Thunder get rewarded with prime ABC slot for Game 1 of NBA playoffs

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Here's some of what Oklahoma City did this season: post the best record in the NBA while breaking the record for biggest average winning margin in league history, while being led by the probable MVP and the possible coach of the year.

And the playoff schedule-makers took notice.

The Thunder were assigned one of the marquee television slots to start the NBA playoffs. They'll begin Round 1 at home against either Memphis, Sacramento or Dallas on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern (noon locally in Oklahoma City) before a full national audience on ABC.

“It means that we're going to wake up in the morning and not have shootaround and play at noon,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, who led the team to a club-record 68 wins this season and home-court advantage for the entirety of the NBA playoffs.

A year ago, the Thunder claimed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs — just like they did this year — but they didn't get an ABC game until the second round. They were on TNT, TruTV or NBA TV for the entirety of Round 1 and those viewership numbers fell well short of the games on ABC, as would be expected.

But this year, for the opening weekend of three ABC games, the Thunder — who come from the league's third-smallest TV market — got one of their home games selected, as did the Los Angeles Lakers and defending champion Boston Celtics. The Lakers and Celtics are traditional powers, huge viewing draws and hail from two of the nation's biggest television markets.

“That's going to be cool,” Thunder forward Jalen Williams said. “I don't really have more. ... It's going to be cool, though.”

And the Thunder felt their market size held them back going into this season when it was time for the NBA and its broadcast partners to select the 10 teams that would be getting to play on Christmas — a massive viewing day, one that players always want to be part of.

Most No. 1 seeds for the East and West playoffs get selected for a Christmas game the following season, and it had happened for the reigning West No. 1 seed in 11 consecutive years before the Thunder got snubbed for the holiday lineup this season.

“Disappointed, for sure,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's scoring champion and probable MVP this season, said in December when asked about not playing on Christmas. “I’d love to play on Christmas Day. And I think we’re that caliber of team. The NBA makes their decisions. Can’t slight them for it. Ball’s in our court to prove to them why we deserve to be in that game.”

By season's end, the Thunder had obviously proven their case.

“I think it's always dope to play on Sunday,” Williams said.

A look at Game 1s around the NBA this weekend:

Saturday’s games (all times Eastern) — Milwaukee at Indiana, 1 p.m. (ESPN); L.A. Clippers at Denver, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN); Detroit at New York, 6 p.m. (ESPN); Minnesota at L.A. Lakers, 8:30 p.m. (ABC).

Sunday’s games (all times Eastern) — West No. 8 seed at Oklahoma City, 1 p.m. (ABC); Orlando at Boston, 3:30 p.m. (ABC); East No. 8 seed at Cleveland, 7 p.m. (TNT); Golden State at Houston, 9:30 p.m. (TNT).

Note: ABC games are exclusive to ABC, other games can still be aired locally in Round 1.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba