NBA live on Sky Sports: Lakers and Clippers headline opening night ahead of bumper Christmas slate
Golden State Warriors face the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers meet LA Clippers on opening night; Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans in action on Christmas Day; 19 pre-midnight tip-offs across January and February
Saturday 19 December 2020 18:02, UK
The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers headline opening night as Sky Sports' live coverage of the new NBA season gets underway with a bumper slate of Christmas games.
Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors, missing the injured Klay Thompson but armed with No 2 overall pick James Wiseman, tip things off in the early hours of Wednesday, December 23 against the Brooklyn Nets, who will have both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at their disposal following their respective injury problems.
Reigning champions the Lakers - led by LeBron James and strengthened by the arrival of Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell - then meet Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Clippers in the battle of LA.
Christmas Day sees three pre-midnight tip-offs live on Sky Sports, beginning with Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans up against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat, who enter the new season on the back of reaching the 2019-20 Finals. The Warriors visit reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, before the Boston Celtics host the Nets.
The Lakers will also be in action against MVP favourite Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks from 1am in the early hours of Boxing Day morning, followed by the Clippers up against the Denver Nuggets.
Moving into 2021, Sky Sports will broadcast 19 games that begin between 6pm and 10pm UK time across January and February.
We are granted an early look at one of the busiest teams of the offseason in the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, January 3 as they take on the stacked Boston Celtics from 8pm. Detroit selected French guard Killian Hayes with the seventh pick at the Draft, along with Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey at 16 and 19, respectively. Former Denver Nuggets forward Jerami Grant was also among several offseason additions for newly-hired Pistons general manager Troy Weaver.
The following weekend sees the Nuggets visit the Philadelphia 76ers in an 8pm tip-off on Saturday, January 9. On the back of a demoralising playoff exit during the summer, how will Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the Sixers look under new head coach Doc Rivers?
On Sunday, January 10, Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls meet the Clippers from 10pm amid their bid to respond to another disappointing campaign last season, with No 4 overall pick Patrick Williams a player to keep an eye on throughout the season after his ascent up the Draft board.
At half-past midnight on Saturday, January 16, Doncic and Antetokounmpo meet in a mouthwatering clash of two MVP contenders as the Mavericks face the Bucks.
Saturday, February 6 offers a chance to see a young New York Knicks team containing second-year scorer RJ Barrett and rookie Obi Toppin in action against a Damian Lillard-led Portland Trail Blazers side that impressed in the bubble.
The next day turns the focus towards Chris Paul in his first season alongside Devin Booker with the Phoenix Suns when they look to match up against a Celtics outfit boasting the likes of Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown.
And on February 21, you can see a repeat of the 2019-20 NBA Finals as the Lakers visit the Heat from 1:30am in the early hours of Sunday morning. There's a lot more where that came from.
