Jazz Not Featured In Early National TV Games
Dec 2, 2020, 1:40 PM | Updated: 1:41 pm
Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center on October 11, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz have been left out the early NBA national TV broadcasts. The first three days of national broadcast games, concluding with a Christmas Day quintuple header feature many of the league’s most prominent matchups, none of which include the Jazz.
The NBA season opens on December 22 and will feature two prominent national broadcasts. The Golden State Warriors will travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets. The game will feature a matchup between Steph Curry after more than nine months away from basketball and former Warriors teammate Kevin Durant.
Game two on opening night will pit the league’s star-studded Los Angeles teams against one another. The defending champion Lakers will host the disappointing Clippers who are looking to improve on last season’s second-round playoff exit.
Both games will be broadcast on TNT.
No national games for the @UtahJazz to open the season.
What do you think Jazz fans? pic.twitter.com/KfBZsGdSaY
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 2, 2020
Wednesday, December 23 will feature two more national prominent matchups, the first pitting the Milwaukee Bucks against the Boston Celtics, and concluding with the upstart Phoenix Suns hosting Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
The Suns acquired All-Star point guard Chris Paul during the offseason in hopes of improving upon their narrow playoff miss last season.
The early game will be broadcast on TNT while the nightcap shifts to ESPN.
NBA Christmas Day National TV Games
Christmas Day will feature five games with a litany of All-Star talent. Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans travel to Miami to take on last year’s Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat.
Curry and the Warriors will stop in Milwaukee for their second game of the season, while the Nets will travel to Boston in the third game of the showcase.
The night will conclude with Doncic and the Mavericks facing LeBron James and the Lakers in Los Angeles, and the Clippers traveling to face the Denver Nuggets.
The five games will be split between ESPN and ABC broadcasts.
The @UtahJazz announced their three-game preseason schedule. #TakeNote https://t.co/29SQCSvyAZ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 27, 2020
The Jazz appeared to be a candidate for a high profile national TV game after a breakout performance from guard Donovan Mitchell in the team’s first-round playoff exit. Mitchell averaged a league-leading 36.3 points per game in the playoffs, including outings of 51 and 57 points.
The Jazz have yet to release their regular season schedule. The team will make their preseason debut on December 12 against the Suns.
