ESPN & ABC Combine to Exclusively Televise the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

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ESPN & ABC Combine to Exclusively Televise the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Longest-tenured NBA Broadcasting Quartet: Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson & Doris Burke on Commentary
  • Full Court Press Second-Screen Appearance on ESPN2 for Game 2
  • Expanded One-Hour NBA Draft Lottery Preceding Game 2
  • New Broadcast Open Featuring Best-Selling Recording Artist J.Cole
  • NBA At The Mic Post-game Shows to Carry Key Press Conferences

ESPN and ABC will combine to exclusively televise the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals the Boston Celtics and rookie sensation Jayson Tatum will host the three-time defending Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James. The series begins Sunday, May 13, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC with Game 1 at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. The remaining games will air on ESPN. Every game will also stream via the ESPN App and will be available on ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes.

The voices

The voice of the NBA Finals, Mike Breen, will provide commentary, with analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, and reporter Doris Burke. They are the longest-tenured NBA broadcasting quartet, currently in their ninth consecutive NBA Playoffs together. ESPN officiating expert Steve Javie will also provide analysis from the NBA Replay Center. NBA Countdown, ESPN and ABC’s pregame show, will generally air one hour prior to every game. Michelle Beadle hosts NBA Countdown with Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce and fellow analysts Chauncey Billups and Jalen Rose. NBA Countdown airs at 3 p.m. on ABC this Sunday leading into Game 1.

After each Eastern Conference Finals game, ESPN will televise a special post-game show called NBA At The Mic which will air on either ESPN2 or ESPNEWS. NBA At The Mic will feature key post-game press conferences after each game. SportsCenter anchor Zubin Mehenti will host the shows.

Adam Amin and analyst Jon Barry will call the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on ESPN Radio (audio available on the ESPN App and at ESPNRadio.com). Additionally, ESPN Radio will also nationally broadcast the NBA Western Conference Finals between the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. Marc Kestecher will describe the action with Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Hubie Brown. The series begins with Game 1 on Monday, May 14, at 9 p.m. For the full schedules and for comprehensive digital Conference Finals coverage visit the NBA section of ESPN.com.

The 2018 NBA Draft Lottery

ESPN has expanded the NBA Draft Lottery telecast presented by State Farm this year to a one-hour show, airing from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15. It will precede Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. For the first time, the Draft Lottery will be held in Chicago, Il.  Chicago native Cassidy Hubbarth will host the event with several NBA and college basketball commentators, including Mark Jones, Jay Bilas and Adrian Wojnarowski.

ESPN will offer a special second-screen experience on ESPN2 during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Tuesday, May 15, at 8:30 p.m. The second-screen offering is called Full Court Press and will feature ESPN’s NBA Draft Lottery commentators, including Hubbarth, Bilas, Wojnarowski, and Jones, as well as some special guests. They will watch Game 2 and provide wide-ranging analysis and perspective. Full Court Press will offer an array of on-screen graphics, including special stats and data, while including social media reaction to the game.

Special Broadcast Open Starring J. Cole

ESPNs NBA Eastern Conference Finals game coverage will begin with a special broadcast open, starring best-selling recording artist J. Cole. The open will incorporate his new popular songs, including “ATM “and “Motivat8.”

Rachel Nichols will host The Jump – ESPN’s daily NBA show on site throughout the Eastern Conference Finals. The show airs at 3 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN and the ESPN App.

Kobe Bryant’s Detail

The next installment of Detail, the high-level basketball analysts and film study show from ESPN and five-time NBA Champion Kobe Bryant’s Granity Studios, will be exclusively available on ESPN+ this Saturday, May 12. ESPN+ is ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service.

Eastern Conference Finals schedule

Date Time (ET) Telecast Network (s)
Sun, May 13 3 p.m. NBA Countdown presented by Straight Talk Wireless ABC
  3:30 p.m. Eastern Conference Finals telecast presented by Exxon Mobile Game 1 ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Tue, May 15 7 p.m. NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew Kickstart ESPN, ESPN App
  7:30 p.m. NBA Draft Lottery telecast presented by State Farm ESPN, ESPN App
  8:30 p.m. Eastern Conference Finals  telecast presented by Exxon Mobile Game 2 ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Sat, May 19 7:30 p.m. NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew Kickstart ESPN, ESPN App
  8:30 p.m. Eastern Conference Finals  telecast presented by Exxon Mobile Game 3 ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Mon, May 21 7:30 p.m. NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew Kickstart ESPN, ESPN App
  8:30 p.m. Eastern Conference Finals  telecast presented by Exxon Mobile Game 4 ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Wed, May 23 7:30 p.m. NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew Kickstart ESPN, ESPN App
  8:30 p.m. *Eastern Conference Finals  telecast presented by Exxon Mobile Game 5 ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Fri, May 25 7:30 p.m. NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew Kickstart ESPN, ESPN App
  8:30 p.m. *Eastern Conference Finals  telecast presented by Exxon Mobile Game 6 ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Sun, May 27 7:30 p.m. NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew Kickstart ESPN, ESPN App
  8:30 p.m. *Eastern Conference Finals  telecast presented by Exxon Mobile Game 7 ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App

*If necessary

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Ben Cafardo

I lead communications strategy and execution for ESPN’s NBA, MLB, FIBA and Little League World Series properties. I’m also a proud consumer of all things ESPN.
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