Phoenix Suns 2020-21 1st half schedule features 9 national TV games

The Phoenix Suns’ play in the bubble and offseason acquisition of Chris Paul has brought some serious eyeballs with it, resulting in nine national TV games on the first half of the team’s schedule.

The Suns begin the season Dec. 23 at home against the Dallas Mavericks on ESPN and will travel to Sacramento from there, playing the Kings in California on back-to-back nights.

That’s a new element of the NBA’s schedule this season in an effort to reduce travel and prevent the spread of COVID-19, a two-game stop they’ll also have in late January at home against Denver and in Dallas later that month as well.

One of the most notable games on the schedule is on Jan. 27 when the Oklahoma City Thunder are scheduled to visit Phoenix. That’ll be the first time Chris Paul plays his former team, while only Ty Jerome remains among the four players the Suns sent to OKC in a trade for Paul. Kelly Oubre Jr.’s first game against Phoenix since being in that deal and then re-routed to Golden State is on Jan. 15, and Ricky Rubio’s for the Timberwolves is in Minnesota on Feb. 28.

Phoenix’s first half features eight back-to-backs, and two of those are in the team’s first-half-long seven-game homestand in February against the Eastern Conference. That homestand concludes with a Feb. 16 meeting against the Brooklyn Nets on TNT. That will be Steve Nash’s first time in Phoenix as a head coach.

From an opposition standpoint, the Suns’ first half schedule is fairly balanced and lacks a murderer’s row stretch. That homestand does include Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Brooklyn, but the toughest stretch starts on the last day of 2020.

January begins with a game in Denver the night after playing in Utah, and two days later the Suns host the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 3. The Toronto Raptors come to town three days later, but even then, it gets easier fast with road games against Detroit and Washington soon following.

The end of January will be circled for players, as a home back-to-back against the Nuggets on Jan. 22-23 features a three-day break after that. And the next game is at home, giving players over a week to stay in the Valley and off the road.

The Suns’ last game of the first half is in Los Angeles against the Lakers on March 2, a matchup that will be on TNT.

Phoenix Suns 2020-21 first-half schedule

Dec. 23 vs. Dallas – 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Dec. 26 at Sacramento – 8 p.m.
Dec. 27 at Sacramento – 7 p.m.
Dec. 29 vs. New Orleans – 8 p.m. (TNT)
Dec. 31 at Utah – 7 p.m. (NBATV)

Jan. 1 at Denver – 7 p.m.
Jan. 3 vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 6 p.m.
Jan. 6 vs. Toronto – 7 p.m.
Jan. 8 at Detroit – 5 p.m.
Jan. 9 at Indiana – 5 p.m.
Jan. 11 at Washington – 5 p.m.
Jan. 13 vs. Atlanta – 7 p.m.
Jan. 15 vs. Golden State – 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 vs. Indiana – 7 p.m.
Jan. 18 at Memphis – 3 p.m. (TNT)
Jan. 20 at Houston – 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Jan. 22 vs. Denver – 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Jan. 23 vs. Denver – 7 p.m.
Jan. 27 vs. Oklahoma City – 7 p.m.
Jan. 28 vs. Golden State – 7 p.m.
Jan. 30 at Dallas – 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 1 at Dallas – 6:30 p.m. (NBATV)
Feb. 3 at New Orleans – 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 5 vs. Detroit – 7 p.m.
Feb. 7 vs. Boston – 12 p.m. (NBATV)
Feb. 8 vs. Cleveland – 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 vs. Milwaukee – 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 13 Philadelphia – 3 p.m. (NBATV)
Feb. 14 vs. Orlando – 6 p.m.
Feb. 16 vs. Brooklyn – 8 p.m. (TNT)
Feb. 19 at New Orleans – 6 p.m.
Feb. 20 at Memphis – 6 p.m.
Feb. 22 vs. Portland – 7 p.m.
Feb. 24 vs. Charlotte – 7 p.m.
Feb. 26 at Chicago – 6 p.m.
Feb. 28 at Minnesota – 6 p.m.

March 2 at Los Angeles Lakers – 8 p.m. (TNT)

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