The late show with Kevin Durant
Local NBA fans won't be able to see the Seattle SuperSonics in person at the Ford Center this season, but they can see plenty of the Sonics on national TV.
Thanks to the popularity of rookie star Kevin Durant, the Sonics are scheduled to make eight national TV appearances — four on TNT (Cox 31) and four on ESPN (Cox 29).
The Sonics' first two games will be televised, when they travel to Denver on Oct. 31 (ESPN) and host Phoenix on Nov. 1 (TNT). Other highlights include a Christmas evening game at Portland when Kevin Durant, the second overall pick, and company will face No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden.
The Sonics' TV schedule is heavily weighted to the season's first half. Only two appearances are set for after the All-Star Game (Feb. 17 in New Orleans), when they likely will be out of playoff contention.
The New Orleans Hornets are scheduled to make only two national TV appearances after making four appearances last season when the team was in Oklahoma City. Those totals don't include appearances on NBA TV (Cox 256), the league-owned cable channel.
Cox Channel 7 also is scheduled to carry 25 Hornets games after airing 65 games each of the past two seasons.
TNT will air 52 regular-season games, including 46 as part of its exclusive Thursday night doubleheaders. The schedule tips off Oct. 30 with defending champion San Antonio hosting Portland at 7 p.m. and the Los Angeles Lakers hosting Houston at 9:30 p.m.
Getting the most air time will be San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix, Chicago, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami with nine appearances each.
ABC will carry 18 games, beginning with a Christmas Day doubleheader with Miami at Cleveland and Phoenix at the Los Angeles Lakers. The schedule is rounded out by 16 Sunday games from Jan. 27 to April 13.
ESPN is scheduled to air 72 games, primarily on Wednesday and Friday nights. The Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix, Miami, Denver and Chicago lead the way with 10 appearances.
The Boston Celtics acquisition of Kevin Garnett this week forced network programmers to make some late changes. The Celtics will make seven appearances on ESPN and three on TNT.
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