BEIJING – The Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers will tip off in Beijing in a pre-season game on October 11 as the NBA returns to the Chinese capital for a second year in a row, the league said on Wednesday.

The game would mark the re-opening of the refurbished 17,000-seat Wukesong Arena, the venue for the basketball competition at last year's Beijing Olympics, NBA China said in a statement.

China is the NBA's most important market outside North America and the league signed a long-term deal to manage the Beijing venue before the Olympics.

"The Wukesong Arena is an outstanding facility that we are proud to call the home of the NBA in Beijing," NBA China chief executive Tim Chen said.

The game will offer Nuggets standout Carmelo Anthony a chance to shine once again on the court where he won Olympic gold with the United States last August.

The Nuggets will also meet in the first NBA game played in Taiwan on October 8 as part of a schedule of five pre-season games to be played outside North America this year.