Grizzlies announce 2010-11 regular season schedule

MEMPHIS, August 8th, 2010 – The Memphis Grizzlies will tip-off their 10th season in Memphis, presented by Pepsi, hosting the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. (CT) at FedExForum. The Grizzlies, now entering their 16th season overall, will open at home for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons since coming to the Bluff City.

Following the season opener, the Grizzlies will play five of their next six games on the road, including the first of three season-long four-game road trips (Nov. 2-6). The club’s other four-game road trips will take place from Dec. 5-11 and Jan. 22-28, while their lone season-long four-game home stand takes place April 2-10. This year marks the first time since 2004-05 that the Grizzlies will not have a home or road stretch of five or more consecutive games.

Nine of the Grizzlies’ first 12 games and 21 of their first 28 are against playoff teams from last year, including a stretch from Nov. 27-Dec. 8 where they’ll face seven-straight 2009-10 playoff squads. The Grizzlies will play 19 of their 41 home games on the weekend, including eight on both Friday and Saturday and three on Sunday, and will play 21 back-to-back sets, one more than last season.

Memphis will be featured on national television six times this season (twice on ESPN, once on ESPN2, three times on NBATV), including the previously-announced ninth consecutive Martin Luther King Jr. Day Game against former University of Memphis standout Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls on ESPN at 12 p.m. (CT) on Monday, Jan. 17 at FedExForum. It will mark the Grizzlies’ second MLK Jr. Day Game against Chicago in the last four seasons (104-90 Grizzlies victory on Jan. 21, 2008).

The Grizzlies will also host the Golden State Warriors in front of a nationally-televised audience on ESPN2 at 8:30 p.m. (CT) on Nov. 26 at FedExForum and visit the Los Angeles Clippers for the regular season finale at 9:30 p.m. (CT) on April 13 on ESPN.

Several other marquee matchups will take place at FedExForum, beginning with free agent acquisition Tony Allen facing his former squad when Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal, Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics come to town on Nov. 13. The newly-formed trio of Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will make their only trip to Memphis on Nov. 20.

Kobe Bryant and the 2009-10 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers will visit on Nov. 30 and Feb. 7, as Grizzlies center Marc Gasol will look to defend his turf against Lakers forward and big brother Pau Gasol. Last season’s scoring champion Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder come to town on Jan. 4 and March 7.

The first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, John Wall, leads the Washington Wizards into FedExForum on Jan. 29, followed by the 2009-10 Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic on Jan. 31.

The Grizzlies’ 2010 preseason schedule will be announced on Thursday, Aug. 12. A local broadcast schedule will also be released at a later date.

Grizzlies 20010-11 Season Tickets are on sale now and feature all 45 regular season and preseason home games. Grizzlies Season Tickets start at just $5 per game in the Terrace Level and $25 per game in the Plaza Level with 6,000 seats available at $10 or less per game. Call (901) 888-HOOP or visit Grizzlies.com. Grizzlies partial packages will go on sale Aug. 19. Single game tickets will go on sale on Oct. 2.