| The Detroit News
After more than nine months since their last regular-season game, the Detroit Pistons know when they’ll play again.
The Pistons will open the pandemic-delayed 2020-21 season on the road, facing the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, Dec. 23, with an 8 p.m. tipoff. It’s the first of a reduced 72-game regular season announced Friday, a start more than two months later than normal because of the pandemic.
The home opener three days later is against Cleveland — and the first matchup against longtime Pistons center Andre Drummond — with a 7 p.m. tipoff at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Because of state and local COVID regulations, there will be no fans at Pistons home games.
The NBA released schedules for the first half of the season; the second-half schedules will be announced near the end of the first part of the season, allowing for rescheduling games postponed because of the pandemic or other issues.
A TV and radio broadcast schedule will also be announced later.
Pistons first-half schedule
►Wednesday, Dec. 23, at Minnesota, 8
►Saturday, Dec. 26, Cleveland, 7
►Monday, Dec. 28, at Atlanta, 7:30
►Tuesday, Dec. 29, Golden State, 7
►Friday, Jan. 1, Boston, 7
►Sunday, Jan. 3, Boston, 3
►Monday, Jan. 4, at Milwaukee, 8
►Wednesday, Jan. 6, at Milwaukee, 8
►Friday, Jan. 8, Phoenix, 7
►Sunday, Jan. 10, Utah, 3
►Wednesday, Jan. 13, Milwaukee, 7
►Friday, Jan. 15, Washington, 7
►Saturday, Jan. 16, at Miami, 8
►Monday, Jan. 18, at Miami, 3
►Wednesday, Jan. 20, at Atlanta, 7:30
►Friday, Jan. 22, Houston, 7
►Saturday, Jan. 23, Philadelphia, 7
►Monday, Jan. 25, Philadelphia, 7
►Wednesday, Jan. 27, at Cleveland, 7
►Thursday, Jan. 28, L.A. Lakers, 7
►Saturday, Jan. 30, at Golden State, 8:30
►Monday, Feb. 1, at Denver, 9
►Tuesday, Feb. 2, at Utah, 9
►Friday, Feb. 5, at Phoenix, 9
►Saturday, Feb. 6, at L.A. Lakers, 10
►Tuesday, Feb. 9, Brooklyn, 7
►Thursday, Feb. 11, Indiana, 7
►Sunday, Feb. 14, at Boston, 6
►Tuesday, Feb. 16, San Antonio, 7
►Wednesday, Feb. 17, at Dallas, 8:30
►Friday, Feb. 19, at Memphis, 8
►Sunday, Feb. 21, at Orlando, 6
►Tuesday, Feb. 23, at Orlando, 7
►Wednesday, Feb. 24, at New Orleans, 8
►Friday, Feb. 26, Sacramento, 7
►Sunday, Feb. 28, New York, 6
►Tuesday, March 2, at Toronto (at Tampa, Fla.), 7:30
rod.beard@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard