The Miami Heat will go to extremes when it comes to the 2017-18 schedule released Monday by the NBA.
The Heat’s first homestand will be their longest of the season, a six-game stretch that includes challenging games against the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves.
From there, the Heat will immediately embark on their longest trip of the season, a six-game run that includes the test of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors on the second night of the Heat’s first back-to-back games of the season.
For a team that went 11-30 over the first half of last season only to then go 30-11 over the remaining 41 games, a strong start figures to be essential for a roster largely kept intact by Heat President Pat Riley.
The Heat open their season Oct. 18 at the Amway Center against the Orlando Magic, as they did last season, then next play in their home opener Oct. 21 against the Indiana Pacers.
The Heat’s previous earliest season opener had been on Oct. 26 in both 2010 and last year. The Heat’s earliest regular-season home game previously had been Oct. 28, three times, including last year. The six games in October are a record over the Heat’s 30 seasons.
With the NBA season moved up by a week, and with the league emphasizing increased rest, with no stretches of four games in five nights for any teams this season, the Heat will have only 13 back-to-back sets, two fewer than last season and four fewer than two seasons ago. Included in that total are consecutive home games on Dec. 22 and Dec. 23, against the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, the first time that has happened since the lockout shortened 2011-12 season.
As is annually the case, the Heat will play each of the 15 Western Conference teams twice, on a home-and-home basis. That lone Warriors’ visit of the season will be Dec. 3.
The Heat will play each 10 of their 14 Eastern Conference opponents four times, with two homes game and two road games. The exceptions are three-game series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, who the Heat will only host once, as well as three-game series against the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, who the Heat only visit once.
After failing to make the playoffs, the Heat are currently limited to four national appearances on ESPN, one on TNT and four on NBA TV, although there is flexibility built into those national assignments.
With the Ringling Bros. circus no longer operating, the Heat will not have the early-January western swing that had been a staple of their schedule. Instead, the Heat will have only one road game between Dec. 21 and Jan. 8. The Heat’s western swings instead will be an early-season trip against the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, and then a mid-March trip against the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Heat will close their schedule with six of their final eight at home, but with a potentially taxing closing week against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder and visiting Raptors on April 13, the closing night for the entire league. The Heat’s five games in April are a franchise low for April.
Another favorable twist is the Heat have only one set of back-to-back games over their final 17 games, a quick trip of a game at home against the Hawks on April 3 and then at Atlanta on April 4.
The Heat will be off on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, with a road game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15 against the Chicago Bulls.
The Heat will play nine day games (games starting before 6 p.m.): Nov. 5 at the Clippers, No. 12 at the Detroit Pistons, Nov. 19 in Indiana, Nov. 26 at the Bulls, Dec. 9 against the Brooklyn Nets in Mexico City, Jan. 7 against the visiting Utah Jazz, Jan. 14 vs. the visiting Milwaukee Bucks, Jan. 15 at Chicago and March 25 in Indiana.
In somewhat of a scheduling oddity, the Heat will complete their two-game season series against the Minnesota Timberwolves by Nov, 24 and finish their three-game season series against the Celtics by Dec. 20.
The lone conflict between Heat and Miami Dolphins home games is Dec. 3, when the Heat host the Warriors at 7 p.m. and the Dolphins host the Denver Broncos. The teams play on the same day four times.
The lone time the Heat and University of Miami football team play at home on the same day is Oct. 21, when the Heat play the Pacers at 8 p.m. in their home opener and the Hurricanes host Syracuse. The teams play on the same day three times.
There will, however, be 14 conflicts this season between Heat and Florida Panthers home games, six more than last season.
Day Date Opponent Time National
OCTOBER
Wed. Oct. 18 at Orlando 7 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 21 vs. Indiana 8 p.m.
Mon. Oct. 23 vs. Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Wed. Oct. 25 vs. San Antonio 8 p.m. ESPN
Sat. Oct. 28 vs. Boston 8 p.m.
Mon. Oct. 30 vs. Minnesota 7:30 p.m.
NOVEMBER
Wed. Nov. 1 vs. Chicago 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 3 at Denver 9 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 5 at LA Clippers 3:30 p.m.
