Bucks to host Cavaliers in home opener on Oct. 20
Matt Velazquez
The Milwaukee Bucks' final season at the BMO Harris Bradley Center will tip off with a marquee matchup.
The Bucks will host the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, to kick off their home schedule, the NBA announced Thursday. The game will be televised on ESPN as part of the network's opening week schedule.
This announcement likely means the Bucks will open the 2017-'18 season on the road. In an effort to cut down on back-to-back games and situations in which teams play four games in five nights, the NBA has shortened the preseason and will begin the regular season earlier, with this year's start date coming on Oct. 17.
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Milwaukee has opened at home the past two seasons after beginning on the road for 30 straight seasons.
The NBA also announced its Christmas Day schedule, which did not include the Bucks. The full league schedule is due to come out at a later date.