Viewers on DStv and GOtv can look forward to thrills and spills from the world’s best basketball league, with ESPN and ESPN 2 the premier venues for coverage of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 2021-22 season will continue through the week of Friday 29 April to Thursday 5 May 2022.
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With the Playoffs now underway, the Denver Nuggets are hoping that Jamal Murray – who tore his ACL in his left knee just over a year ago – makes a comeback in this key stage of the season, though coach Michael Malone insists they won’t be putting any pressure on the point guard.
“Obviously, he’s not there yet,” said Malone. “That’s a real big mental hurdle to make. … He has good days and he has days that are not as good. And that’s been very challenging for him mentally.”
The Denver coach added, “You see him out there dunking the ball and I’m sure you guys are thinking, ‘He looks really good’. But from Day 1, from the bus ride from the San Francisco hotel to the airport when he had just suffered the injury the night before, [we told him] there’s going to be no rush, there’s going to be no pressure. And that continues to this day.”
The Miami Heat were the top team in the Eastern Conference by the end of the Regular Season, with coach Erik Spoelstra hoping his charges can continue their form well through the Playoffs.
“It was great just to find a way to gut out a close and competitive game,” Spoelstra said. “If I could have scripted it, this is what it would be. Back and forth, lead changes. It’s good to get back out there. It’s always good to be around the group.”
The Phoenix Suns, meanwhile, were the top team not only in the West, but also overall through the Regular Season. They were runners-up in the NBA Championship last term and will be aiming to go that one step further this time around.
“In hostile situations, it’s us against the world,” the Suns’ Mikal Bridges said. “We become tighter together and just get stronger. We’re one out there. We have some villains on this team. They love breaking the hearts of the fans (on the road).”
Also keep an eye out for the Boston Celtics, who surged late in the Regular Season to finish second in the Eastern Conference behind the Miami Heat. The men from Massachusetts will have momentum very much on their side.
“It’s exciting,” Al Horford said. “I don’t know in mid-January if [Celtic heading into the Playoffs as a high seed] was a possibility. We would have settled for like six or five. To be in that position is a testament to our group.”
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NBA match broadcast details
All times CAT
Friday 29 April
01:30: NBA Playoffs, Teams TBC – LIVEon ESPN 2
Saturday 30 April
04:00: NBA Playoffs, Teams TBC – LIVEon ESPN 2
21:00: NBA Playoffs, Teams TBC – LIVEon ESPN 2
23:30: NBA Playoffs, Teams TBC – LIVEon ESPN 2
Sunday 1 May
19:00: NBA Playoffs, Teams TBC – LIVEon ESPN 2
21:30: NBA Playoffs, Teams TBC – LIVEon ESPN 2
