Brooklyn Nets: ESPN giveth, ESPN taketh away
By Phil Watson
The Brooklyn Nets gained a national TV appearance on Friday as ESPN juggled its broadcast schedule, but also had a national game removed from the slate.
The Brooklyn Nets have been one of the surprise teams in the NBA this season, putting together a 20-7 run over the last eight weeks to vault from near the bottom of the Eastern Conference to solidly in the playoff picture.
ESPN on Friday updated its national TV schedule, adding the Nets scheduled game for March 13 to its national schedule when they play on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Nets and Thunder replace the previously scheduled Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat game that had been on ESPN’s slate.
David Morrow of Def Pen Sports reported the changes on Friday:
Update to the NBA National TV schedule for February 13:
— David Morrow (@_DavidMorrow) February 1, 2019
Nets-Cavaliers will no longer be nationally televised. Instead, ESPN will air Warriors-Trail Blazers at 10:30 p.m. ET. Also, the Rockets-Timberwolves game has been moved to 8:00 p.m. ET.
Another update, this one for March 13:
— David Morrow (@_DavidMorrow) February 1, 2019
Nets-Thunder (7:00 ET) will replace the previously scheduled Pistons-Heat game on ESPN.
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However, the Nets also lost a national TV appearance on Friday when ESPN switched its Feb. 13 game to televise the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers in a late game, moving the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves into the time slot the Nets had been in.
The Nets are scheduled to play on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 13 and with Cleveland near the bottom of the standings, the game lost most of its commercial appeal to a national audience.
Brooklyn has appeared on national TV just once this season, when YES Network’s feed of the Nets 115-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers was simulcast on NBA TV.
Their second national TV appearance of the season will also be on NBA TV, when Brooklyn hosts the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
The Nets will also be on NBA TV on March 4 when they host the Dallas Mavericks, on March 25 when they visit the Trail Blazers and on April 6 on their second trip of the season to Milwaukee.
As of this point, the game in Oklahoma City is Brooklyn’s lone ESPN appearance of the season. They were not scheduled to play on TNT.
With an improved record, however, and a potential playoff appearance coupled with what could be an eventful offseason ahead, the Nets might find themselves back in the national spotlight a bit more often in 2019-20.
Next. 25 greatest individual games in Nets history. dark
Hey, Brooklyn even has an All-Star now.