Wizards to play Nets and Pistons in NBA preseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Wizards will play three preseason games in December before the 2020-21 NBA season begins, the league announced Friday. Washington will take on the Brooklyn Nets at 6 p.m. ET on Dec. 13 in the team’s first game since beating the Boston Celtics in the Orlando bubble Aug. 13.
After playing in Brooklyn on Dec. 13, the Wizards will face the Detroit Pistons twice (Dec. 17 and 19) to close out their preseason slate. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be played in D.C.
The Wizards’ game against the Nets will represent the first time that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will play in an organized game together since joining forces during the 2019 offseason. It is also expected to be the first time that John Wall will play in any game since April 9, 2019.
Wall has been at the center of conversation surrounding the Wizards for the last few weeks after a report surfaced that Washington was interested in trading him to the Houston Rockets for Russell Westbrook. However, GM Tommy Shepard shot down those rumors and Wall declined to comment to reporters, pointing all signs toward him taking the court for Washington to start this season.
All 30 teams will play between two and four preseason games before the regular season tips of Dec. 22. The NBA plans to announce the national TV schedule for the preseason “at a later date.” The regular season will span 72 games, with the first half of the schedule being released “in the coming days.” NBA officials decided to break up the regular season into two halves in order to account for make-up games that may be required by the coronavirus pandemic.