Mon. Nov. 6 at Golden St. 10:30 p.m.
Wed. Nov. 8 at Phoenix 9 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 10 at Utah 9 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 12 at Detroit 4 p.m.
Wed. Nov. 15 vs. Washington 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 17 at Washington 7 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 19 vs. Indiana 3:30 p.m.
Wed. Nov. 22 vs. Boston 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 24 at Minnesota 8 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 26 at Chicago 3:30 p.m.
Tue. Nov. 28 at Cleveland 7 p.m. NBA TV
Wed. Nov. 29 at New York 7:30 p.m.
DECEMBER
Fri. Dec. 1 vs. Charlotte 8 p.m.
Sun. Dec. 3 vs. Golden St. 7 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 6 at San Antonio 8:30 p.m.
Fri. Dec. 9 at Brooklyn 6 p.m. NBA TV
(Game in Mexico City)
Mon. Dec. 11 at Memphis 8 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 13 vs. Portland 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Dec. 15 at Charlotte 7 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 16 vs. LA Clippers 8 p.m.
Mon. Dec. 18 at Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Wed. Dec, 20 at Boston 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Dec. 22 vs. Dallas 8 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 23 vs. New Orleans 8 p.m.
Tue. Dec. 26 vs. Orlando 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Dec. 29 vs. Brooklyn 8 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 30 at Orlando 7 p.m.
JANUARY
Wed. Jan. 3 vs. Detroit 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Jan. 5 vs. New York 7 p.m. ESPN
Sun. Jan. 7 vs. Utah 3:30 p.m.
Tue. Jan. 9 at Toronto 7:30 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 10 at Indiana 7 p.m.
Sun. Jan. 14 vs. Milwaukee 1 p.m.
Mon. Jan. 15 at Chicago 3:30 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 17 at Milwaukee 8 p.m.
Fri. Jan. 19 at Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 20 at Charlotte 7 p.m.
Mon. Jan. 22 at Houston 8 p.m. NBA TV
Thu. Jan. 25 vs. Sacramento 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 27 vs. Charlotte 7:30 p.m.
Mon. Jan. 29 at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 31 at Cleveland 7:30 p.m.
FEBRUARY
Fri. Feb. 2 at Philadelphia 8 p.m. ESPN
Sat. Feb. 3 at Detroit 7 p.m.
Mon. Feb. 5 vs. Orlando 7:30 p.m.
Wed. Feb. 7 vs. Houston 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 9 vs. Milwaukee 8 p.m.
Tue. Feb. 13 at Toronto 7 p.m.
Wed. Feb. 14 at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Fri. Feb. 23 at New Orleans 8 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 24 vs. Memphis 7:30 p.m.
Tue. Feb. 27 vs. Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
MARCH
Thu. March 1 vs. L.A. Lakers 7:30 p.m.
Sat March 3 vs. Detroit 7:30 p.m.
Mon. March 5 vs. Phoenix 7:30 p.m.
Tue. March 6 at Washington 7 p.m.
Fri. March 8 vs. Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Sat. March 10 vs. Washington 7:30 p.m.
Mon. March 12 at Portland 10:30 p.m. ESPN
Wed. March 14 at Sacramento 10 p.m.
Fri. March 16 at L.A. Lakers 10:30 p.m. NBA TV
Mon. March 19 vs. Denver 7:30 p.m.
Wed. March 21 vs. New York 7:30 p.m.
Fri. March 23 at Oklahoma City 8 p.m.
Sun. March 25 at Indiana 5 p.m.
Tue. March 27 vs. Cleveland 8 p.m. TNT
Thu. March 29 vs. Chicago 7:30 p.m.
Sat. March 31 vs. Brooklyn 8 p.m.
APRIL
Tue. April 3 vs. Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Wed. April 4 at Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Fri. April 6 at New York 7:30 p.m.
Mon April 9 vs. Oklahoma City 7:30 p.m.
Wed. April 11 vs. Toronto 8 p.m.
(Note: Fox Sports Sun to carry all games except March 27 game on TNT).
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