Taking a page from the NFL, the NBA is releasing parts of its schedule in bits and pieces before the full and formal rollout at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Four Heat game dates and opponents were revealed Wednesday when the league announced the entire schedule for the NBA Cup, the early-season tournament that ends with two semifinals and a championship game in mid-December in Las Vegas.
The Heat’s four group play Cup games, in order, will be home against Charlotte at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7; at the Knicks at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14; at Chicago on Friday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m.and home against Milwaukee on Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
The Knicks game will be carried exclusively by Amazon Prime Video, which is beginning an 11-year contract with the NBA. The other three games are expected to be carried by FanDuel Sports Sun.
All 30 teams were randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on their records last season. The Heat, Knicks, Bucks, Bulls and Hornets are in Group C.
Eight teams will advance to the knockout rounds – the team with the best standing in group play games in each of the six groups and one wild card team from each conference. The wild card will be the team from each conference with the best record in group play games that finished second in its group.
The semifinals and championship game will be played on Dec. 13 and 16, respectively, in Las Vegas.
All NBA Cup games will count toward the regular season standings, except the championship.
The Heat did not advance out of group play during the NBA Cup’s first two seasons. The Lakers and Bucks won the first two NBA Cups.
For ticket information on Cup games, go to https://www.nba.com/heat/nbacup.
Adebayo update
Heat center Bam Adebayo, through his Bam, Books & Brotherhood Foundation, delivered 300 brand-new mattresses to students at The SEED School of Miami on Wednesday afternoon to fulfill a promise he made earlier this year during the school’s Legacy Ceremony. After being honored at that event, Adebayo asked students what they would change if they could. Their answer was “new mattresses.” In partnership with City Furniture, Adebayo’s foundation turned that request into a reality to help students begin the school year with a new bed.