Nuggets 2018-19 schedule features 14 national TV games and grueling closing stretch

A make-or-break season for the Denver Nuggets will begin Oct. 17 against the Los Angeles Clippers on the road, conclude April 10 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at home and feature 14 nationally televised games.

The Nuggets, who have finished ninth in the Western Conference two seasons in a row, are seeking to break a five-year playoff drought.

Getting off to a good start will be crucial. Ten of the Nuggets’ first 15 games are at home. They face the Phoenix Suns in their first game of the season at Pepsi Center on Oct. 20 then follow that up by hosting the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21 and the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 23.

On Oct. 25, the Nuggets will play their first nationally televised against the LeBron James-led Lakers in Los Angeles on TNT. Even though “The King” moved west this summer, Denver fans will still only get one chance to watch him at Pepsi Center during the regular season on Nov. 27.

The 14 national TV games Denver was awarded is up from nine in 2017-18 and two in 2016-17. ESPN will show nine of those games while TNT will air five.

• Oct. 23 @ Los Angeles Lakers, TNT
• Nov. 30 @ Portland Trail Blazers, ESPN
• Dec. 14 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN
• Jan. 23 @ Utah Jazz, ESPN
• Feb. 1 vs. Houston Rockets, ESPN
• Feb. 8 @ Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN
• Feb. 26 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, TNT
• March 6 @ Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN
• March 8 @ Golden State Warriors, ESPN
• March 12 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, TNT
• March 14 vs. Dallas Mavericks, TNT
• April 2 @ Golden State Warriors, TNT
• April 5 vs. Portland Trail Blazers, ESPN
• April 10 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, ESPN

Denver’s longest road trip of the season will last five games; it begins Nov. 30 in Portland and concludes Dec. 8 in Atlanta.

The Nuggets will once again go through a grueling stretch of games to close the season. Their final nine games of the year are all against teams coming off playoff appearances: @ Houston, @ Oklahoma City, vs. Washington, @ Golden State, vs. San Antonio, vs. Portland, @ Portland, @ Utah and vs. Minnesota.

As you might remember, the Nuggets concluded the 2017-18 season against the Timberwolves; they fell in overtime of a do-or-die game in April. That loss ended a six-game winning streak and kept Denver out of the playoffs for the fifth season in a row.

“We can’t wait until the last 10 games before we start playing like the team we should be playing as,” Jamal Murray said. “We’ve got to have that mentality from the start.”

You can find the full 2018-19 schedule below.