The defending Northwest Division champion Nuggets will be tested early next season with back-to-back games against Utah and Portland to start the 2009-10 season.
The NBA released the schedule Tuesday, and the Nuggets play seven of their first nine games on the road, including a six-game Eastern Conference road trip. They open at home against the Jazz on Oct. 28 and play in Portland the next night. There are five road trips of three or more games next season, the longest being the Eastern Conference swing.
The NBA champion L.A. Lakers come to town twice, Nov. 13 and April 8. LeBron James brings Cleveland to the Pepsi Center on Jan. 8. There are three games against Houston, two on the road; and three games against Dallas, two in Denver.
The Nuggets will be well-traveled in March, with 10 of 16 games out of town. That month features a four-game and a five-game road trip.
There are 22 Nuggets games on national television. Denver will make 10 appearances on TNT, tied with Cleveland for most in the NBA. The Nuggets will also be on ESPN nine times and ABC three times.
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
