The NBA told the Houston Rockets they couldn't move Tuesday's road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers to an earlier start time to minimize a potential conflict with Game 6 of the World Series, according to a source.
The tipoff for Houston's matchup with the defending champion Cavaliers is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena. The first pitch of Game 6 between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians is set for 8:08 p.m. ET.
The World Series and the NBA game are played in neighboring venues, and players share the same underground tunnel for both Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena.
While the Rockets-Cavs game isn't broadcast on ESPN, ABC or TNT -- the NBA's national television partners -- the game will be simulcast on NBA TV, which might have had some flexibility to broadcast the game earlier.
Whenever the Rockets-Cavs game concludes, the Rockets will receive a police escort to the airport so they can get to New York, where they play the Knicks on Wednesday night.
