NEW YORK – The NBA G League will tip off the 2018-19 season on Friday, Nov. 2, the league announced today.

A record 27 teams will compete in the NBA G League’s 18^th season, including the Capital City Go-Go, an expansion team owned by the Washington Wizards.  Each team will play a 50-game schedule that concludes in March 2019.

The 2018-19 season will feature the Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers) playing with a new name and the Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings) playing in a new city with a new name.

For the second consecutive season, stretches where teams play four games in five nights have been eliminated.  The number of back-to-back games has been reduced to an all-time low, with teams playing an average of 6.6 back-to-backs this season, a 5.7 percent reduction from 7.0 per team last season.

The Capital City Go-Go open their inaugural NBA G League season by hosting the Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets) on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. ET.

The 2018 NBA G League Champion Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs) begin defense of their title by hosting the Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks) on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. ET.

Each team will face conference opponents three or four times and play either nine or 10 games against non-conference opponents.  The regular season ends on Saturday, March 23, and the 2019 NBA G League postseason will begin no earlier than Tuesday, March 26. Each NBA G League team will play 24 home games and 24 road games and an additional two games at the annual NBA G League Winter Showcase.   Location and dates for the Showcase games will be announced at a later date.

To closer align with their NBA affiliate and to accommodate the NBA G League’s continued growth, the six divisions have been adjusted for the 2018-19 season:

• Eastern Conference
  • Atlantic Division: Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers), Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets), Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics), Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors), Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks)
  • Central Division: Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers), Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers), Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit Pistons), Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks), Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls)
  • Southeast Division: Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards), Erie BayHawks (Atlanta Hawks), Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets), Lakeland Magic (Orlando Magic)
• Western Conference
  • Midwest Division: Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves), Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder), Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies), Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat)
  • Southwest Division: Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs), Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets), Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz), Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks)
  • Pacific Division: Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (L.A. Clippers), Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix Suns), Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors), South Bay Lakers (Los Angeles Lakers), Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings)

The 2018-19 NBA G League broadcast schedule will be available at a later date.

About the NBA G League

The NBA’s official minor league, the NBA G League prepares players, coaches, officials, trainers and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory.  Featuring 27 teams with direct affiliations with NBA franchises for the 2018-19 season, the league offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere.  An all-time-high 53 percent of all NBA players at the end of the 2017-18 season boasted NBA G League experience.  In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA Cares programs.  NBA G League games are available on ESPN’s family of networks, NBA TV, Twitch and Eleven Sports.