PORTLAND (AP) - The Portland Trail Blazers will tip-off an NBA season at home for the first time in seven years.

The NBA schedule released Tuesday has the Trail Blazers starting their 40th NBA season on Oct. 27 with a rematch against the Houston Rockets, the club that knocked them out of the playoffs last season.

The Rockets will have a different look however, as the team will be without Yao Ming (injury) and Ron Artest, who signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In other schedule highlights, the Trail Blazers host the Denver Nuggets on Christmas Day and have a five-game homestand in early January. The season-long homestand features a Jan. 8 game against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, a Jan. 10 matchup against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers and a Jan. 15 contest against the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic.

The Trail Blazers end the regular season April 14, when they host Golden State.