The NBA is preparing for Christmas Day where five games will open the 2011-12 season. TNT will have the opening game at noon Eastern between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Then ESPN/ABC gets into high gear with four games, an afternoon doubleheader on the American Broadcasting Company starting at 2:30 p.m. ET featuring an NBA Finals rematch between Miami and Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Chicago Bulls.
ESPN gets into the act with an twi-night doubleheader as the Orlando Magic take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, then the night concludes with Mark Jackson’s coaching debut as his Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 p.m.
A couple of announcing highlights. Mark Breen and Jeff Van Gundy will call Heat-Mavs in Dallas. Then if all things go perfectly without any overtime periods, weather and/or mechanical delays, they’ll hop on a plane and fly cross-country to the Bay Area for Clippers-Warriors. If Breen and Van Gundy are late, ESPN will have Terry Gannon and Chris Mullen to begin calling the game. When Breen and Van Gundy arrive, Gannon will slide over to become sideline reporter and Mullen will remain at the courtside announcing table.
Mike Tirico will be in LA to call Bulls-Lakers on ABC Christmas afternoon, then fly to New Orleans for Monday Night Football to call Falcons-Saints the next night.
We have the other announcing assignments for ABC, ESPN and ESPN Radio for the entire Christmas Day slate.
ESPN’s Mike Breen & Jeff Van Gundy to Call Two NBA Games on Christmas
NBA Christmas Day Quadruple Header Across ABC & ESPN; ESPN Radio Tips Off 17th SeasonESPN’s lead NBA commentator team of play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and analyst Jeff Van Gundy are planning to call two Christmas Day games. They will begin in Dallas when the defending NBA Champion Mavericks and Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki host the Miami Heat and its All-Star trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on Sunday, Dec. 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Lisa Salters will be the courtside reporter in Dallas.
Immediately following the game, Breen and Van Gundy will jet to the Bay Area for the head coaching debut of former colleague Mark Jackson with Golden State. The Warriors will face the Los Angeles Clippers and All-Star Blake Griffin at 10:30 p.m. Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, a Warriors legend and Jackson’s teammate at St. John’s and with the Indiana Pacers, will join Breen and Van Gundy courtside for the Warriors/Clippers game. Terry Gannon will be the reporter.
Both games are part of an NBA Christmas Day quadruple header across ESPN and ABC. Coverage will begin with the NBA Countdown pregame show at 2 p.m. on ABC. Following Heat/Mavs at 2:30 p.m., ABC will broadcast the Los Angeles Lakers and perennial MVP candidate Kobe Bryant hosting the Chicago Bulls and 2011 league MVP Derrick Rose at 5 p.m. Mike Tirico, who will be in New Orleans the next day for Monday Night Football, will call the game with analyst Hubie Brown and reporter Heather Cox.
ESPN’s action will tip off with the Orlando Magic and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard visiting the Oklahoma City Thunder and two-time league scoring leader Kevin Durant at 8 p.m. Dave Pasch will provide commentary with analyst Doris Burke. ESPN’s games will also be available via ESPN Deportes, ESPN3, ESPN Mobile TV and the Watch ESPN App.
ESPN Radio, entering its 17th season of NBA action, will broadcast two Christmas Day games – the Boston Celtics and its core four of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett visiting the New York Knicks and stars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire with coverage beginning at 11 a.m., followed by Heat/Mavericks.
NBA Christmas Day Schedule:
Date Time (ET) Teams/Commentators Networks Sun, Dec 25 12 p.m. Boston at New York ESPN Radio Marc Kestecher, Jim Spanarkel 2 p.m. NBA Countdown ABC 2:30 p.m. Miami at Dallas Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Lisa Salters ABC Jim Durham, Will Perdue ESPN Radio 5 p.m. Chicago at L.A. Lakers Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown, Heather Cox ABC 8 p.m. Orlando at Oklahoma City ESPN, ESPN3, ESPN Mobile TV Dave Pasch, Doris Burke 10:30 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Golden State ESPN, ESPN3, ESPN Mobile TV Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Chris Mullin, Terry Gannon
There you have it.
