Sideline reporter Lisa Salters will once again be absent for Game 3 of the NBA Finals. As was the case in Game 2, she’ll be replaced in the ESPN on ABC coverage by Jorge Sedano.
In a release, ESPN detailed the coverage team for Wednesday night’s Game 3 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. Sedano will work alongside the regular announce team of play-by-play man Mike Green and color commentators Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson.
While ESPN’s release gave no reason for Salters’ absence, it was addressed in Game 2 on Sunday night.
Mike Breen: “[Lisa Salters’] mom has been dealing with some serious health issues for a while now… Although we’ve never met her mom, we owe her a debt of gratitude for giving us the gift of Lisa Salters, who is the teammate everyone in our business should strive to have.” 🎙️❤️ pic.twitter.com/7YJHlKfiwh
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2025
After a report from Sedano early in the third quarter, Breen acknowledged Salters being gone and noted that her “mom has been dealing with some serious health issues for a while.” Breen, Burke and Jefferson then all wished Salters well.
Nothing about Salters’ status for the remainder of the series was revealed. Game 4 will be on Friday, June 13, while Game 5 will be on Monday, June 16. If necessary, Games 6 and 7 will be played on Thursday, June 19 and Sunday, June 22, respectively.