BUZZ CITY: Hornets return to the court Dec. 23 for first half of season

CHARLOTTE — The Buzz is Back!

The NBA announced Friday the Charlotte Hornets schedule for the first half of the 2020-21 season, which will begin on Dec. 23 at Cleveland. This comes the same day the team announced that guard Malik Monk tested positive for COVID-19.

The Hornets will return home on Dec. 26 to host the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Spectrum Center, the NBA stated in a news release. 

The first half of the schedule is from Dec. 22 to March 4.

The second-half schedule, which will cover March 11-May 16, will be released later.

The Hornets are slated to play one nationally televised game on ESPN during the first half of the season, when rookie guard LaMelo Ball and his new team visit New Orleans to take on his brother Lonzo Ball and the Pelicans for the first time on Friday, January 8.

During the first half of the season, the Hornets are scheduled to play 38 of their 72 total games, including 20 of their 36 home contests.  The first-half schedule includes 19 games against Eastern Conference opponents and 19 against Western Conference opponents.

The Hornets announced on Nov. 30 there will be no fans at home games when the season begins due to COVID-19.

[Hornets to begin NBA season without fans at Spectrum Center]

The Hornets enter their third season under Head Coach James Borrego after an offseason that saw them add NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward, No. 3 overall NBA Draft pick LaMelo Ball and a trio of second-round draft picks to a growing young core that includes 2019-20 All-Rookie Second Team selection PJ Washington, Devonte’ Graham, Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges, Malik Monk and more.

Read more about the team’s schedule here.

To download the Hornets 2020-21 first-half schedule into a choice of various calendar formats, click here.

Cox Media Group