Here’s a look at the announcing assignments for the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, with a breakdown of the matchup and the broadcasting crews. The series begins June 5, 2025. All times are Eastern.
2025 NBA Finals
Game 1: Thursday, June 5, Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 8:30 p.m.
Game 2: Sunday, June 8, Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
Game 3: Wednesday, June 11, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana, 8:30 p.m.
Game 4: Friday, June 13, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, 8:30 p.m.
Game 5: Mon, June 16; at Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m.*
Game 6: Thu, June 19; at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, 8:30 p.m.
Game 7: Sun, June 22; at Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.*
* If necessary
The NBA Finals air on ABC. NBA Countdown begins 30 minutes before tip-off on that network. Postgame coverage airs on ESPN. The NBA Finals Trophy presentation airs on ABC. The NBA Finals will also stream on all ESPN platforms, air on ESPN Deportes in Spanish, and be broadcast on ESPN Radio.
NBA on ABC Finals Commentators
Game commentators: Mike Breen, Doris Burke, Richard Jefferson; Lisa Salters (Reporter); Steve Javie (Rules Analyst)
NBA Countdown (pregame, halftime, postgame): Malika Andrews, Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers, Kendrick Perkins, Shams Charania (Insider).
NBA Countdown will air on ESPN2 at 7:30 for 30 minutes ahead of most games, with the second half-hour on ABC before tipoff. Both Sunday pregame shows will air entirely on ABC.
ESPN Deportes Commentators
Ernesto Jerez, Fabricio Orberto; Sebastian Christensen (Reporter)
ESPN Radio Commentators
Marc Kestecher, P.J. Carlesimo; Jorge Sedano (Reporter)
ESPN Hoops Stream Commentators
Vanessa Ricardson, Iman Shumpert
Airs 15 minutes before tip-off on ESPN’s streaming and social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, X, and ESPN+.
NBA Today Commentators
Malika Andrews, Kendrick Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike, Udonis Haslem, Brian Windhorst
NBA Finals Special Presented By ESPN BET. Weekdays on ESPN or ESPN2, 3 p.m.
Sirius XM Radio Commentators
Pacers Home Radio: Mark Boyle, Eddie Gill, Pat Boylan
Thunder Home Radio: Matt Pinto
SiriusXM Channels: Home Team Ch. 86; Road Team Ch. 81
This NBA Finals matchup has sparked a lot of discussion about the smaller markets involved and what that might mean for ratings. But, despite some chattering-class takes, there’s lots to like here on the floor. And that helps bolster the discussions about national media overlooking these squads, despite even league scheduling efforts to the contrary.
This series has the teams that finished fourth (Oklahoma City) and seventh (Indiana) respectively in points per game this season, posting 120.5 and 117.4 PPG respectively. The Thunder were also very strong on defense, allowing 107.6 points per game (third in the league) this regular season.
The Pacers were weaker there, conceding 115.1 points per game (17th). But they’ve been stingier in the playoffs, allowing 113.3 PPG (although that’s still only 13th, and well behind the Thunder at 106.3, fourth). And both teams have obvious stars to watch, including Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (second in these playoffs with 476 points) and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton (10th with 301).
Tyrese Haliburton at NBA Finals Media Day on June 4, 2025.
Tyrese Haliburton at NBA Finals Media Day on June 4, 2025. (Alonzo Adams/Imagn Images.)
On the broadcasting front, this is the 20th NBA Finals assignment for Breen. It’s the 17th NBA Finals assignment for Burke across all roles, including work as a TV and radio analyst, as well as a TV reporter. And it comes with this ABC/ESPN booth of Breen, Burke, and Jefferson under some scrutiny as to its future, including suggestions that Tim Legler might earn a promotion.
This also stands out as the last NBA Finals where ESPN/ABC’s surrounding coverage will largely be from their own personalities. Under the new NBA deals next year, they’ll continue to broadcast the Finals, but they’ll have the TNT Sports-produced Inside The NBA on their airwaves. There are many questions still to be resolved about what that will mean for ESPN studio coverage, but it seems likely that Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith will be heavily featured in place of some of the current ESPN studio talent. So this is a last opportunity to see how the current setup works.