Cleveland and Orlando replace Dallas and Philadelphia on ABC and ESPN’s Sunday matinee on March 16.
The NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers will have yet another game on the national stage. ESPN announced that the Cavs will host Paulo Banchero and the Orlando Magic on Sunday, March 16 as part of ESPN’s NBA Sunday Showcase. The start time has been changed from 6 PM to 1 PM.
Programming Update: ESPN platforms will present an ‘NBA Sunday Showcase on ABC’ matchup between the @OrlandoMagic & the @cavs
Sunday, Mar. 16 | 1p ET | ABC, ESPN+
Details: https://t.co/Rb30ytMSoh pic.twitter.com/RNVMstBpby
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 6, 2025
This game replaces the previously scheduled national game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Philadelphia 76ers. Arguably, two of the three most disappointing teams in the league do not make for quality viewing, it would appear.
The Eastern Conference-leading Cavs have had a few games pushed to national broadcasting. Back in December, the NBA pushed two matchups against the Oklahoma City Thunder to ESPN and TNT. That adjustment came with what seemed like a week of analysis and discussion of the two teams – rare for two small markets. That trend continued in January, as the NBA again flexed two Cavs games – against the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics – to TNT.
Coming into the season, the Cavs only had a total of eight games on either ESPN or TNT. That number has continued to climb given the success they have had this season, a well-deserved nod from the NBA and its media partners. The Cavs, at 52-10, are on pace for one of the best seasons in league history and should be recognized as such. Regardless of market size and star power, putting the best product on the national stage should be a bigger priority.
With the regular season nearing its conclusion, the Cavs are slated to have three more national-televised games: Sunday, March 9 against the Milwaukee Bucks (ESPN), the aforementioned matchup against Orlando on March 16 (ABC, ESPN+), and April 10 against the Indiana Pacers (TNT).