When the 2019-20 NBA season resumes on July 31 in Orlando, each of the 22 teams invited will play eight “seeding” games that will constitute the conclusion of the regular season. After those eight games, the 1-7 seeds in each conference will be locked into place, while the No. 9 seed in each conference will have a shot at a play-in series if it is within four games of the No. 8 seed.
So these initial eight games will determine a lot in Orlando. No, home-court advantage won’t be at stake as it usually would, but as always, first-round matchups and sides of the bracket matter immensely, and in particular the race for the West’s final spot is set up for a photo finish. As it stands, the Grizzlies hold a three-game lead in the loss column over the Pelicans, Kings, Spurs and Suns, and a four-game lead over the Blazers.
That means each of those five teams is within the four-game frame that would afford a play-in series vs. Memphis, but only one of them can get that shot. The Pelicans, who have the easiest remaining schedule of all 22 teams in Orlando based on opponent winning percentage, might just catch the Grizzlies, who have the sixth-toughest remaining schedule, before that.
With that in mind, here are the closing eight-game schedules for each team, beginning with the Western Conference in order of the current standings.
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angles Clippers
- July 30: Lakers
- August 1: Pelicans
- August 4: Suns
- August 6: Mavericks
- August 8: Blazers
- August 9: Nets
- August 12: Nuggets
- August 14: Thunder
Denver Nuggets
- August 1: Heat
- August 3: Thunder
- August 5: Spurs
- August 6: Blazers
- August 8: Jazz
- August 10: Lakers
- August: 12: Clippers
- August 14: Raptors
Utah Jazz
- July 30: Pelicans
- August 1: Thunder
- August 3: Lakers
- August 5: Grizzlies
- August 7: Spurs
- August 8: Nuggets
- August 10: Mavericks
- August 13: Spurs
Oklahoma City Thunder
- August 1: Jazz
- August 3: Nuggets
- August 5: Lakers
- August 7: Grizzlies
- August 9: Wizards
- August 10: Suns
- August 12: Heat
- August 14: Clippers
Houston Rockets
- July 31: Mavericks
- August 2: Bucks
- August 4: Trail Blazers
- August 6: Lakers
- August 9: Kings
- August 11: Spurs
- August 12: Pacers
- August 14: 76ers
Dallas Mavericks
- July 31: Rockets
- Aug. 2: Suns
- Aug. 4: Kings
- Aug. 6: Clippers
- Aug. 8: Bucks
- Aug. 10: Jazz
- Aug. 11: Blazers
- Aug. 13: Suns
Memphis Grizzlies
- July 31: Blazers
- August 2: Spurs
- August 3: Pelicans
- August 5: Jazz
- August 7: Thunder
- August 9: Raptors
- August 11: Celtics
- August 13: Bucks
Portland Trail Blazers
- July 31: Grizzles
- August 2: Celtics
- August 4: Rockets
- August 6: Nuggets
- Augus 8: Clippers
- August 9: 76ers
- August 11: Mavericks
- August 13: Nets
New Orleans Pelicans
- July 30: Jazz
- August 2: Clippers
- August 3: Grizzlies
- August 6: Kings
- August 7: Wizards
- August 9: Spurs
- August 11: Kings
- August 13: Magic
Sacramento Kings
- July 31: Spurs
- August 2: Magic
- August 4: Mavericks
- August 6: Pelicans
- August 7: Nets
- August 9: Rockets
- August 11: Pelicans
- August 13: Lakers
San Antonio Spurs
- July 31: Kings
- August 2: Grizzlies
- August 3: Sixers
- August 5: Nuggets
- August 7: Jazz
- August 9: Pelicans
- August 11: Rockets
- August 13: Jazz
Phoenix Suns
- July 31: Wizards
- August 2: Mavericks
- August 4: Clippers
- August 6: Pacers
- August 8: Heat
- August 10: Thunder
- August 11: 76ers
- August 13: Mavericks
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Milwaukee Bucks
- July 31: Celtics
- August 2: Rockets
- August 4: Nets
- August 6: Heat
- August 8: Mavericks
- August 10: Raptors
- August 11: Wizards
- August 13: Grizzlies
Toronto Raptors
- August 1: Lakers
- August 3: Heat
- August 5: Magic
- August 7: Celtics
- August 9: Grizzlies
- August 10: Bucks
- August 12: 76ers
- August 14: Nuggets
Boston Celtics
- July 31: Bucks
- August 2: Blazers
- August 4: Heat
- August 5: Nets
- August 7: Raptors
- August 9: Magic
- August 11: Grizzlies
- August 13: Wizards
Miami Heat
- August 1: Nuggets
- August 3: Raptors
- August 4: Celtics
- August 6: Bucks
- August 8: Suns
- August 10: Pacers
- August 12: Thunder
- August 14: Pacers
Indiana Pacers
- August 1: 76ers
- August 3: Wizards
- August 4: Magic
- August 6: Suns
- August 8: Lakers
- August 10: Heat
- August 12: Rockets
- August 14: Heat
Philadelphia 76ers
- August 1: Pacers
- August 3: Spurs
- August 5: Wizards
- August 7: Magic
- August 9: Trail Blazers
- August 11: Suns
- August 12: Raptors
- August 14: Rockets
Brooklyn Nets
- July 31: Magic
- August 2: Wizards
- August 4: Bucks
- August 5: Celtics
- August 7: Kings
- August 9: Clippers
- August 11: Magic
- August 13: Trail Blazers
Orlando Magic
- July 31: Nets
- August 2: Kings
- August 4: Pacers
- August 5: Raptors
- August 7: 76ers
- August 9: Celtics
- August 11: Nets
- August 13: Pelicans
Washington Wizards
- July 31: Suns
- August 2: Nets
- August 3: Pacers
- August 5: 76ers
- August 7: Pelicans
- August 9: Thunder
- August 11: Bucks
- August 13: Celtics