The Schedule for the Houston Rockets Has Released!

The NBA schedule released today at 5 p.m. CT. There are several notable matchups for the Rockets this season!

Schedule day is always an exciting day for the NBA. For Rockets fans, it means that you get to start looking at matchups that you can put on your calendar to watch or even attend. And let me tell you, Houston has some very exciting matchups to watch out for this year.

First off, there are a couple of matchups that fans already knew about. The Rockets will open up against the Golden State Warriors on October 17 in Oakland. This nationally televised game is part of the opening night festivities for ESPN. The Rockets will get to test their new-look team against the best of the best.

The Christmas Day matchup is another one that has already been revealed. The Rockets will face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in OKC. Hopefully, Houston will get the gift of a victory. The Thunder will show off their new addition, Paul George, and the always dangerous Russell Westbrook.

What are some of the other games that will make a splash?

Chris Paul‘s Return to Los Angeles/Patrick Beverley‘s Return to Houston

Chris Paul‘s return to Los Angeles is scheduled for MLK Day, January 15. This game was actually leaked earlier in the week due to a Ticket Master mess up.

CP3 should definitely hear a cheer from the fans of the Clippers. He did so much for that franchise, but he will likely hear a few boos. He will get the chance to play against his old teammates and some former Rockets, as well. Speaking of former Rockets, we will get to see Patrick Beverley‘s revenge game this year, as well.

Beverley is set to return to Houston on December 22. Of course, other Rockets will be returning that day as well. Sam Dekker, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell will make their Clippers appearance in Toyota Center that day.

Home Opener

The Rockets open at home vs. a familiar rival. Always a good game, the Dallas Mavericks will roll into town on October 21. The Rockets will get to see Dennis Smith Jr. and the young (besides Dirk) Mavericks in an early-season showdown.

Other Golden State Games

The Rockets will only matchup against the Warriors 3 times this season. The first one, of course, is the opening night of the season. The others are both in Toyota Center, mercifully. One will be on January 4 on TNT, and the other will be on January 20 on ABC. These games will be a good test for the Rockets around the middle of the season.

Cleveland Matchup

The champion of the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers, are always fun games to watch. The Rockets will play them in Houston on November 9 and in Cleveland on February 3. The first will be on TNT, the second on ABC. Will the Cavs have Kyrie Irving still at this point? Nobody knows, but the game will be exciting nonetheless.

Other Division Games

The Rockets will also play a couple of notable division rivals throughout the year. The first game vs. the Spurs will be on December 15 on ESPN. Can the Rockets have revenge on the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year? We mentioned the Mavericks already, but the Rockets will also play another division foe, the Grizzlies, just two nights after Dallas on October 23. Finally, the Rockets will matchup against the Pelicans on December 11, televised on NBA TV.

Will This Be a Notable Game?

The Rockets go to New York to face the Knicks on November 1. Will this game have any importance? Will Carmelo Anthony be going back to New York to face his former team? Maybe so!

National TV Games

The Rockets have an astounding 40 games of their 82 being televised to the nation. Take a look at the tweet below for the exact breakdown:

#Rockets National TV Schedule breakdown:

TNT: 12
ABC: 6
ESPN: 10
NBA TV: 12

A total of 40 of their 82 games shown to a national audience. https://t.co/Xb3ruFc0IF

— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) August 14, 2017

28 of these games will be accessible to the Houston market. NBA TV games will be blacked out for most people in the area, but you can still find them on AT&T Sportsnet.

Click here to check out the full schedule.

The Rockets are in for a good year, and their schedule certainly has some interesting matchups. What is your favorite game that you see? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter!

Next: Prediction of the NBA 2K18 All-Time Rockets Team