KINGS 2011-12 SCHEDULE
The Sacramento Kings released their 2011-12 schedule Tuesday, which opens with a visit from Kobe Bryant and the Lakers on Monday, Dec. 26 and features a visit to NBA champion Dallas on Jan. 14.
Four of Sacramento's first five games are at home, with Chicago (Dec. 29), New York (Dec. 31) and New Orleans (Jan. 1) highlighting the early season calendar, giving fans in the state capital a chance to see rookie Jimmer Fredette join with teammates Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins.
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Following a pair of preseason games with Northern California rival Golden State, the Kings and Warriors will meet for the first time in the regular season in Oakland on Jan. 31.
Some notable elements of the upcoming 66-game season for Sacramento:
- By month, the schedule breaks down as follows: December (3 home, 1 away = 4 total), January (5 home, 12 away = 17 total), February (5 home, 8 away = 13 total), March (12 home, 6 away = 18 total), April (8 home, 6 away = 14 total).
NBA
- By day, the schedule breaks down as follows: Monday (2 home, 5 away = 7 total), Tuesday (4 home, 9 away = 13 total), Wednesday (6 home, 5 away = 11 total), Thursday (8 home, 0 away = 8 total), Friday (3 home, 6 away = 9 total), Saturday (4 home, 5 away = 9 total), Sunday (6 home, 3 away = 9 total).
- The Kings longest homestand is nine games versus New Orleans (Wednesday, March 7), Dallas (Friday, March 9), Atlanta (Sunday, March 11), Golden State (Tuesday, March 13), Detroit (Wednesday, March 14), Boston (Friday, March 16), Minnesota (Sunday, March 18), Memphis (Tuesday, March 20) and Utah (Thursday, March 22) at Power Balance Pavilion.
- Sacramento embarks on five road trips of three or more games in length. The longest is a six-game journey with stops in Chicago (Tuesday, February 14), New York (Wednesday, February 15), Detroit (Friday, February 17), Cleveland (Sunday, February 19), Miami (Tuesday, Feb. 21) and Washington (Wednesday, Feb. 22).
- Of the 16 sets of back-to-back games, three are of the home-home contests, nine are of the away-away variety, two are away-home and two are of the home-away category.
- Sacramento has one back-to-back-to-back set at Memphis (Tuesday, Jan. 3) and Denver (Wednesday, Jan. 4) and home versus Milwaukee (Thursday, Jan. 5).
- The Kings will host three Sunday games with a start time of 3 pm versus Orlando (Jan. 8), Minnesota (March 18) and Portland (April 15).
- Sacramentos 33-game home schedule features 13 weekend contests at Power Balance Pavilion.
- The Kings handed the Toronto Raptors a 111-108 defeat in last seasons home opener at ARCO Arena. This season marks the first time Sacramento has faced the Los Angeles Lakers in their home opener.
- Sacramento recorded a 117-116 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in last years road opener at the Target Center. This season marks only the third time the Kings have played the Portland Trail Blazers in their road opener. Sacramento is 0-2 in such games, suffering losses to Portland at the beginning of the 1988-89 and 1989-90 campaigns by scores of 103-121 and 96-114, respectively.
- The Kings have opened the season on the road in each of the past seven campaigns, playing three or more games.
- The Kings will play on one national holiday when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 16th).