TNT’s Extensive 2018 NBA Playoffs Coverage – More Than 40 Games – Begins Sunday, April 15, with Tripleheader Action

Network to Exclusively Televise 2018 NBA Western Conference Finals

Sports Emmy Award-Winning Inside the NBA, Along with Area 21 featuring Kevin Garnett, Highlight TNT’s NBA Playoffs Studio Coverage

TNT will televise more than 40 NBA Playoff games – the most of any network – including First Round and Conference Semifinals action and the exclusive presentation of the 2018 NBA Western Conference Finals.  The network’s playoff coverage will tip off Sunday, April 15, with a tripleheader – the Boston Celtics hosting the Milwaukee Bucks at 1 p.m. ET; Utah Jazz against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 6:30 p.m. and the Minnesota Timberwolves visiting the Houston Rockets at 9 p.m.  TNT enters the NBA Playoffs on the heels of its most-viewed regular season coverage since 2013-14, with an average of 1.7 million viewers for its live game telecasts up 13% vs. last season.

TNT’s NBA Playoffs coverage will feature the Sports Emmy Award-winning studio team of host Ernie Johnson alongside Hall of Famers Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal and two-time NBA Champion Kenny Smith providing analysis during the TNT NBA Tip-Off Presented by Autotrader pregame show and the American Express Halftime Report, with extensive postgame coverage on Inside the NBA presented by Kia.

Segments from Area 21 – with TNT analyst Kevin Garnett and special guests each week – will be incorporated into studio coverage on Tuesdays beginning April 17.  Additional Area 21 content will be available exclusively across KG Area 21 social media handles.

The network’s Sports Emmy Award-winning playoff coverage will include the following commentator teams during the first round:

• Marv Albert with analyst Chris Webber
• Kevin Harlan with analyst Reggie Miller
• Brian Anderson with analyst Kevin McHale
• Ian Eagle with analyst Brent Barry
• Spero Dedes with analyst Mike Fratello

Reporters will include David Aldridge, Kristen Ledlow, Ros Gold-Onwude, Allie LaForce, Dennis Scott, Rebecca Haarlow, Jared Greenberg and Jaime Maggio.

TNT – in its 34^th consecutive year of NBA coverage – will continue to feature state-of-the-art technological elements during the playoffs including super-slow-motion cameras that will provide viewers with gripping replays at key moments of the games. TNT will also feature the continued use of player and coach mics to bring fans the sounds of the game from the floor.

Additionally, TNT’s NBA Playoffs coverage will include the use of robotic cameras placed above each backboard to provide compelling looks at the action and a “steady cam” that will capture close-up shots, along with visuals from player warm-ups used during the studio shows. TNT’s studio coverage will also incorporate a virtual graphics package to introduce key game and player matchups.

The Western Conference Finals – in addition to select First Round and Conference Semifinals games – will be available in immersive virtual reality through the NBA on TNT VR app powered by Intel® True VR, available for Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream headsets.

TNT Overtime on NBA.com and via the NBA App will deliver enhanced coverage for more than 30 playoff games with exclusive content and analysis from TNT commentators.  The unique companion experience allows fans to watch the game via one of four alternate camera angles (action, backboard, home and away) or all four angles at once. TNT Overtime’s highlights, stats and play–by–play integrations will be available alongside the live game experience. Opening round sponsors for TNT Overtime include Exxon, Cisco, Chipotle, and Head & Shoulders.

Live streaming coverage of all NBA on TNT playoff games is also available via http://www.tntdrama.com/watchtnt and the Watch TNT app.  Fans are able to access the games whenever and wherever they desire by logging in with the user name and password provided by their TV service provider.

2018 NBA on TNT Playoffs Schedule

Visit the Turner Sports online pressroom for additional press materials; follow Turner Sports on Twitter at @TurnerSportsPR.

-30-