Bucks: 4 national TV appearances highlight schedule
By Phil Watson
The Milwaukee Bucks will be on national television four times, including a coveted TNT Thursday night doubleheader spot against the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers in November, during the 2015-16 season.
The schedule was released Wednesday and includes the Nov. 19 game at Cleveland as well as three national telecasts on ESPN, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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The Bucks will be on ESPN Dec. 16 when they play the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center in L.A., March 9 at home against the Miami Heat and March 23, also at Cleveland.
Perhaps more significantly, the Bucks will open at home for the first time ever at BMO Harris Bradley Center—fairly remarkable considering they have played in the facility since the beginning of the 1988-89 season.
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The Bucks will host the New York Knicks on Oct. 28, which is set to be the Milwaukee debut for prize free-agent center Greg Monroe, who spurned the Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, among others, to take a three-year, $50 million deal with the Bucks.
They will get a second straight home game to open the season when the Washington Wizards visit on Oct. 30.
The four national games are the first for the Bucks since they were scheduled once in 2013-14 and are the most for the franchise since they were featured four times in 2004-05.
The Bucks will have four rematches with the Chicago Bulls, who eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs last season, visiting the United Center on Jan. 5 and March 7 and hosting Chicago Jan. 12 and April 3.
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Milwaukee will get its two meetings with the defending champion Golden State Warriors within a six-day period in December, hosting the Warriors on Dec. 12 and visiting Oracle Arena on Dec. 18.
The schedule features 20 back-to-backs and the longest road trips are a pair of four-game journeys. The Bucks will play at the Lakers on Dec. 15, at the Clippers in the same building on Dec. 16, at Golden State Dec. 18 and at Phoenix Dec. 20.
In January, the Bucks will make a four-game swing to visit the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans.
There are two five-game homestands—Feb. 27-March 6 (Detroit, Houston, Indiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma City) and March 26-April 5 (Charlotte, Phoenix, Orlando, Chicago, Cleveland).
The entire schedule is below, all times Central:
For the first time since 1984, the Milwaukee Bucks will open a season at home, hosting the New York Knicks on Oct. 28. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
OCTOBER
Oct. 28—NEW YORK, 7 p.m.
Oct. 30—WASHINGTON, 7 p.m.
Ersan Ilyasova (7) returns to Milwaukee with the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 23. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
NOVEMBER
Nov. 1—at Toronto, 5 p.m.
Nov. 2—at Brooklyn, 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 4—PHILADELPHIA, 7 p.m.
Nov. 6—at New York, 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 7—BROOKLYN, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 10—BOSTON, 7 p.m.
Nov. 11—at Denver, 8 p.m.
Nov. 14—CLEVELAND, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 17—at Washington, 6 p.m.
Nov. 19—at Cleveland, 7 p.m. (TNT)
Nov. 21—at Indiana, 6 p.m.
Nov. 23—DETROIT, 7 p.m.
Nov. 25—SACRAMENTO, 7 p.m.
Nov. 27—at Orlando, 6 p.m.
Nov. 29—at Charlotte, 1 p.m.
Nov. 30—DENVER, 7 p.m.
The defending champion Golden State Warriors visit Milwaukee on Dec. 12. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
DECEMBER
Dec. 2—at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 4—at Detroit, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 5—NEW YORK, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 7—PORTLAND, 7 p.m.
Dec. 9—LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS, 7 p.m.
Dec. 11—at Toronto, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 12—GOLDEN STATE, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 15—at Los Angeles Lakers, 9:30 p.m.
Dec. 16—at Los Angeles Clippers, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Dec. 18—at Golden State, 9:30 p.m.
Dec. 20—at Phoenix, 4 p.m.
Dec. 23—PHILADELPHIA, 7 p.m.
Dec. 26—TORONTO, 4 p.m.
Dec. 28—at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 29—at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.
Dec. 31—at Indiana, 5 p.m.
The Chicago Bulls visit Milwaukee on Jan. 12, their first trip here since the 120-66 Game 6 blowout in last season’s playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
JANUARY
Jan. 2—at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Jan. 4—SAN ANTONIO, 7 p.m.
Jan. 5—at Chicago, 7 p.m.
Jan. 8—DALLAS, 7 p.m.
Jan. 10—at New York, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 12—CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
Jan. 13—at Washington, 6 p.m.
Jan. 15—ATLANTA, 7 p.m.
Jan. 16—at Charlotte, 6 p.m.
Jan. 19—at Miami, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 22—at Houston, 7 p.m.
Jan. 23—at New Orleans, 6 p.m.
Jan. 26—ORLANDO, 7 p.m.
Jan. 28—at Memphis, 7 p.m.
Jan. 29—MIAMI, 7 p.m.
Kobe Bryant’s last trip (maybe) to Milwaukee is scheduled for Feb. 22. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
FEBRUARY
Feb. 1—at Sacramento, 9 p.m.
Feb. 2—at Portland, 9 p.m.
Feb. 5—at Utah, 8 p.m.
Feb. 9—BOSTON, 7 p.m.
Feb. 11—WASHINGTON, 7 p.m.
Feb. 19—CHARLOTTE, 7 p.m.
Feb. 20—at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 22—LOS ANGELES LAKERS, 7 p.m.
Feb. 25—at Boston, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 27—DETROIT, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 29—HOUSTON, 7 p.m.
Andrew Wiggins and the Minnesota Timberwolves make their annual trip to Milwaukee on March 4. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
MARCH
March 2—INDIANA, 7 p.m.
March 4—MINNESOTA, 7 p.m.
March 6—OKLAHOMA CITY, 2:30 p.m.
March 7—at Chicago, 7 p.m.
March 9—MIAMI, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
March 12—NEW ORLEANS, 6:30 p.m.
March 13—at Brooklyn, 5 p.m.
March 15—TORONTO, 7 p.m.
March 17—MEMPHIS, 7 p.m.
March 20—UTAH, 6 p.m.
March 21—at Detroit, 6:30 p.m.
March 23—at Cleveland, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
March 25—at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
March 26—CHARLOTTE, 7:30 p.m.
March 30—PHOENIX, 7 p.m.
The Bucks close the regular season April 13 at home against the Indiana Pacers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
APRIL
April 1—ORLANDO, 7 p.m.
April 3—CHICAGO, 6 p.m.
April 5—CLEVELAND, 7 p.m.
April 8—at Boston, 6:30 p.m.
April 10—at Philadelphia, 4 p.m.
April 11—at Orlando, 6 p.m.
April 13—INDIANA, 7 p.m.
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