ESPN and ABC today announced their 101-game national television schedule for the 2021-22 regular season, which begins on Wednesday, October 20, and culminates on Sunday, April 10. ESPN will televise 82 games, while ABC will broadcast 19 games. This marks ESPN’s 20th consecutive season of NBA game coverage, dating back to 2002-03 campaign.
ESPN will celebrate the NBA’s 75th anniversary season throughout the year across its platforms. Pillar dates for the regular season schedule include ESPN’s season-opening doubleheader on Wednesday, October 20, its Thanksgiving Eve prime-time doubleheader, the five-game Christmas Day slate and the NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC and ABC Sunday Showcase series.
In addition to the regular season, ESPN will televise several NBA preseason games, as well as up to 44 NBA Playoffs telecasts, culminating with exclusive coverage of the NBA Finals. ESPN will also exclusively televise the Eastern Conference Finals and three NBA Play-In Tournament games. All ESPN and ABC NBA telecasts are available to stream via the ESPN App.
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NBA on ABC schedule highlights:
- Six appearances by the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry;
- Five appearances each by the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James, the Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant, and the defending NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo;
- Four appearances by the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum;
- Kevin Durant returns to Golden State as the Brooklyn Nets visit the Warriors on January 29;
- NBA Finals rematch on the March 6 edition of ABC Sunday Showcase as the defending NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks take on the Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker;
- Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James square off with the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry twice on NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC;
- Christmas Day tripleheader culminating with the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James vs. the Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant;
- NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC begins on December 11 at 8:30 p.m. with the Golden State Warriors visiting the Philadelphia 76ers;
- NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks host the Brooklyn Nets on February 26 and visit the Golden State Warriors on March 12.
NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC
The NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC series will return for its seventh season with a star-studded slate featuring some of the league’s most compelling matchups. The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James will take on the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry on February 12 and March 5. The series makes its season debut on December 11 when the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry take on the Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid. NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC begins at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Schedule through March 12
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Dec 11 | 8:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors at Philadelphia 76ers |
| Jan 29 | 8:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at Golden State Warriors |
| Feb 5 | 8:30 p.m. | New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers |
| Feb 12 | 8:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors |
| Feb 26 | 8:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks |
| Mar 5 | 8:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers |
| Mar 12 | 8:30 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks at Golden State Warriors |
ABC Sunday Showcase presented by Reese’s
The ABC Sunday Showcase presented by Reese’s series will include an NBA Finals rematch as the Milwaukee Bucks host the Phoenix Suns on March 6. The longstanding ABC series returns on February 13 as the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum host the Atlanta Hawks and Trae Young.
Schedule through April 3
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Feb 13 | 2 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics |
| Feb 27 | 1 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks |
| 3:30 p.m. | Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns | |
| Mar 6 | 1 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics |
| 3:30 p.m. | Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Mar 13 | 1 p.m. | New York Knicks at Brooklyn Nets |
| 3:30 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics | |
| Apr 3 | 1 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks at Milwaukee Bucks |
| 3:30 p.m. | Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers |
NBA on ESPN highlights:
- At least 10 appearances each by the NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks;
- Regular season coverage tips off on October 20 as the Boston Celtics visit the New York Knicks, followed by the Denver Nuggets vs. the Phoenix Suns;
- Strong opening week slate includes doubleheader on October 22 as the Brooklyn Nets take on the Philadelphia 76ers, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Phoenix Suns;
- Marquee back-to-back Los Angeles Lakers games, including vs. the Milwaukee Bucks on November 17 and vs. the Boston Celtics on November 19;
- Thanksgiving Eve doubleheader: the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving vs. Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum, followed by the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry vs. the Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid;
- 2021 Eastern Conference Finals rematch on March 9 when the Atlanta Hawks square off with the NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks;
- Special Sunday matchups on February 6, February 27, March. 6, March 13 and April 10.
ESPN and ABC’s live game coverage for the 2021-22 NBA regular season tips off with a doubleheader on Wednesday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN when Kemba Walker and the New York Knicks host Walker’s former team – Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. In the nightcap, the defending Western Conference Champion Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker will host the Denver Nuggets and reigning NBA M.V.P. Nikola Jokić at 10 p.m. Action continues on Friday, October 22. NBA on ESPN doubleheaders generally air at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the season. The full schedule is below.
