Lakers 2014-2015 schedule: Full schedule release and notes

The Los Angeles Lakers 2014-2015 schedule has been released, and the franchise will open the season on Oct. 28 when they host the Houston Rockets. Their annual Christmas Day showcase will be against the Chicago Bulls, bringing Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol together for the holidays in Chicago. Gasol's first return to Los Angeles against the Lakers is Jan. 29.

The Lakers are slated to be on national television 20 times through the season, not counting NBA TV appearances. They'll have 16 back-to-back games, down from 19 last season. The annual Grammy road trip is also light this year. The Lakers first road game of the trip is Jan. 16 against the Utah Jazz, but the team will only play four times while away from Staples Center. Opponents include the Jazz, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs. None of the Grammy trip games will be back-to-back, and the Lakers return to Los Angeles to host the Rockets on Jan. 25.

Their only Denver Death Trap -- the second game of a back-to-back on the road against the Nuggets -- is on Apr. 8. The Lakers' first look at LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers is on Jan. 15 in Los Angeles. The longest road trip of the season is a five-game trip from Mar. 24-30

The Lakers will enjoy an eight-day layoff during the All-Star break, playing the Portland Trail Blazers on the road on Feb. 11 and returning from the break to host the Boston Celtics on Jan. 20. The NBA will experiment with making the All-Star break a minimum of eight days this season, which will coincide with the trade deadline on Feb. 20.

Here's the full 2014-2015 Lakers schedule: