ESPN and ABC Combine to Nationally Televise 49 NBA Games In Second Half of 2020-21 Regular Season
Blockbuster Slate Features Regular Appearances from Every Top Superstar, the Best Rivalries and Potential NBA Finals Previews
- Star-Studded Los Angeles Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets Broadcast on NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC April 10
- 2020-21 Regular Season Culminates May 16 with ESPN’s 100th Game Telecast
- ESPN Radio’s Second Half Schedule Includes 14 National Broadcasts
ESPN today announced its NBA regular season schedule for the second half of the 2020-21 campaign, which includes 49 additional game telecasts between Sunday, March 14 and Sunday, May 16. In total, ESPN and ABC will combine to nationally televise 100 NBA regular season games. ESPN generally televises NBA doubleheaders on Wednesdays and Fridays, with select games airing on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays in the second half.
ABC will broadcast NBA games on Saturdays as part of its marquee NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC series, which is currently up three percent in viewership vs. last season, according to Nielsen. ABC’s NBA coverage continues on Sundays as part of the NBA Sunday Showcase franchise. All ESPN and ABC NBA games are available to stream on the ESPN App. ESPN previously announced its telecast schedule for the first half of the season and the upcoming slate is available on ESPN Press Room.
In the final week of the regular season, ESPN will televise doubleheaders on Wednesday, May 12 and Friday, May 14. ESPN will televise its 100th game of the season on Sunday, May 16 – the final day of regular season action. ESPN will then televise three games from the inaugural Play-In Tournament the week of May 18. The 2021 NBA Playoffs tip off on ESPN and ABC on May 22.
ESPN highlights:
- LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry’s historic rivalry renewed as the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors (March 15);
- Marquee doubleheader includes Dallas Mavericks and Luka Dončić vs. the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum, followed by the Milwaukee Bucks and reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James (March 31);
- New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson vs. the Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant (April 7);
- Iconic franchises collide – Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks (April 12);
- Collision of Eastern Conference heavyweights – Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets (April 23);
- Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry visit the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson, plus the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokić visit the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis in a May 3 doubleheader;
- Five significant games to conclude regular season (May 12-16).
ABC highlights:
- Three additional appearances by the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James; two additional appearances by the star-studded Brooklyn Nets led by Kevin Durant;
- The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James visit the Brooklyn Nets and James Harden in potential NBA Finals preview (April 10);
- The Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown host the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry (April 17);
- An ascendant rivalry continues as Luka Dončić and LeBron James square off when the Dallas Mavericks host the Los Angeles Lakers (April 24);
- ABC’s regular-season game coverage will conclude Sunday, May 2 with a Sunday Showcase matchup between the Nets and Bucks in Milwaukee (3:30 p.m. ET).
NBA on ESPN schedule through Sun, May. 16
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Sun, Mar 14 | 9 p.m. | LA Clippers vs. New Orleans Pelicans |
| Mon, Mar 15 | 8 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets |
| 10:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors | |
| Wed, Mar 17 | 7 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers |
| 9:30 p.m. | LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks | |
| Wed, Mar 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
| 10 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets vs. Utah Jazz | |
| Fri, Mar 26 | 7:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
| 10 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks vs. Golden State Warriors | |
| Wed, Mar 31 | 7:30 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics |
| 10 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Wed, Apr 7 | 7:30 p.m. | New Orleans Pelicans vs. Brooklyn Nets |
| 10 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns | |
| Mon, Apr 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers* vs. New York Knicks |
| 10 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors | |
| Wed, Apr 14 | 7 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers |
| 9:30 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Fri, Apr 16 | 7 p.m. | LA Clippers vs. Philadelphia 76ers |
| 9:30 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks | |
| Sat, Apr 17 | 4:30 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers* |
| Sun, Apr 18 | 1 p.m. | New Orleans Pelicans vs. New York Knicks |
| 3:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat | |
| Mon, Apr 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors vs. Philadelphia 76ers |
| 10 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers* | |
| Fri, Apr 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets |
| 10 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors | |
| Sat, Apr 24 | 1 p.m. | Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks |
| 3:30 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Sat, Apr 24 | 8:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks |
| Sun, Apr 25 | 1 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Charlotte Hornets |
| 3:30 p.m. | Phoenix Suns vs. Brooklyn Nets | |
| Wed, Apr 28 | 7:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Washington Wizards |
| 10 p.m. | LA Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns | |
| Sat, May 1 | 7:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors* vs. Houston Rockets |
| 10 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. LA Clippers | |
| Mon, May 3 | 7:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors* vs. New Orleans Pelicans |
| 10 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers* | |
| Fri, May 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics* vs. Chicago Bulls |
| 10 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Sun, May 9 | 1 p.m. | Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics |
| 3:30 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. LA Clippers | |
| Wed, May 12 | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | TBD | |
| Fri, May 14 | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | TBD | |
| Sun, May 16 | TBD | TBD |
*Blackout restrictions apply to local market
ABC NBA Sunday Showcase schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Sun, Apr 4 | 3:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. LA Clippers |
| Sat, Apr 10 | 8:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets |
| Sat, Apr 17 | 8:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics |
| Sat, Apr 24 | 8:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks |
| Sun, May 2 | 3:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
NBA on ESPN Radio schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Sun, Mar. 14 | 8:30 PM | LA Clippers vs. New Orleans Pelicans |
| Tue, Mar. 16 | 9:30 PM | New Orleans Pelicans vs. Portland Trail Blazers |
| Wed Mar. 17 | 6:30 PM | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers |
| Tue, Mar. 23 | 7:00 PM | Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans |
| Wed, Mar. 24 | 9:30 PM | Brooklyn Nets vs. Utah Jazz |
| Sun, Apr. 4 | 3:00 PM | Los Angeles Lakers vs. LA Clippers |
| Sat, Apr. 10 | 8:00 PM | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets |
| Wed, Apr. 14, | 6:30 PM | Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers |
| Sat, Apr. 17 | 8:00 PM | Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics |
| Sun Apr. 18 | 12:30 PM | New Orleans Pelicans vs. New York Knicks |
| Sat, Apr. 24 | 8:00 PM | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks |
| Sun, Apr. 25 | 3:00 PM | Phoenix Suns vs. Brooklyn Nets |
| Sun, May. 2 | 3:00 PM | Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
| Sun, May. 9 | 12:30 PM | Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics |
In addition to ESPN and ABC’s regular season NBA coverage, the platforms combine to nationally televise up to 44 NBA Playoffs matchups, including the Western Conference Finals exclusively on ESPN and the NBA Finals exclusively on ABC.
ESPN and ABC’s NBA coverage includes its signature pregame shows, NBA Countdown, SportsCenter with Stephen A. Smith and Hoop Streams – ESPN’s digital pregame show – that generally air 30 minutes prior to game coverage. Additionally, ESPN’s The Jump airs Monday through Friday at 3 p.m.
