ESPN to Nationally Televise Marquee NBA Playoffs Tripleheader on Thursday

ESPN will nationally televise a marquee NBA Playoffs tripleheader this Thursday, August 27, starting at 4 p.m. ET as the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokić square off with the Utah Jazz and Donovan Mitchell in Game 6 of their Western Conference quarterfinals series. Mike Breen, analyst Jeff Van Gundy and reporter Cassidy Hubbarth will provide commentary.

The tripleheader continues at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN as the defending NBA Champion Toronto Raptors and Pascal Siakam take on the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series. Dave Pasch will call the action with analyst Doris Burke and reporter Malika Andrews.

At 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard collide with the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Dončić in Game 6 of their Western Conference quarterfinals series. The team of Breen, Van Gundy and Hubbarth will return to call the game. The Clippers vs. Mavericks game will also be available on ESPN Radio with Sean Kelley and P.J. Carlesimo describing the action.

Stephen A. Smith Joins ESPN’s NBA Countdown Show

NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew will tip off ESPN’s coverage on Thursday with a one-hour pregame show from 3-4 p.m. ET. Popular ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith will join the NBA Countdown show as an analyst – beginning Thursday – for the remainder of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Smith will regularly appear in studio with host Maria Taylor and fellow analysts Jalen Rose and Jay Williams. ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski and analyst Paul Pierce will continue to make regular contributions to the show, with Wojnarowski providing live updates from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex – site of the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

ESPN’s NBA Playoffs game coverage will continue on Sunday, August 30. More information will be announced in the coming days.

All ESPN NBA games and shows are also available to stream via the ESPN App.

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