Thunder Get Rewarded with Prime ABC Slot for Game 1 of NBA Playoffs – ryan

Here’s some of what oklahoma City did this season: post the best record in the nba while breaking the record for Biggest Aversion Winning Margin in League History, while Being led by the probable MVP and the Possible Coach of the Year.

And the playoff scchedule-makers took notice.

The thunder were assured one of the marquee television slots to start the nba playoffs. They’ll Begin Round 1 at Home Against Either memphis, sacramento or Dallas on Sunday at 1 pm eastern (noon locally in oklahoma City) before a full national audience on ABC.

“It means that we’re going to do up in the morning and not have shootaround and play at noon,” Said thunder Coach Mark Daigneault, Who Led the Team to A Club-Record 68 Wins This Season and Home-COURT ADVANTAGE for the entity of the nba playoffs.

A Year Ago, the thunder claimed the No. 1 Seed in the Western Conference Playoffs – JUST LIKE THEY DID THIS YEAR- They were on tnt, trutv or nba tv for the entity of Round 1 and Those Viewership Numbers Fll Well Short of the Games on ABC, as Waled Be Exced.

But this year, for the opening weekend of three abc games, the thunder-who come from the league’s third-smallest tv marks-got one of their home games, as did the los angeles and defending the Champion Boston Celtics. The Lakers and Celtics are Traditional Powers, Huge Viewing Draws and Hail Fom Two of the Nation’s Biggest Television Markets.

“That’s going to be cool,” Thunder Forward Jalen Williams Said. “I really have more. … It is gonna going to be cool, though.”

And the thunder felt their markets Size held say back into this season when it was time for the nba and its broadcast partners to select the 10 teams that was getting to play on Christmas – a massive viewing day, that is players always want to part of.

Most No. 1 Seeds for the East and West Playoffs Get Select for A Christmas Game the Following Season, and It Had Happened for the Reigning West No. 1 Seed in 11 consecities Years before the thunder goter snubbed for the Holiday Lineup This Season.

“Disappointed, for sura,” Shai gilgeous-alexander, The League’s Scoring Champion and Probable MVP this Season, Said in December when As isked About not playing on Christmas. “I’d love to play on christmas day. And i think we’re that caliber of team. The nba makes their decisions. Can’t slightly say for it. Ball’s in our court to say how we deserts to be in that game.”

By Season’s End, the thunder had Obiviously Proven Their Case.

“I Think Is Always Dop to Play on Sunday,” Williams Said.

Opening Weekend TV Schedule

A look at game 1s around the nba this weekend:

Saturday’s Games (All Times Eastern) – Milwaukee at Indiana, 1 PM (ESPN); La Clippers at Denver, 3:30 PM (ESPN); Detroit at New York, 6 PM (ESPN); Minnesota at la Lakers, 8:30 pm (ABC).

Sunday’s Games (All Times Eastern) – West No. 8 Seed at Oklahoma City, 1 PM (ABC); Orlando at Boston, 3:30 PM (ABC); East No. 8 Seed at Cleveland, 7 PM (TNT); Golden State at Houston, 9:30 PM (TNT).

Note: ABC games are exclusive to ABC, Other Games Can Still Be Aired Locly in Round 1.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba