The NBA Is Coming Up: What Should You Expect?

Viewers on DStv and GOtv can look forward to thrills and spills from the world’s best basketball league, with ESPN and ESPN 2 the premier venues for coverage of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 2021-22 season will continue through the week of  Friday 22 to Thursday 28 April 2022.

DStv and GOtv are your home of the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. The Playoffs are in full swing, with teams now battling within their Conference (East or West) to try and work their way towards the NBA Finals, which are scheduled to be held in early to mid-June.

One of the teams to watch in the East is the Philadelphia 76ers, who boast one of the league’s best players in Cameroonian Joel Embiid. The 28-year-old center has been sensational for Philadelphia this season, with Sixers coach Doc Rivers saying Embiid’s passing, defense, and leadership are overlooked parts of his well-rounded game. “I know he’s my guy, obviously,” Rivers explained. “He just has done so many things.”

Rivers also credits Embiid for pulling the Sixers through “the Ben Simmons saga” earlier in the season when off-court distractions threatened to derail their campaign: “He was our second-best player at the time and was out, and at the All-Star break when we made the trade, we were a game out of first place in the East,” Rivers said. “There’s a lot to be said about that.”

In the West, the team to watch is the Phoenix Suns, who are looking to go one step further than last year and actually win the NBA Championship (they were ousted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 Finals).

One of their top players is Chris Paul, who has warned Phoenix that they cannot just assume that they will breeze past teams in the early rounds of the Playoffs. “We had spurts where we played pretty well,” said the guard. “I don’t care who’s out there playing, they’ve got an NBA jersey on. I learned in this league a long time ago, to respect whoever it is.”

Another team making headlines recently is the Memphis Grizzlies, who won the Southwest Division title for the first time in their history. “Definitely a big milestone,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “I told the group, a special accomplishment for a special group, but we’ve got more work to do.”

Visit www.dstv.com and www.gotvafrica.com to subscribe or upgrade, and join in on the excitement. And while you’re on the move, you can stream the action on the DStv App.

NBA match broadcast details

All times CAT

Sunday 24 April

19:00: NBA Playoff Game, Teams TBC – LIVE on ESPN 2

21:30: NBA Playoff Game, Teams TBC – LIVE on ESPN 2

Thursday 28 April

01:30: NBA Playoff Game, Teams TBC – LIVE on ESPN 2