Breen, Van Gundy, Salters to Call Games in L.A. & Miami within 24 Hours; ESPN & Pitbull Team Up for NBA Playoffs Broadcast Open
The 2014 NBA Playoffs will tip off on ESPN’s family of networks beginning this weekend with five Game 1 telecasts. Mike Breen, analyst Jeff Van Gundy and reporter Lisa Salters will call two Game 1’s on ABC in 24 hours, beginning with the Golden State Warriors at the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET The crew will then fly across country to Miami for Sunday’s 3:30 p.m. broadcast of the defending NBA Champion Heat and the Charlotte Bobcats. Both games will also be available on ESPN Radio and via the WatchABC app.
On Saturday, ESPN will televise a Game 1 tripleheader, beginning at 12:30 p.m. when the Brooklyn Nets visit the Toronto Raptors. ESPN’s coverage will return with a prime-time doubleheader, starting with the Atlanta Hawks visiting the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m., followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Memphis Grizzlies at 9:30 p.m. For more details, please see the table below.
NBA Countdown – ABC’s and ESPN’s pre-game show – will preview both of ABC’s games this weekend, starting at 3 p.m. both days. Countdown will document the entire NBA Playoffs led by host Sage Steele and analysts Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose and Doug Collins.
ESPN & Pitbull Team Up for NBA Playoffs Broadcast Open
Latin Grammy Award-winner Pitbull will star in ESPN’s new NBA Playoffs broadcast open, which will debut on Saturday, April 19 during ABC’s and ESPN’s playoff coverage. Pitbull will be joined by several NBA superstars including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Chris Paul, Joakim Noah and Stephen Curry. The open is set to Pitbull’s chart-topping single “Timber,” with customized lyrics that capture the spirit and storylines of the NBA Playoffs.
Early schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Commentators | Network(s) |
| Sat, Apr. 19 | 12:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors Gm.1 | Dave Pasch, Jon Barry,
Chris Broussard |
ESPN, WatchESPN |
| 3 p.m. | NBA Countdown | Sage Steele, Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose, Doug Collins | ABC, WatchABC | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers Gm. 1 | Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Lisa Salters | ABC, ESPN Radio, WatchABC, ESPN3 | |
| 7 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks at Indiana Pacers Gm. 1 | Mark Jones, Doris Burke, Israel Gutierrez | ESPN, WatchESPN | |
| 9:30 p.m. | Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder Gm. 1 | Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown, Heather Cox | ESPN, WatchESPN | |
| Sun, Apr. 20 | 3 p.m. | NBA Countdown | Sage Steele, Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose, Doug Collins | ABC, WatchABC |
| 3:30 p.m. | Charlotte Bobcats at Miami Heat Gm. 1 | Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Lisa Salters | ABC, ESPN Radio, WatchABC, ESPN3 | |
| Fri, Apr. 25 | 7 p.m. | Toronto Raptors at Brooklyn Nets Gm. 3 | TBD | ESPN2, WatchESPN |
| 8 p.m. | Chicago Bulls at Washington Wizards Gm. 3 | TBD | ESPN, WatchESPN | |
| 10:30 p.m. | Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers Gm. 3 | TBD | ESPN, WatchESPN | |
| Sat, Apr. 26 | 7 p.m. | Miami Heat at Charlotte Bobcats Gm. 3 | TBD | ESPN, WatchESPN |
| 9:30 p.m. | Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies Gm. 4 | TBD | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio | |
| Sun, Apr. 27 | 12:30 p.m. | NBA Countdown | Sage Steele, Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose, Doug Collins | ABC, WatchABC, ESPN |
| 1 p.m. | Chicago Bulls at Washington Wizards Gm. 4 | TBD | ABC, WatchABC, ESPN3 | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors Gm. 4 | TBD | ABC, WatchABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN3 | |
| Fri, May 2 | TBD | Miami Heat at Charlotte Bobcats Gm. 6 (if necessary) | TBD | ESPN/ESPN2, WatchESPN |
| TBD | Toronto Raptors at Brooklyn Nets Gm. 6 (if necessary) | TBD | ESPN/ESPN2, WatchESPN | |
| TBD | San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks Gm. 6 (if necessary) | TBD | ESPN/ESPN2, WatchESPN | |
| TBD | Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers Gm. 6 (if necessary) | TBD | ESPN/ESPN2, WatchESPN | |
| Sun, May 4 | 1 p.m. | TBD | ABC, WatchABC | |
| 3:30 p.m. | TBD | ABC, WatchABC, ESPN3 |
The NBA Playoffs will exclusively start and finish on ESPN’s family of networks, culminating with ABC’s exclusive presentation of The Finals on ABC, starting June 5.
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