By NBA
Posted Nov 27 2011 2:10PM
NBA Commissioner David Stern said early Saturday morning that, if the tentative agreement reached between the owners and players is completed and ratified, he is hopeful of having a 66-game season, beginning on Christmas Day. Below is a general breakdown of how the 2011-12 NBA Season schedule will be structured. The five-game Christmas Day slate is also listed below.
Full details of the schedule will be released on NBA.com upon its completion.
Regular Season Start Date: December 25, 2011
Regular Season End Date: April 26, 2012
Playoffs Start Date: April 28, 2012
Last Possible Finals Date: June 26, 2012
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks, 12 p.m. ET | TNT
Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks, 2:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Lakers, 5 p.m. ET | ABC
Orlando Magic at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET | ESPN
Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
Conference Games: 48
• Play 6 teams 4 times (2 home, 2 away)
• Play 4 teams 3 times (2 home, 1 away)
• Play 4 teams 3 times (1 home, 2 away)
Non-Conference Games: 18
• Play 3 teams 2 times (1 home, 1 away)
• Play 6 teams 1 time at home
• Play 6 teams 1 time away
Back to Back to Backs: All teams with at least 1; no more than 3
Playoff Back to Backs: Possible in second round
 | Thunder/Lakers Game 4 Preview The GameTime crew break down the game four matchup between the Thunder and the Lakers. |
 | Nightly Notable - Kobe Bryant Kobe Bryant goes for 36 points, seven boards, six dimes and two steals in the much need win over the Thunder in game three. |
 | Postgame: Gasol and Bryant Pau Gasol talks about the challenge of playing Game 4 less than 24 hours after finishing Game 3, and Kobe Bryant cracks a few jokes. |
 | The Daily Zap Sixers tie their series with Boston at two apiece and the Lakers defeat the Thunder to grab a win in the 2-1 series. |
 | Postgame: Durant and Westbrook Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook talk about losing a close game and coming back better for Game 4. |
Copyright © NBA Media Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. | Ad Choices 
NBA.com is part of Turner Sports Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network.
