CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from Dec. 18, 2020.
Two-hundred and eighty-eight days since last playing in an NBA game, the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Charlotte Hornets at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in their 2020-21 season opener.
What follows is everything you need to know about the Cavs first matchup of the new NBA season:
Game info, how to watch on TV, betting line:
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio
TV channel: Fox Sports Ohio
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 89.1 WNZN
Betting line: Charlotte -2.5
Over-under point total: 215
Game preview
While the Cavs will be returning from a near-300-day layoff from game action, they'll hardly be doing so at full strength; All-Star forward Kevin Love is expected to miss Wednesday's season opener due to a calf injury, while guard Kevin Porter Jr. is also expected to be sidelined due to a personal matter.
Without Love in the lineup, Cleveland will lean even heavier on its young backcourt featuring Darius Garland and Collin Sexton to complement star center Andre Drummond. Perhaps the most highly anticipated part of the Cavs' opener will be the debut of rookie Isaac Okoro, who enjoyed a strong showing in the preseason after being selected with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Meanwhile, from Charlotte's perspective, Wednesday will mark the debut of LaMelo Ball, who the Hornets selected with the No. 3 pick in this year's draft. Charlotte has also signed veteran forward Gordon Hayward, who is looking to revitalize his career after a disappointing, injury-plagued stint with the Boston Celtics.