A year after playing games on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, the Hornets will be home for the holidays this upcoming season.
The NBA released the 2009-2010 schedule Tuesday, and the Hornets -- who played on some marquee dates last season after emerging as a title contender the season before -- are not scheduled to play on Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter, although they are slated for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee. For the second consecutive season, the Hornets open on the road. They tip off at defending Southwest Division champion San Antonio on Oct. 28 in a game nationally televised on ESPN.
Two days later, the Hornets play their home opener against the Sacramento Kings.
"The schedule coming out creates a whole new excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season," Hornets Coach Byron Scott said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to build as a team, welcoming our new players into our system and being a force in the Western Conference."
The Hornets will appear on national television nine times, including divisional matchup Nov. 4 against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks on ESPN and a road game Feb. 8 against the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic on TNT.
Other nationally televised Hornets games include a home game against the Suns on Nov. 19 on TNT, a road game against the Mavericks on Feb. 28 on ESPN and a road game against the Denver Nuggets on March. 18 on TNT.
The Hornets will appear on ESPN six times, TNT three times and NBATV seven times. The television schedule for CST will be announced later.
Fans looking to see some of the NBA's biggest stars -- Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard -- will get just one chance to see each at New Orleans Arena: the Los Angeles Lakers on March 29, Cleveland Cavaliers on March 24, Miami Heat on Dec. 30 and Magic on Feb. 26.
The Hornets visit the defending NBA champion Lakers twice (Nov. 8 and Dec. 1). The Hornets also will get their first chance to avenge last season's embarrassing first-round playoff series loss to the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 18 at home in the first of four regular-season games, two of which will be at home.
The Hornets also have two extended trips West. They go on a four-game trek to Minnesota, Denver, Portland and Golden State in late January, and then a five-game trip at Phoenix, the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State, Denver and Utah in mid-March.
The Hornets will play 18 of their 41 home games on Friday (13), Saturday (three) or Sunday night (two). Their most frequent game night will be Wednesday (14).
All home games will tip off at 7 p.m., except for Nov. 4 vs. Dallas (8:30 p.m.), Jan. 18 vs. San Antonio (2:30 p.m.), Feb. 21 vs. Houston (6 p.m.) and April 11 vs. Minnesota (6 p.m.).
"Everyone in our organization is excited to get this season underway," owner George Shinn said. "We can't wait to strive toward our goal of being a champion and for our wonderful fans in New Orleans and the state of Louisiana to experience the thrilling, non-stop excitement of Hornets Basketball in person at the New Orleans Arena."
If the Hornets are in the thick of a playoff run late in the season, they'll have a favorable schedule, playing eight of their final 11 games at the New Orleans Arena, where the Hornets were 28-13 last season. The Hornets end the season April 14 at Houston.
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Nakia Hogan can be reached at nhogan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.
