DeMar DeRozan Returns to Toronto Friday Night on ESPN

The Art of Conversation with Dan Le Batard Debuts with Miami Heat President Pat Riley

Ahead of this week’s NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC matchup, Cassidy Hubbarth, Treavor Scales, and Stephen Jackson host “Hoop Streams”, live from Oracle Arena. Hoop Streams is ESPN’s new innovative 30-minute NBA pre-game show on Twitter. The live, on-site show streams an hour prior to ESPN’s NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC broadcasts and during the NBA Playoffs, NBA Conference Finals and NBA Finals. The stream begins this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at twitter.com/espn.

NBA Friday’s doubleheader tips off at 7 p.m. when DeMar DeRozan returns to Toronto to face the Raptors for the first time since his trade to the San Antonio Spurs. Mark Jones will be courtside with analyst Doris Burke and reporter Jorge Sedano to provide game coverage. In the 9:30 p.m. Western Conference nightcap, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook host the Utah Jazz and Donovan Mitchell. Dave Pasch will provide commentary with analyst Chauncey Billups.

The Houston Rockets and reigning MVP James Harden go head to head with the reigning NBA Champion Golden State Warriors for this week’s ESPN NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC matchup at 8:30 p.m. Mike Breen, analyst Mark Jackson and reporter Lisa Salters will provide commentary for the night from Oracle Arena. Rules analyst, Steve Javie, will be live at the NBA Replay Center in Secaucus, New Jersey providing his expertise. Play-by-play announcer Marc Kestecher and analyst Jon Barry will call the game for ESPN Radio beginning at 8 p.m. NBA Countdown, ESPN’s NBA pregame show, will tip off game coverage as host Michelle Beadle joins analysts Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups and Jalen Rose. The Countdown team will preview the matchup, including an analytic comparison between Steph Curry and James Harden, an analysis of Chris Paul and a conversation with Harden, and give the halftime report.

Last week, ESPN’s The Jump host, Rachel Nichols, sat down with NBA All-Stars James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Giannis Antetokounmpo during All-Star weekend in Charlotte to discuss the first half of the NBA season and what they need to do going forward to take their teams to the finals. The interviews will air during the 3 p.m. show this week as Nichols and a cast of high-profile analysts, reporters and guests discuss NBA news, rumors and highlights.

Miami Heat President, Pat Riley, joins ESPN host Dan Le Batard for the premiere episode of the ESPN series, The Art of Conversation with Dan Le Batard, featuring in-depth conversations with influential names across the sports and entertainment industries. The Basketball Hall of Famer opens up about his family life, reflects on his coaching career, and reveals why, to this day, he struggles to be cordial with NBA legends Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. The Art of Conversation with Dan Le Batard debuts Sunday, Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.

More digital content is available on the NBA section of ESPN.com, including this week’s NBA Power Rankings.

All ESPN programming is available to stream on the ESPN App.

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