams.

IDK, but I think our brutal start last year was actually good because the team had to be focused since the very beginning and since we had a new style of play most of the teams were surprised and unprepared for those 238975 3pters/game. In the end of all it did favor us.
Lets wait that this year with a more spaced (is it me or do we have a lot less back-to-backs this year?) we can take advantage of that too.

[MrOrlando]

ESPN just released their must see games of the year, has a couple Orlando games in there of course. Which is nice to see

Nov. 10: Portland at Orlando
Oden will have lined up against Shaquille O'Neal (Nov. 1), Yao and Dwight Howard in a span of 10 days by the time he gets through this one. Health permitting, of course.

Nov. 27: Happy Thanksgiving
After two years off, the NBA has elected to restore its traditional Thanksgiving program with a double serving.

It's D-Howard and Arenas headlining Orlando at Washington, followed by Team USA teammates CP3 and Carmelo Anthony as the principal draws for New Orleans at Denver.

Dec. 25: Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas!
This has to be some sort of record: Christmas Day delivers five NBA games on national TV.

Five!

New Orleans at Orlando gets us started at noon on ESPN.

ABC follows with a pretty handy doubleheader: Spurs at Suns, then your inevitable Celtics-at-Lakers Finals rematch.

TNT takes us home with Washington at Cleveland -- LeBron and DeShawn Stevenson together on a holiday? -- followed by Dallas at Portland.

Jan. 2: Miami at Orlando
There are no New Year's Day games in the NBA this season. So this is the first game of 2009: Stan Van Gundy coaching against coaching rookie Erik Spoelstra, his longtime Heat colleague.

[SS_MagicMark]

That stretch in December looks particularly nasty. After the lads wrap up a five-game West coast swing, they come back home to find the Spurs, Lakers, Warriors, and Hornets waiting. Throw in roadies agaisnt the Celtics & Pistons, and that month will be a real test.

I count 16 back-to-backs, including a pair of four-in-fives (I'm sure they'll appreciate the one in mid-April as they come down the home stretch).

[drsd]

Looking at the schedule, it looks hour-glass. Starts easy, hard in the middle, and capped with an easy end. This is an absolutely perfect schedule for the Magic.

Also, the Magic have 11 national games televised.

[Optimus_Steel]

That stretch in December looks particularly nasty. After the lads wrap up a five-game West coast swing, they come back home to find the Spurs, Lakers, Warriors, and Hornets waiting. Throw in roadies agaisnt the Celtics & Pistons, and that month will be a real test.

I count 16 back-to-backs, including a pair of four-in-fives (I'm sure they'll appreciate the one in mid-April as they come down the home stretch).

December and January are always the toughest months because thats when the sched makers put the Magic on those long west coast trips. Last year the Magic showed alot of toughness in those games so it will be interesting to see if they can continue that this year. I still think the Magic have a chip on their shoulders so i think that will help.

[MMFla]

Looks like Mo Evans v MP in the first game. I went last year on Halloween it was awesome, this year I may go again.

I like that we have a lot more nationally televised games but why put us vs the 76ers twice on TV is it Brand v Dwight? and the games are so close together. I would rather see like 76ers v Clips as a better story line of what could have been with Brand and Baron. Oh well at least we have more than years past.

[EasternMagic]

Im super excited we have 11 national televised games thats amazing

[DiplomaticMagic]

11 national tv games? Awesome! Why is one of them vs. the Heat though? Damn

Magic vs. Hawks - Oct 29th

Can't wait!

[imonfire99]

The guys can't be happy about playing both on Thanksgiving (on the road) & Christmas.

11 national TV games. Not bad. Not sure why we're playing in Seattle on 11/12, though. Are we playing the Seahawks?

LMAO, we are either gonna need a punter or a cacther if we are gonna play in Seattle lol.

well if we still had tmac we'd still have a punter.

[Orange Ave.]

The guys can't be happy about playing both on Thanksgiving (on the road) & Christmas.

11 national TV games. Not bad. Not sure why we're playing in Seattle on 11/12, though. Are we playing the Seahawks?

LMAO, we are either gonna need a punter or a cacther if we are gonna play in Seattle lol.

well if we still had tmac we'd still have a punter.

Darrel Armstrong was the punter, for Fayetteville State. I believe T-mac was a pitcher, hence the rediculous "autographed" McGrady mini baseball bat giveaway from some game sitting in the closet.

speaking of... wasn't Amechi a catcher?

[drsd]

The Orlando Magic's 20th-anniversary season and defense of its 2007-08 Southeast Division title will feature 11 national television appearances and the team's fewest number of back-to-back dates since 2005-06.

The Magic have a season-long five-game home stand from Nov. 1-10. Their longest road trip will take place from Dec. 8-15, when they will play five games during a span of eight days.

Orlando has 16 (back-to-back) such dates next season, its fewest since playing 15 back-to-back games in 2005-06.

The cable situation still is not resolved. While Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins told the Sentinel last month that it was the club's "No. 1 offseason priority" to help end the stalemate between FSN and Bright House to bring Magic fans local access to television games, the squabble still rages on.

Single-game tickets will go on sale in early October.

2008-09 schedule reflects a return to prominence for Orlando Magic

[BassMaster]

I was wondering don't the Magic players play a role in giving during Thanksgiving I wonder how their being on the road is going to effect their activities in the community.
It's just another instance where the NBA wants TV time, but at the same time impacts on the community at large.

[glennathan]

To answer your question Cougar I think they might do the give away the day or 2 before. You are right they do the giveaway every year but also keep in mind that it was hosted by a Pat Garrity who is no longer on the team either.

[drsd]

An interesting table comparing the schedules:
Hoopsworld: Schedule Analysis