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[12/17/12 - 09:44 AM]
ABC & ESPN Combine to Present All Five NBA Christmas Day Games
The blockbuster schedule is highlighted by ABC's first two NBA broadcasts of the season.
[via press release from ESPN]

ABC & ESPN Combine to Present All Five NBA Christmas Day Games

Lakers-Knicks, NBA Finals Rematch Highlight Blockbuster Doubleheader on ABC & ESPN Radio

Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Heather Cox to Call Two Games at the Staples Center

ESPN3 to Exclusively Deliver Live Coverage of Lakers-Clippers Arena Changeover

ABC and ESPN will combine to present all five NBA Christmas Day Games, Tuesday, December 25. The blockbuster schedule is highlighted by ABC's first two NBA broadcasts of the season. The doubleheader will begin with the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant hosting the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony at 3 p.m. ET, followed by an NBA Finals rematch with the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kevin Durant at 5:30 p.m. Mike Tirico and analyst Hubie Brown will call the Finals rematch with Lisa Salters reporting. KIA NBA Countdown will precede the ABC doubleheader at 2:30 p.m. with Magic Johnson, Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose and Michael Wilbon.

Breen, Van Gundy, Cox to call two games in L.A.

For the first time, Mike Breen, analyst Jeff Van Gundy and reporter Heather Cox will call two games from the Staples Center on Christmas Day. The trio will provide commentary for Knicks-Lakers and return to the booth for ESPN's primetime telecast of the Los Angeles Clippers, led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, against the Denver Nuggets and Ty Lawson and Andre Iguodala at 10:30 p.m. The Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor Billy Crystal will join Breen and Van Gundy in the booth for a portion of the Nuggets/Clippers telecast to lend his insights on the Clippers - his favorite NBA team.

NBA on ESPN Christmas Day

ESPN's Christmas Day coverage will tip off at 12 p.m. with the Brooklyn Nets hosting the Boston Celtics in the Nets' first-ever Christmas Day appearance on ESPN. Mark Jones and analyst Doris Burke will call the game with reporter Chris Broussard. ESPN will resume its coverage with a primetime doubleheader, beginning with the Chicago Bulls and Joakim Noah hosting the Houston Rockets and James Harden at 8 p.m., with Dave Pasch and analyst Jon Barry calling the action. The five-game docket closes with Nuggets-Clippers at 10:30 p.m. All ESPN games are also available via WatchESPN.

ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio will nationally broadcast two blockbuster NBA Christmas Day games, with coverage beginning at 2 p.m. Dave Flemming and analyst Will Perdue will call Knicks-Lakers, while Kevin Calabro and NBA Hall of Famer Dr. Jack Ramsay will call Thunder-Heat. ESPN Radio's Christmas Day broadcasts are also available on ESPNRadio.com and via the ESPN Radio app.

ESPN Deportes

ESPN Deportes will provide Spanish language coverage of the first four NBA games with Alvaro Martin, Carlos Morales, Ricardo Ortiz and Manu Martin providing commentary. In addition, Jerry Olaya, Robert Abramowitz, Leopoldo Gonzalez and Robert Sierra will voice the Secondary Audio Program (SAP) coverage for each ABC game.

ESPN3

ESPN3 will exclusively deliver live coverage of the Staples Center changeover on Christmas Day, as the crew changes the arena from the Lakers set to the Clippers set. There will be a static camera placed inside the arena to capture the transformation, beginning at the conclusion of the Lakers-Knicks game.

ESPN.com

ESPN.com will offer comprehensive coverage of the NBA on Christmas Day with reporters at each game. ESPN.com will also have special editions of the Daily Dime and Five on Five features, as well as a day-long live chat. Additionally, ESPN.com's local sites will have coverage leading up to, and throughout, Christmas Day - ESPNNY.com, ESPNChicago.com, ESPNLA.com, ESPNBoston and at the Heat Index.

ABC & ESPN NBA Christmas Day schedule

Time (ET) Game Commentators Network(s)

12 p.m. NBA Christmas Special Presented by State Farm Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets ESPN: Mark Jones, Doris Burke, Chris Broussard ESPN Deportes: Alvaro Martin, Carlos Morales ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

2:30 p.m. KIA NBA Countdown Magic Johnson, Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose, Michael Wilbon ABC

3 p.m. (ESPN Radio at 2 p.m.) NBA Christmas Special Presented by State Farm New York Knicks at L.A. Lakers ABC: Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Heather Cox ESPN Radio: Dave Flemming, Will Perdue ESPN Deportes: Ricardo Ortiz, Manu Martin ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes

5:30 p.m. NBA Christmas Special Presented by State Farm Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat ABC: Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown, Lisa Salters ESPN Radio: Kevin Calabro, Dr. Jack Ramsay ESPN Deportes: Alvaro Martin, Carlos Morales ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes

8 p.m. NBA Christmas Special Presented by State Farm Houston Rockets at Chicago Bulls ESPN: Dave Pasch, Jon Barry ESPN Deportes: Ricardo Ortiz, Manu Martin ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

10:30 p.m. NBA Christmas Special Presented by State Farm Denver Nuggets at L.A. Clippers ESPN: Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Heather Cox ESPN, WatchESPN





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