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Every NBA fan looks forward to the schedule release as something of a holiday and that beautiful event has arrived. The Atlanta Hawks will open the 2017-2018 season with a match-up against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 18. Then, after an 82-game run, the team will end the campaign with a contest against the Philadelphia 76ers on Apr. 10.
Presumably because of renovations to Philips Arena, the Hawks will begin the season with five consecutive road games before the team’s home opener (on Friday, Oct. 27 against the Denver Nuggets) that doubles as Paul Millsap’s return to Atlanta. That, quite obviously, isn’t ideal but it would seemingly not be quite as much of an issue given the team’s rebuilding trajectory.
In terms of other highlights, Atlanta will not be featured on the NBA’s marquee stage of Christmas Day (not a surprise) but the Hawks will return to hosting a match-up on MLK day when the San Antonio Spurs come to town. That is a welcome return to normalcy after a one-year hiatus and a top-tier opponent should make for an even more intriguing and festive atmosphere.
However, the Hawks will not have a single nationally televised broadcast during the 2017-2018 season. Mike Budenholzer’s team will appear on NBA TV on two occasions but, in terms of the ABC/ESPN/TNT package generally described as “national TV,” Atlanta was omitted entirely and that is certainly a (mild) surprise.
In addition to Millsap’s early homecoming (and his only trip to Philips Arena this season), Dwight Howard returns home to Atlanta as a member of the Charlotte Hornets for the first time on Jan. 31, though the Hawks will be in North Carolina (very) early in the year on Oct. 20. Tim Hardaway Jr., fresh off a lucrative four-year deal with the Knicks, will come back to Atlanta on Friday, Nov. 24.
Here is the full schedule for the 2017-18 campaign:
Wednesday, Oct. 18 at Mavericks, 8:30 pm ET
Friday, Oct. 20 at Hornets, 7:00 pm ET
Sunday, Oct. 22 at Nets, 3:30 pm ET
Monday, Oct. 23 at Heat, 7:30 pm ET
Thursday, Oct. 26 at Bulls, 8:00 pm ET
Friday, Oct. 27 vs. Nuggets, 7:30 pm ET
Sunday, Oct. 29 vs. Bucks, 3:30 pm ET
Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 76ers, 7:00 pm ET
Friday, Nov. 3 vs. Rockets, 7:30 pm ET
Sunday, Nov. 5 at Cavaliers, 3:00 pm ET
Monday, Nov. 6 vs. Celtics, 7:30 pm ET
Friday, Nov. 10 at Pistons, 7:00 pm ET
Saturday, Nov. 11 at Wizards, 7:00 pm ET
Monday, Nov. 13 at Pelicans, 8:00 pm ET
Wednesday, Nov. 15 vs. Kings, 7:30 pm ET
Saturday, Nov. 18 vs. Celtics, 7:30 pm ET
Monday, Nov. 20 at Spurs, 8:30 pm ET
Wednesday, Nov. 22 vs. Clippers, 7:30 pm ET
Friday, Nov. 24 vs. Knicks, 7:30 pm ET
Saturday, Nov. 25 vs. Raptors, 7:30 pm ET
Thursday, Nov. 30 vs. Cavaliers, 7:30 pm ET
Saturday, Dec. 2 at Nets, 3:00 pm ET
Monday, Dec. 4 vs. Nets, 7:30 pm ET
Wednesday, De. 6 at Magic, 7:00 pm ET
Saturday, Dec. 9 vs. Magic, 7:30 pm ET
Sunday, Dec. 10 at Knicks, 7:30 pm ET
Tuesday, Dec. 12 at Cavaliers, 7:00 pm ET
Thursday, Dec. 14 vs. Pistons, 7:30 pm ET
Friday, Dec. 15 at Grizzlies, 8:00 pm ET
Monday, Dec. 18 vs. Heat, 7:30 pm ET
Wednesday, Dec. 20 vs. Pacers, 7:30 pm ET
Friday, Dec. 22 at Thunder, 8:00 pm ET
Saturday, Dec. 23 vs. Mavericks, 7:30 pm ET
Wednesday, Dec. 27 vs. Wizards, 7:30 pm ET
Friday, Dec. 29 at Raptors, 7:30 pm ET
Saturday, Dec. 30 vs. Trail Blazers, 7:30 pm ET
Tuesday, Jan. 2 at Suns, 9:00 pm ET
Friday, Jan. 5 at Trail Blazers, 10:00 pm ET
Sunday, Jan. 7 at Lakers, 9:30 pm ET
Monday, Jan. 8 at Clippers, 10:30 pm ET
Wednesday, Jan. 10 at Nuggets, 9 pm ET
Friday, Jan. 12 vs. Nets, 7:30 pm ET
Monday, Jan. 15 vs. Spurs, 3:00 pm ET
Wednesday, Jan. 17 vs. Pelicans, 7:30 pm ET
Saturday, Jan. 20 vs. Bulls, 5:00 pm ET
Monday, Jan. 22 vs. Jazz, 7:30 pm ET
Wednesday, Jan. 24 vs. Raptors, 7:30 pm ET
Friday, Jan. 26 at Hornets, 7:00 pm ET
Saturday, Jan. 27 vs. Wizards, 7:30 pm ET
Monday, Jan. 29 vs. Timberwolves, 7:30 pm ET
Wednesday, Jan. 31 vs. Hornets, 7:30 pm ET
Friday, Feb. 2 at Celtics, 7:30 pm ET
Sunday, Feb. 4 at Knicks, 12:00 pm ET
Tuesday, Feb. 6 vs. Grizzlies, 7:30 pm ET
Thursday, Feb. 8 at Magic, 7:00 pm ET
Friday, Feb. 9 vs. Cavaliers, 7:30 pm ET
Sunday, Feb. 11 vs. Pistons, 3:30 pm ET
Tuesday, Feb. 13 at Bucks, 8:00 pm ET
Wednesday, Feb. 14 at Pistons, 7 pm ET
Friday, Feb. 23 at Pacers, 7:00 pm ET
Monday, Feb. 26 vs. Lakers, 7:30 pm ET
Wednesday, Feb. 28 vs. Pacers, 7:30 pm ET
Friday, March 2 vs. Warriors, 7:30 pm ET
Sunday, March 4 vs. Suns, 3:30 pm ET
Tuesday, March 6 at Raptors, 7:00 pm ET
Friday, March 9 at Pacers, 7:00 pm ET
Sunday, March 11 vs. Bulls, 3:30 pm ET
Tuesday, March 13 vs. Thunder, 7:30 pm ET
Thursday, March 15 vs. Hornets, 7:30 pm ET
Saturday, March 17 at Bucks, 8:30 pm ET
Tuesday, March 20 at Jazz, 9:00 pm ET
Thursday, March 22 at Kings, 10:30 pm ET
Friday, March 23 at Warriors, 10:30 pm ET
Sunday, March 25 at Rockets, 9:00 pm ET
Wednesday, March 28 at Timberwolves, 8:00 pm ET
Friday, March 30 vs. 76ers, 7:30 pm ET
Sunday, April 1 vs. Magic, 6:00 pm ET
Tuesday, April 3 at Heat, 7:30 pm ET
Wednesday, April 4 vs. Heat, 7:30 pm ET
Friday, April 6 at Wizards, 7:00 pm ET
Sunday, April 8 at Celtics, 7:30 pm ET
Tuesday, April 10 vs. 76ers, 7:30 pm ET