The Kings will have at least three games on national TV this season, including a big ESPN showdown at ARCO Arena November 3 against the L.A. Lakers. (BEAT L.A.!) There's also a TNT game at the L.A. Clippers on Nov. 25 and home TNT game against the Nuggets Jan. 6.

The Kings also have four NBA TV games: Nov. 21 at home against the Hornets, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 17) at Atltanta, on Jan. 24 at Portland and April 11 against the Thunder in Sacramento.

The Kings open on the road (of course!), but it's about the least daunting trip possible: the season opener Wednesday, Oct. 27, at Minnesota, followed by an Oct. 29-30 back-to-back in New Jersey and Cleveland.

The Kings come back to Sacramento for the home opener Nov. 1 against the Raptors (another non-elite team). That'd followed by the big Lakers game, a Nov. 6 game against the Grizzlies and a Nov. 10 games against the Wolves, all at home.

November has 10 games at ARCO and just three on the road. The other teams visiting ARCO in November are Detroit, New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, Chicago and Indiana. Exactly two of the 10 teams visiting ARCO in November made the playoffs last year (Lakers and Bulls). The Kings also visit Phoenix, Utah and the Clippers in November.

The schedule will be less forgiving late in the season. The All-Star Weekend is surrounded by two nasty little road trips: at Phoenix, Oklahoma City and Dallas before ASW, and at Miami, Orlando, Charlotte and Memphis afterward. There's also a six-game road trip in January (Toronto-Washington-Boston-New York-Detroit-Atlanta) and a five-gamer in March (Minnesota-Chicago-Milwaukee-Indiana-Philadelphia).

The season ends at home against the Lakers on April 13. The Heat visit Dec. 11. Kevin Durant and the Thunder visit Feb. 12 and April 11. The Warriors visit Dec. 21 and March 14.

There are three Western Conference teams the Kings play only three times (instead of four): Portland (2 home, 1 road), Minnesota (2 road, 1 home) and San Antonio (2 road, 1 home).

Four of the Kings' home Sunday games will start at 3 PM Pacific. Three of those games occur during the NFL season.