RealGM

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the 2010-11 regular-season schedule today and the Charlotte Bobcats will open the season on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Oct. 27. The 82-game schedule consists of 41 home and 41 road dates. The Bobcats will make six national television appearances this season, including one game each on ESPN and ESPN2 and four games on NBATV.

Eight of the Bobcats first 16 games will be at Time Warner Cable Arena, including the home opener on Friday, Oct. 29 against the Indiana Pacers. The Bobcats return home on Saturday, Nov. 26 for a 2010 first-round playoff rematch with Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. The Bobcats will make their NBATV debut for the season on Monday, Nov. 8 when they host Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. Other home opponents during this stretch include Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Nov. 13, Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, Nov. 20 and Amare Stoudemire and the New York Knicks on Wednesday, Nov. 24. The Bobcats return to the ESPN family of networks for the first time since December 2007 when they face Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets on Friday, Nov. 26 in an ESPN2 telecast.

The schedule also features several marquee matchups with the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and the two-time defending NBA Champion L.A. Lakers. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and the defending Eastern Conference Champion Celtics come to Charlotte on Saturday, Dec. 11 and Monday, Feb. 7. Chris Bosh, reigning league MVP LeBron James and Dwyane Wade lead the new-look Heat into town on Monday, Jan. 3 and Friday, Feb. 4. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will make their lone appearance in the Queen City on Monday, Feb. 14.

The Bobcats schedule features a five-game home-stand, which will take place Dec. 21 - Jan. 3. The longest road stretch of the season is a six-game West Coast trip Jan. 25 - Feb. 2. The trip includes four games against teams from the Pacific Division, against which the Bobcats went 8-2 last season.

Nineteen of the Bobcats final 41 games will be at home this season, including seven of their final 11 and the regular-season finale on Wednesday, April 13 against the Atlanta Hawks on ESPN at 8:00 pm.

Bobcats home games will begin at 7:00 pm, with the exception of two 6:00 pm Sunday contests on April 3 and April 10. The team also has one afternoon game on New Year’s Eve against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Friday, Dec. 31 at 3:00 pm.

Season tickets are still available by calling (704) BOBCATS. In addition to full season tickets, the Pick 20 partial plan that allows buyers to purchase Opening Night and 19 more of their choosing is now available. Marquee matchups with the Lakers, Heat, Celtics and Magic can be selected as part of that plan.

Battery wrote:I was hoping they would finally push back the starting times for week day games to 7:30. No surprise that the arena is 3/4 empty at 7. I hate rushing to get there after work, especially when I'm starving! Somebody get me MJ's phone number so I can tell him that the later they start the games, the more people will come and more money will be spent on food and merchandise. Well maybe not more people, but certainly more money spent at the concession stands.

Battery wrote:I was hoping they would finally push back the starting times for week day games to 7:30. No surprise that the arena is 3/4 empty at 7. I hate rushing to get there after work, especially when I'm starving! Somebody get me MJ's phone number so I can tell him that the later they start the games, the more people will come and more money will be spent on food and merchandise. Well maybe not more people, but certainly more money spent at the concession stands.