LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Lakers open 2019-20 NBA season with Clippers, Jazz

It is official: LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers will open their 82-game NBA campaign against Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in a Clippers home game at Staples Center on Oct. 22.

James, Davis and the Lakers will host Leonard, George and the Clippers at Staples Center on Christmas Day, the Lakers’ 21st consecutive season playing on the holiday.

Two of the most talked about games with four of the league’s top players became official Monday when the NBA announced the schedule for the 2019-20 season.

Three days after visiting the Clippers, the Lakers will continue their quest to break a six-season playoff drought with their Oct. 25 home opener against a Utah Jazz team expected to challenge for a top spot in the Western Conference.

For a team with championship aspirations, the Lakers can expect to get their opponent’s best effort every night. That will be the case and then some when Davis travels to New Orleans on Nov. 27 for the first time since the All-Star forward requested a trade.

Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart, who were traded for Davis, will play the Lakers in Los Angeles for the first time on Jan. 3.

Other marquee home games for the Lakers will be against Stephen Curry and Golden State on Nov. 13 and April 9; James Harden and Russell Westbrook with Houston on Feb. 6 and March 12; Boston on Feb. 23; Philadelphia on March 3; and reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee on March 6.

The Lakers will play 31 times on national television. Their longest trip of the season is six games, when they play at Charlotte on March 21, Detroit on March 22, Toronto on March 24, Cleveland on March 26, Washington on March 28 and Minnesota on March 30.

The Lakers will play just 12 sets of back-to-back games after the NBA reduced them from an average of 13.3 sets last season to 12.4.

Here is a look at the Lakers’ regular-season schedule:

All times Pacific

October

22 at Clippers, 7:30 p.m.; 25 vs. Utah, 7:30 p.m.; 27 vs. Charlotte, 6:30 p.m.; 29 vs. Memphis, 7:30 p.m.

November

1 at Dallas, 6:30 p.m.; 3 at San Antonio, 4 p.m.; 5 at Chicago, 5 p.m.; 8 vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.; 10 vs. Toronto, 6:30 p.m.; 12 at Phoenix, 6 p.m.; 13 vs. Golden State, 7 p.m.; 15 vs. Sacramento, 7:30 p.m. 17 vs. Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.; 19 vs. Oklahoma City, 7:30 p.m.; 22 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m.; 23 at Memphis, 5 p.m.; 25 at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m.; 27 at New Orleans, 6:30 p.m.; 29 vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m.

December

1 vs. Dallas, 1 p.m.; 3 at Denver, 6 p.m.; 4 at Utah, 6 p.m.; 6 at Portland, 7:30 p.m.; 8 vs. Minnesota, 6:30 p.m.; 11 at Orlando, 4 p.m.; 13 at Miami, 5 p.m.; 15 at Atlanta, 3 p.m.; 17 at Indiana, 4 p.m.; 19 at Milwaukee, 5 p.m.; 22 vs. Denver, 6:30 p.m.; 25 vs. Clippers, 5 p.m.; 28 at Portland, 7 p.m.; 29 vs. Dallas, 6:30 p.m.

January

1 vs. Phoenix, 7:30 p.m.; 3 vs. New Orleans, 7:30 p.m.; 5 vs. Detroit, 7 p.m.; 7 vs. New York, 7:30 p.m.; 10 at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.; 11 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m.; 13 vs. Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.; 15 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m.; 18 at Houston, 5:30 p.m.; 20 at Boston, 4:30 p.m.; 22 at New York, 4:30 p.m.; 23 at Brooklyn, 5 p.m.; 25 at Philadelphia, 5:30 p.m. 28 vs. Clippers, 7 p.m.; 31 vs Portland, 7:30 p.m.

February

1 at Sacramento, 7 p.m.; 4 vs. San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.; 6 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m.; 8 at Golden State, 5:30 p.m.; 10 vs. Phoenix, 7:30 p.m.; 12 at Denver, 7 p.m.; 21 vs. Memphis, 7:30 p.m.; 23 vs. Boston, 12:30 p.m.; 25 vs. New Orleans, 7 p.m.; 27 at Golden State, 7:30 p.m.; 29 at Memphis, 5 p.m.

March

1 at New Orleans, 5 p.m.; 3 vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m.; 6 vs. Milwaukee, 7:30 p.m.; 8 at Clippers, 12:30 p.m.; 10 vs. Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.; 12 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m.; 15 vs. Denver, 6 p.m.; 16 at Utah, 6 p.m.; 18 vs. Utah, 7 p.m.; 21 at Charlotte, 4 p.m.; 22 at Detroit, 3 p.m.; 24 at Toronto, 4:30 p.m.; 26 at Cleveland, 4 p.m.; 28 at Washington, 5 p.m.; 30 at Minnesota, 5 p.m.

April

1 vs. Indiana, 7:30 p.m.; 4 at Sacramento, 7 p.m.; 5 vs. Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m.; 7 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m.; 9 vs. Golden State, 7:30 p.m.; 12 vs. Minnesota, 6:30 p.m., 14 vs. Sacramento, 7:30 p.m.; 15 at Phoenix, 7 p.m.