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The Detroit Pistons will open the 2013-14 season at home against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Following a quick one-trip to Memphis on Nov. 1, the Pistons return to the Palace for four more games against the Celtics (Nov. 3), Pacers (Nov. 5) and Thunder (Nov. 8), giving fans in Detroit ample opportunity to check out the team's revamped roster early in the season.
That stands in stark contrast to last year's unforgiving schedule, in which seven of the Pistons' first nine games were on the road, including six straight out west. If you recall, the Pistons were already six games under .500 before even playing their second home game last year, sapping whatever early-season optimism fans may have deluded themselves into having and setting the tone of another season of empty seats at the Palace. (And let's not even think about the 4-20 start from 2011-12 ...)
With any luck, that won't happen again this season with 10 of the team's first 17 games at home. The Pistons have only two road trips all season longer than three games -- and not one longer than four. And unlike last season when the Pistons were completely ignored by national TV, the team will have two games on ESPN (Nov. 15 in Sacramento, Feb. 5 in Orlando), and two more on NBA TV (Feb. 8 against the Nuggets, March 9 in Boston).
More analysis from the team's official press release:
The club will play 20 sets of back-to-back games this season. Five of its back-to-back sets fall on the road, four begin on the road and conclude at home, eight are home-and-away and three are home-home back-to-backs.
The complete schedule is below:
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | National TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed. | Oct 30 | Washington | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Nov 01 | at Memphis | 8:00 p.m. | |
| Sun. | Nov 03 | Boston | 6:00 p.m. | |
| Tue. | Nov 05 | Indiana | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Nov 08 | Oklahoma City | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Nov 11 | at Portland | 10:00 p.m. | |
| Tue. | Nov 12 | at Golden State | 10:30 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Nov 15 | at Sacramento | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sun. | Nov 17 | at L.A. Lakers | 9:30 p.m. | |
| Tue. | Nov 19 | New York | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Nov 20 | at Atlanta | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Nov 22 | Atlanta | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sun. | Nov 24 | at Brooklyn | 2:00 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Nov 25 | Milwaukee | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Nov 27 | Chicago | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Nov 29 | L.A. Lakers | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sun. | Dec 01 | Philadelphia | 3:30 p.m. | |
| Tue. | Dec 03 | at Miami | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Dec 04 | at Milwaukee | 8:00 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Dec 07 | at Chicago | 8:00 p.m. | |
| Sun. | Dec 08 | Miami | 6:00 p.m. | |
| Tue. | Dec 10 | Minnesota | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Dec 11 | at New Orleans | 8:00 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Dec 13 | Brooklyn | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sun. | Dec 15 | Portland | 6:00 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Dec 16 | at Indiana | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Dec 18 | at Boston | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Dec 20 | Charlotte | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Dec 21 | Houston | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Dec 23 | at Cleveland | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Dec 27 | at Orlando | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Dec 28 | at Washington | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Dec 30 | Washington | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sun. | Jan 05 | Memphis | 1:00 p.m. | |
| Tue. | Jan 07 | at New York | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Jan 08 | at Toronto | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Jan 10 | at Philadelphia | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Jan 11 | Phoenix | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Jan 17 | Utah | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Jan 18 | at Washington | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Jan 20 | L.A. Clippers | 1:00 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Jan 22 | at Milwaukee | 8:00 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Jan 24 | New Orleans | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sun. | Jan 26 | at Dallas | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Tue. | Jan 28 | Orlando | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Jan 29 | at Atlanta | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Feb 01 | Philadelphia | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Feb 03 | at Miami | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Feb 05 | at Orlando | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Fri. | Feb 07 | Brooklyn | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Feb 08 | Denver | 7:30 p.m. | NBATV |
| Mon. | Feb 10 | San Antonio | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Feb 12 | Cleveland | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Tue. | Feb 18 | Charlotte | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Feb 19 | at Charlotte | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Feb 21 | Atlanta | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Feb 22 | Dallas | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Feb 24 | Golden State | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Feb 26 | at San Antonio | 8:30 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Mar 01 | at Houston | 8:00 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Mar 03 | New York | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Mar 05 | Chicago | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Mar 07 | at Minnesota | 8:00 p.m. | |
| Sun. | Mar 09 | at Boston | 6:00 p.m. | NBATV |
| Tue. | Mar 11 | Sacramento | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Mar 12 | at Toronto | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Mar 15 | Indiana | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Mar 19 | at Denver | 9:00 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Mar 21 | at Phoenix | 10:00 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Mar 22 | at L.A. Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Mar 24 | at Utah | 9:00 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Mar 26 | Cleveland | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Mar 28 | Miami | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Mar 29 | at Philadelphia | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Mon. | Mar 31 | Milwaukee | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Apr 02 | at Indiana | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Apr 04 | at Brooklyn | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Sat. | Apr 05 | Boston | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Apr 09 | at Cleveland | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Fri. | Apr 11 | at Chicago | 8:00 p.m. | |
| Sun. | Apr 13 | Toronto | 3:30 p.m. | |
| Wed. | Apr 16 | at Oklahoma City | 8:00 p.m. |
Now your thoughts.