Even TNT’s on-air talent was baffled by the NBA’s playoff schedule on Thursday, which included Game 3 between the Nuggets and Clippers being relegated to NBA TV.
While the Nuggets tip off at 8 p.m. MT in Los Angeles, TNT will broadcast Game 3 between the Thunder and Grizzlies in an overlapping window that begins 30 minutes earlier.
Games that air on NBA TV are blacked out in local markets, meaning the only way to watch Game 3 from the Denver area is via Altitude Sports. The team-owned regional sports network is offering a free three-day trial to its streaming service, Altitude Plus, with a promo code of “alt3free.”
“We understand Nuggets fans frustrations that tonight’s game is not being televised on TNT,” Kevin Demoff, the Kroenke Sports and Entertainment executive who oversees Altitude, posted to social media. “We have no control over that and were not involved in the decision. What we do control is making the game free on Altitude+ so all fans can watch.”
When TNT’s “Inside the NBA” aired a graphic on Wednesday night teasing Thursday’s three-game slate, analyst Charles Barkley reacted in shock.
“Are y’all serious right now?” he said. “Y’all got the Clippers, the best series going, on NBA TV instead of here? Come on, Kenny.”
“Yeah, that’s different,” his co-panelist Kenny Smith replied. “That is different.”
Shaquille O’Neal could be heard in the background advocating for TNT and NBA TV to trade games. The Nuggets and Clippers were tied 1-1 after two tense finishes, whereas Oklahoma City had beaten Memphis by a combined 70 points through two games.
“Who made that decision?” Barkley said on the air. “They’ve had the two best games by far, and we ain’t gonna be there. Come on, man. … Hey, think about it. We’re gonna show the game where (Memphis) lost by 75 points in two games instead of teams that went overtime and a barn-burner.
“Whoever made that decision is just stupid.”
The choice to prioritize Oklahoma City was the league’s, according to sources familiar with how the schedule is planned. The Thunder won 68 regular-season games with a record-setting point differential, setting the stage for what is widely anticipated to be a deep playoff run. Game 3 between the Nuggets and Clippers had already been assigned an NBA TV broadcast before their series started — and before OKC’s first-round opponent was known.
Games 4 and 5 between Denver and Los Angeles are set for national broadcasts on TNT, in addition to Altitude’s local coverage.
Altitude and the cable giant Comcast reached a new carriage agreement in February, ending a bitter contract dispute that caused local blackouts of Nuggets and Avalanche games dating back to September 2019. Altitude+ was introduced late in the standoff to provide another way to access games. The monthly subscription cost is $19.95.
When the Nuggets’ 2023 first-round series against Minnesota included games on NBA TV, KSE worked in conjunction with the league to lift the standard NBA TV local blackouts.
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Originally Published: April 24, 2025 at 1:54 PM MDT
