NBA schedules Clippers-Lakers and Zion for opening night of Orlando restart

The NBA has always known how to showcase its stars.

And with COVID-19 producing unforeseen circumstances, the league has made sure its stars are seen on the important opening night of the Orlando restart. 

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans will play on July 30, the start of the reboot. Along with those two teams, the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers will play. Both of those games will be televised on TNT. 

Pelicans rookie phenom Zion Williamson will be the opening act for the night as his squad works to climb toward the eighth seed. 

The Pelicans have a record of 28-36 entering Orlando, which places them 3.5 games from the eighth seed Memphis Grizzlies. 

With Williamson headlining the first game, the second game will be a showdown of the Western Conference's elite. 

LeBron James and Anthony Davis will duel against Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as the Lakers and Clippers finish their season series. The Clippers currently have a 2-1 lead in the season series. 

During the NBA's return, as many as seven games will be played a day, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. 

The games will run from noon to 9 p.m., and there will be three courts total, with two of them for nationally televised matchups.