The NBA released the 2011-12 schedule Tuesday night. The Pistons will open the season at Indiana but then will play six of their next nine games at home -- including, funny enough, yet another matchup with the Cavs in the home opener on Dec. 28. Considering Detroit's only two preseason games are also against the Cavs, that's kind of a bummer, but whatever -- it's real life NBA basketball in a game that actually counts, so we'll get over it quickly.
Unfortunately, there's some bad news for out-of-towners: the Pistons will play in front of a national audience only twice, and not until April, when they face the Hawks on NBA TV on April 6 and the Bucks on ESPN on April 13. There's always online streams NBA League Pass.
From the Pistons press release:
"We are excited to announce the 2011-12 Pistons' regular-season schedule and pleased that 19 home games will be played on weekend dates," said Dennis Mannion, President of Palace Sports & Entertainment and the Detroit Pistons. "We have worked tremendously hard to elevate every facet of our business from operations to game presentation and customer service with the goal of presenting a new level of entertainment and excitement for our fans."
[...] Detroit will play 18 sets of back-to-back games this season. Four of its back-to-back sets fall on the road, five begin on the road and conclude at home, five are home-and-away back-to-backs and four sets are home-and-home back-to-backs.
We'll probably take a closer look at the schedule in the next few days, but until then, the full thing is below the jump:
December
Fri 16 vs Cleveland (Preseason) 7:30pm
Tue 20 @ Cleveland (Preseason) 7:00pm
Mon 26 @ Indiana 7:00pm
Wed 28 vs Cleveland 7:30pm
Fri 30 @ Boston 7:30pm
Sat 31 vs Indiana 6:00pm
January
Mon 02 vs Orlando 7:30pm
Wed 04 vs Chicago 7:30pm
Fri 06 @ Philadelphia 7:00pm
Sat 07 vs New York 7:30pm
Mon 09 @ Chicago 8:00pm
Tue 10 vs Dallas 7:30pm
Thu 12 @ Milwaukee 8:00pm
Fri 13 @ Charlotte 7:00pm
Sun 15 vs Golden State 6:00pm
Tue 17 @ Houston 8:00pm
Wed 18 @ Minnesota 8:00pm
Fri 20 vs Memphis 7:30pm
Sat 21 vs Portland 7:30pm
Mon 23 @ Oklahoma City 8:00pm
Wed 25 vs Miami 7:30pm
Fri 27 vs Atlanta 7:30pm
Sat 28 @ Philadelphia 7:00pm
Mon 30 @ Milwaukee 8:00pm
Tue 31 @ New York 7:30pm
February
Wed 01 @ New Jersey 7:30pm
Fri 03 vs Milwaukee 7:30pm
Sat 04 vs New Orleans 7:30pm
Wed 08 @ New Jersey 7:30pm
Fri 10 vs New Jersey 7:30pm
Sun 12 vs Washington 6:00pm
Tue 14 vs San Antonio 7:30pm
Wed 15 @ Boston 7:30pm
Fri 17 vs Sacramento 7:30pm
Sun 19 vs Boston 6:00pm
Tue 21 @ Cleveland 7:00pm
Wed 22 @ Toronto 7:00pm
Tue 28 vs Philadelphia 7:30pm
Wed 29 vs Charlotte 7:30pm
March
Sat 03 @ Memphis 8:00pm
Tue 06 vs LA Lakers 7:30pm
Fri 09 vs Atlanta 7:30pm
Sat 10 vs Toronto 7:30pm
Mon 12 @ Utah 9:00pm
Wed 14 @ Sacramento 10:00pm
Fri 16 @ Phoenix 10:00pm
Sun 18 @ LA Clippers 3:30pm
Wed 21 @ Denver 9:00pm
Fri 23 vs Miami 7:30pm
Sat 24 @ New York 7:30pm
Mon 26 @ Washington 7:00pm
Wed 28 @ Cleveland 7:00pm
Fri 30 @ Chicago 8:00pm
Sat 31 vs Charlotte 7:30pm
April
Tue 03 vs Orlando 7:30pm
Thu 05 vs Washington 7:30pm
Fri 06 @ Atlanta 7:30pm (NBA TV)
Sun 08 @ Miami 6:00pm
Mon 09 @ Orlando 7:00pm
Thu 12 @ Charlotte 7:00pm
Fri 13 vs Milwaukee 8:00pm (ESPN)
Sun 15 vs Chicago 6:00pm
Tue 17 vs Cleveland 7:30pm
Wed 18 @ Atlanta 7:30pm
Thu 19 vs Minnesota 7:30pm
Sun 22 vs Toronto 6:00pm
Mon 23 @ Indiana 7:00pm
Thu 26 vs Philadelphia 8:00pm