ATLANTA—The Atlanta Hawks announced their preseason schedule on Friday, a five-game slate with one common thread for early October:
No events will take place at Philips Arena.
Why is that? The refurbished arena will be in the final stages of its massive renovation.
As such, Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion will serve as the Hawks' temporary home for Oct. 1 (vs. the New Orleans Pelicans) and Oct. 10 (vs. the San Antonio Spurs).
Here's the full preseason slate:
Oct. 1 vs. Pelicans (Georgia Tech)
Oct. 5 @ Grizzlies (FedEx Forum)
Oct. 7 @ Thunder (Bank of Oklahoma Center)
Oct. 10 vs. Spurs (Georgia Tech)
Oct. 12 @ Heat (American Airlines Arena)
Similar to last year's logistical model, the NBA regular season will start 7-10 days earlier than previous years (around Oct. 20), allowing for clubs to enjoy more off days during this process.
By extension, the bumped-up schedule reduces the number of back-to-back outings (or five games in seven nights on extended road trips).
The Hawks are planning to have full use of new Philips Arena, once the regular season launches.