NBA on ESPN schedule through April 10
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Wed, Oct 20 | 7:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics at New York Knicks |
| 10 p.m. | Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns | |
| Fri, Oct 22 | 7:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers |
| 10 p.m. | Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Wed, Oct 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks at New Orleans Pelicans |
| 10 p.m. | Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Fri, Oct 29 | 7:30 p.m. | Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat |
| 10 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets | |
| Wed, Nov 3 | 7:30 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks at Brooklyn Nets |
| 10 p.m. | Charlotte Hornets at Golden State Warriors | |
| Fri, Nov 5 | 7:30 p.m. | New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks |
| 10 p.m. | New Orleans Pelicans at Golden State Warriors | |
| Wed, Nov 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Detroit Pistons at Houston Rockets |
| 10 p.m. | Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Fri, Nov 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics |
| 10 p.m. | Chicago Bulls at Golden State Warriors | |
| Wed, Nov 17 | 7:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee Bucks |
| 10 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns | |
| Fri, Nov 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics |
| 10 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns | |
| Wed, Nov 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics |
| 10 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers at Golden State Warriors | |
| Fri, Dec 3 | 7:30 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks |
| 10 p.m. | LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Wed, Dec 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat |
| 10 p.m. | Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors | |
| Fri, Dec 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at Atlanta Hawks |
| 10 p.m. | Boston Celtics at Phoenix Suns | |
| Wed, Dec 15 | 7:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks |
| 10 p.m. | LA Clippers at Utah Jazz | |
| Fri, Dec 17 | 7:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors at Boston Celtics |
| 10 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks at New Orleans Pelicans | |
| Wed, Jan 5 | 7:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors at Dallas Mavericks |
| 10 p.m. | Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets | |
| Fri, Jan 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks at Brooklyn Nets |
| 10 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks at Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Wed, Jan 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks |
| 10 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at Chicago Bulls | |
| Fri, Jan 14 | 7:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers |
| 10 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Wed, Jan 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Charlotte Hornets at Boston Celtics |
| 10 p.m. | LA Clippers at Denver Nuggets | |
| Fri, Jan 21 | 8:00 p.m. | Toronto Raptors v. Washington Wizards |
| Wed, Jan 26 | 7:30 p.m. | Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs |
| 10 p.m. | Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz | |
| Fri, Jan 28 | 7:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks |
| 10 p.m. | New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Wed, Feb 2 | 7:30 p.m. | Memphis Grizzlies at New York Knicks |
| 10 p.m. | Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz | |
| Fri, Feb 4 | 10 p.m. | New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets |
| Sun, Feb 6 | 6 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks at Dallas Mavericks |
| Wed, Feb 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets |
| 10 p.m. | Golden State Warriors at Utah Jazz | |
| Wed, Feb 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks |
| 10 p.m. | Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Fri, Feb 25 | 7:30 p.m. | Miami Heat at New York Knicks |
| 10 p.m. | LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Sun, Feb 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors |
| 10 p.m. | New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Wed, Mar 2 | 7:30 p.m. | New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers |
| 10 p.m. | Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns | |
| Fri, Mar 4 | 7:30 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls |
| 10 p.m. | New York Knicks at Phoenix Suns | |
| Sun, Mar 6 | 7:30 p.m. | New York Knicks at LA Clippers |
| 10 p.m. | New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets | |
| Wed, Mar 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks at Milwaukee Bucks |
| 10 p.m. | Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz | |
| Sun, Mar 13 | 8 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns |
| Mon, Mar 14 | 8 p.m. | Denver Nuggets at Philadelphia 76ers |
| 10:30 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks at Utah Jazz | |
| Wed, Mar 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks at Brooklyn Nets |
| 10 p.m. | Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors | |
| Wed, Mar 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at Memphis Grizzlies |
| 10 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Wed, Mar 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Miami Heat at Boston Celtics |
| 10 p.m. | Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors | |
| Wed, Apr 6 | 7:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks |
| 10 p.m. | Phoenix Suns at LA Clippers | |
| Sun, Apr 10 | 1 p.m. | TBD |
| 3:30 p.m. | TBD |
ESPN and ABC NBA Christmas Day presented by State Farm
As previously announced, the ESPN and ABC NBA Christmas Day tradition enters its 20th season on Friday, December 25, with approximately 13 consecutive hours of live event coverage. The Christmas Day slate will feature a blockbuster prime-time matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, led by the trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, playing host to the Brooklyn Nets, led Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. The game airs at 8 p.m. on both ABC and ESPN.
ESPN and ABC Christmas Day schedule
| Time (ET) | Game | Platform |
| 12 p.m. | Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks | ESPN, ESPN App |
| 2:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks | ABC, ESPN App |
| 5 p.m. | Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns | ABC, ESPN App |
| 8 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets at Los Angeles Lakers | ABC, ESPN,
ESPN App |
| 10:30 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz | ESPN, ESPN App |
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