Pistons begin 2019-20 campaign Oct. 23 at Indiana; complete schedule here

Rod Beard
The Detroit News
Blake Griffin

The Pistons are more than a month from the start of the NBA season but the optimism about improving on their 41-41 season can begin.

The NBA released the 2019-20 regular-season schedule on Monday, featuring the season-opener on the road against the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 23, the first of a back-to-back, with the second game at home against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Pistons will have 13 back-to-back games this season, just above the league average of 12.4, down from 13.3 last season. The Pistons will have two nationally televised games — both on ESPN: Jan. 29 at the Brooklyn Nets and March 11 at the Philadelphia 76ers.

Coach Dwane Casey faces his former team, the world-champion Toronto Raptors, on the road Oct. 30 and home on Dec. 18 and Jan. 31 and the final regular-season meeting will be on the road on March 14.

The Pistons face the rebuilt Los Angeles Lakers, featuring LeBron James and Anthony Davis, in the midst of a six-game road trip, at the Staples Center on Jan. 5 and at Little Caesars Arena on March 22.

Blake Griffin plays his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, on Jan. 2 at Staples Center and at home on March 27.

The longest trip of the season will be an 11-day trek west, with games at the San Antonio Spurs, beginning Dec. 28, continuing to face the Utah Jazz, the Clippers, the Golden State Warriors, Lakers and finishing with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 9.

The Pistons will play Dec. 12 in Mexico City against the Dallas Mavericks, a game that previously was announced. The game will count as one of the Pistons’ home games, so they will have only 40 games at Little Caesars Arena.

In the regular-season finale, the Pistons face the Knicks — whom they beat last season in the finale to clinch a playoff spot — on April 14, in the second game of a back-to-back, after hosting the Celtics.

Individual home-game tickets at Little Caesars Arena go on sale Friday morning at 10 a.m. at the arena and also are available at Pistons.com or through Ticketmaster.

Pistons 2019-20 schedule

OCTOBER

Wed. Oct. 23 at Indiana, 7:00 p.m.

Thu. Oct. 24 Atlanta, 7:00 p.m.

Sat. Oct. 26 Philadelphia, 7:00 p.m.

Mon. Oct. 28 Indiana, 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Oct. 30 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER

Fri. Nov. 1 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m.

Sat. Nov. 2 Brooklyn, 7:00 p.m.

Mon. Nov. 4 at Washington, 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Nov. 6 New York, 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 8 at Indiana, 7:00 p.m.

Mon. Nov. 11 Minnesota, 7:00 p.m.

Tue. Nov. 12 at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 15 at Charlotte, 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Nov. 20 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 22 Atlanta, 7:00 p.m.

Sat. Nov. 23 at Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m.

Mon. Nov. 25 Orlando, 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Nov. 27 at Charlotte, 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 29 Charlotte, 7:00 p.m.

DECEMBER

Sun. Dec. 1 San Antonio, 5:00 p.m.

Tue. Dec. 3 at Cleveland, 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Dec. 4 Milwaukee, 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Dec. 6 Indiana, 7:00 p.m.

Mon. Dec. 9 at New Orleans, 8:00 p.m.

Thu. Dec. 12 Dallas (at Mexico City), 9:00 p.m.

Sat. Dec. 14 at Houston, 9:00 p.m.

Mon. Dec. 16 Washington, 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Dec. 18 Toronto, 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Dec. 20 at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Dec. 21 Chicago, 7:00 p.m.

Mon. Dec. 23 Philadelphia, 7:00 p.m.

Thu. Dec. 26 Washington, 7:00 p.m.

Sat. Dec. 28 at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

Mon. Dec. 30 at Utah, 9:00 p.m.

JANUARY

Thu. Jan. 2 at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Sat. Jan. 4 at Golden State, 8:30 p.m.

Sun. Jan. 5 at L.A. Lakers, 10:00 p.m.

Tue. Jan. 7 at Cleveland, 7:00 p.m.

Thu. Jan. 9 Cleveland, 7:00 p.m.

Sat. Jan. 11 Chicago, 7:00 p.m.

Mon. Jan. 13 New Orleans, 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Jan. 15 at Boston, 7:00 p.m.

Sat. Jan. 18 at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Mon. Jan. 20 at Washington, 2:00 p.m.

Wed. Jan. 22 Sacramento, 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Jan. 24 Memphis, 7:00 p.m.

Sat. Jan. 25 Brooklyn, 7:00 p.m.

Mon. Jan. 27 Cleveland, 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Jan. 29 at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. 

Fri. Jan. 31 Toronto, 7:00 p.m.

FEBRUARY

Sun. Feb. 2 Denver, 12:30 p.m.

Mon. Feb. 3 at Memphis, 8:00 p.m.

Wed. Feb. 5 Phoenix, 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Feb. 7 at Oklahoma City, 8:00 p.m.

Sat. Feb. 8 New York, 7:00 p.m.

Mon. Feb. 10 Charlotte, 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Feb. 12 at Orlando, 7:00 p.m.

Thu. Feb. 20 Milwaukee, 7:00 p.m.

Sun. Feb. 23 at Portland, 9:00 p.m.

Tue. Feb. 25 at Denver, 9:00 p.m.

Fri. Feb. 28 at Phoenix, 9:00 p.m.

MARCH

Sun. March 1 at Sacramento, 6:00 p.m.

Wed. March 4 Oklahoma City, 7:00 p.m.

Sat. March 7 Utah, 7:00 p.m.

Sun. March 8 at New York, 7:30 p.m.

Wed. March 11 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. 

Sat. March 14 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Tue. March 17 Orlando, 7:00 p.m.

Fri. March 20 Golden State, 7:00 p.m.

Sun. March 22 L.A. Lakers, 6:00 p.m.

Mon. March 23 at Milwaukee, 8:00 p.m.

Wed. March 25 Portland, 7:00 p.m.

Fri. March 27 L.A. Clippers, 7:00 p.m.

Sun. March 29 Houston, 5:00 p.m.

APRIL

Wed. April 1 at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

Fri. April 3 Miami, 7:00 p.m.

Sun. April 5 at Minnesota, 7:00 p.m.

Tue. April 7 at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Thu. April 9 at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Sat. April 11 at Dallas, 3:00 p.m.

Mon. April 13 Boston, 7:00 p.m.

Tue. April 14 at New York, 7:30 p.m.