Heat And Magic Preseason Schedule 2011: Miami And Orlando Play Home-And-Home Series In Shortened Preseason

With the NBA Lockout finally in the rearview mirror, a fast and frenzied free agency period and condensed training camp has begun, with NBA teams finally taking the floor for exhibition games beginning next weekend. The Orlando Magic and Miami Heat will spend their lockout-shortened preseason facing each other in a home-and-home-series beginning next Sunday, December 18th.

Once those warm-up contests are complete, both Orlando and Miami open the truncated NBA season on Christmas Day. LeBron, Wade and Bosh will travel to Dallas to take on Dirk and the defending champs in a midday contest. The Magic will travel to Oklahoma City to take on Kevin Durant and the Thunder in a primetime affair, with the biggest question being whether Dwight Howard will still be on the Orlando roster come tip time.

Magic and Heat Preseason Schedule

Sunday, December 18th: Orlando Magic at Miami Heat, 6:00 PM

Wednesday, December 21st: Miami Heat at Orlando Magic, 7:00 PM

For more Magic coverage, please visit Orlando Pinstriped Post, SB Nation's Magic blog. For more Heat coverage, head on over to Peninsula is Mightier, SB Nation's Heat blog.

Orlando Magic 2011 NBA Schedule: Orlando Will Face 19 Back-To-Backs In Shortened Season

While the Orlando Magic may only have to play a dreaded back-to-back-to-back just once this season, they will have a total of 19 back-to-backs in the condensed 66 game schedule. Orlando will host the Lakers on January 20th, coming on heels of those three games in three nights. The season will open on Christmas Day with a trip to Oklahoma City to face the Kevin Durant led Thunder. It will certainly be a frenetic dash to the playoffs.

December
Sun 25 @ Oklahoma City
Mon 26 vs Houston
Thu 29 vs New Jersey
Fri 30 @ Charlotte
January
Sun 01 vs Toronto
Mon 02 @ Detroit
Wed 04 vs Washington
Fri 06 vs Chicago
Sun 08 @ Sacramento
Wed 11 @ Portland
Thu 12 @ Golden State
Mon 16 @ New York
Tue 17 vs Charlotte
Wed 18 vs San Antonio
Fri 20 vs LA Lakers
Mon 23 @ Boston
Tue 24 @ Indiana
Thu 26 vs Boston
Fri 27 @ New Orleans
Sun 29 vs Indiana
Mon 30 @ Philadelphia
February
Wed 01 vs Washington
Fri 03 vs Cleveland
Sat 04 @ Indiana
Mon 06 vs LA Clippers
Wed 08 vs Miami
Fri 10 vs Atlanta
Sat 11 @ Milwaukee
Mon 13 vs Minnesota
Wed 15 vs Philadelphia
Fri 17 vs Milwaukee
Sun 19 @ Miami
Mon 20 @ Milwaukee
Wed 22 @ New Jersey
Thu 23 @ Atlanta
Wed 29 @ Washington
March
Thu 01 vs Oklahoma City
Sat 03 vs Milwaukee
Mon 05 @ Toronto
Tue 06 @ Charlotte
Thu 08 @ Chicago
Sun 11 vs Indiana
Tue 13 vs Miami
Wed 14 @ San Antonio
Fri 16 vs New Jersey
Sun 18 @ Miami
Mon 19 vs Chicago
Wed 21 vs Phoenix
Fri 23 vs Cleveland
Mon 26 @ Toronto
Wed 28 @ New York
Fri 30 vs Dallas
April
Sun 01 vs Denver
Tue 03 @ Detroit
Thu 05 vs New York
Sat 07 @ Philadelphia
Mon 09 vs Detroit
Tue 10 @ Washington
Fri 13 vs Atlanta
Sun 15 @ Cleveland
Mon 16 vs Philadelphia
Wed 18 @ Boston
Sat 21 @ Utah
Sun 22 @ Denver
Wed 25 vs Charlotte
Thu 26 @ Memphis

For more Magic coverage, please visit Orlando Pinstriped Post, SB Nation's Magic blog. For more Heat coverage, head on over to Peninsula is Mightier, SB Nation's Heat blog.

Miami Heat 2011 NBA Schedule: Big Three Will Be Tested With Condensed Schedule

With nearly two months lost due to the lockout negotiations, the Miami Heat are now forced to play a condensed 66 games schedule in an intense three and half month tour towards the playoffs. The Heat have 17 back-to-backs over the course of the season, including one instance where they play three games in three nights. The frenetic pace of the schedule consummates in April, when they play eight games in just 11 nights.

The schedule features some primetime matchups in the opening week, with the opener on the road against the Dallas Mavericks and the home opener just two days later against the Boston Celtics. The Lakers make their one visit to Miami less than a month later on January 19th.

Dec. 25 @ Dallas
  27 Boston
  28 @ Charlotte
  30 @ Minnesota
Jan.  1 Charlotte
  2 @Atlanta
  4 Indiana
  5 @ @Atlanta
  7 @ New Jersey
  10 @ Golden St.
  11 @ L.A. Clippers
  13 @ Denver
  17 San Antonio
  19 L.A. Lakers
  21 Philadelphia
  22 Milwaukee
  24 Cleveland
  25 @ Detroit
  27 New York
  29 Chicago
  30 New Orleans
Feb.  1 @ Milwaukee
  3 @ Philadelphia
  5 Toronto
  7 Cleveland
  8 @ Orlando
  10 @ Washington
  12 @ Atlanta
  13 @ Milwaukee
  14 @ Indiana
  17 @ Cleveland
  19 Orlando
  21 Sacramento
  23 New York
Mar.  1 @ Portland
  2 @ Utah
  4 @ L.A. Lakers
  6 New Jersey
  7 @Atlanta
  10 Indiana
  13 @ Orlando
  14 @ Chicago
  16 @ Philadelphia
  18 Orlando
  20 Phoenix
  23 @ Detroit
  25 @ Okla. City
  26 @ Indiana
  29 Dallas
  30 @ Toronto
Apr.  1 @ Boston
  3 Philadelphia
  4 Oklahoma City
  6 Memphis
  8 Detroit
  10 Boston
  12 @ Chicago
  13 Charlotte
  15 @ New York
  16 @ New Jersey
  18 Toronto
  19 Chicago
  21 Washington
  22 Houston
  24 @ Boston
  26 @ Washington

For more Magic coverage, please visit Orlando Pinstriped Post, SB Nation's Magic blog. For more Heat coverage, head on over to Peninsula is Mightier, SB Nation's Heat blog.

NBA Schedule 2011-2012: NBA To Announce Orlando Magic, Miami Heat Schedules Tuesday

Florida's NBA teams will learn Tuesday when and where they'll be playing this season when the league announces its schedule at 7 PM on NBA TV.