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USA Today
20-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Space City Home Network to offer local playoff broadcasts for Rockets-Warriors series
Space City Home Network to offer local playoff broadcasts for Rockets-Warriors series For fans wanting a local call, Houston's Space City Home Network (SCHN) will broadcast Rockets-Warriors playoff games for most of the first round. SCHN will also have pregame and postgame coverage. In the 2025 NBA playoffs, every game will be broadcast to a nationwide audience by one of the league's national television partners. But for first-round series, with the lone exception of ABC exclusives, games can also be broadcast by each team's regional sports network (RSN). For the Rockets, that's Space City Home Network (SCHN), which the organization jointly runs with Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. SCHN is available on distribution platforms including DirecTV, Xfinity, AT&T U-verse, and fuboTV (free trial). So, in the case of Sunday night's Game 1 between the Rockets and Golden State Warriors, fans have the option of watching either the national feed on TNT or the local feed on SCHN. The SCHN broadcast will have the team's usual announcers during the regular season — Craig Ackerman as play-by-play, Ryan Hollins as analyst, and Vanessa Richardson as sideline reporter — on the call. For Hollins and Richardson, who joined the Rockets' broadcast team in late 2021 and 2022, respectively, it will be their first time calling live playoff action. 'Craig, Ryan, and I couldn't be more thrilled to be broadcasting playoff games,' Richardson told Rockets Wire. 'I have so much respect for national media, but I think Houston sports fans will enjoy the option of watching the first-round games with their local broadcasters.' Of the first four games of the best-of-seven series, only Game 3 is an ABC exclusive. That means SCHN will carry Game 1, Game 2, and Game 4. The broadcast networks and tipoff times for Game 5 and beyond (schedule) have yet to be determined, since those games are not yet necessary. As part of its coverage, SCHN will also have its usual pregame and postgame shows featuring former Rockets as analysts — most notably, Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy and native Houstonian Gerald Green. These pregame and postgame shows can run immediately before and after every game, including ABC exclusives. For example, even though SCHN can't broadcast Saturday's Game 3, the network does have a live postgame show scheduled for that night. Those shows will include live reaction, analysis, and interviews with players and coaches from the Rockets. 'I'm passionate about sharing the incredible things this franchise is doing, as someone who is fortunate to be around this team daily,' said Richardson, who also attends every practice and shootaround while collecting exclusive content and one-on-one interviews for use on future broadcasts and social media. All NBA playoff games in the second round and beyond are national TV exclusives, though SCHN —should the Rockets advance — would still have the right to air pregame and/or postgame content. In that round, the winner of the Western Conference series between the No. 2 Rockets (52-30) and No. 7 Warriors (48-34) will face the winner of the series featuring the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers and No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves. In 2026 and beyond, under the NBA's new agreement with its national TV partners, every playoff game — first round included — will be a national exclusive. Thus, the 2025 playoff run is the last under the current structure. But for fans of the Rockets, it does provide a few more opportunities to see and hear the familiar voices of their own broadcast crew during a memorable 2024-25 season. Tipoff of Game 1 and Game 2 is at 8:30 p.m. Central on Sunday and Wednesday nights, respectively, with both games available to watch on SCHN. Since Houston had the superior regular-season record and holds home-court advantage in the series, both will be played inside the team's home arena of Toyota Center. SCHN's most recent playoff broadcast was Game 7 of Houston's 2020 first-round series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, which the Rockets won to advance to the second round. Prior to 2025, that was the last year the Rockets qualified for the NBA playoffs. More: By the numbers: Key head-to-head statistics for Rockets, Warriors in 2024-25 season
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Grizzlies vs. Warriors predictions: Picks, odds for Tuesday NBA play-in tournament game
Grizzlies vs. Warriors predictions: Picks, odds for Tuesday NBA play-in tournament game The Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors meet again in the NBA postseason with a spot in the playoffs on the line. Here are predictions, picks and odds for the play-in tournament game: Show Caption Hide Caption Harden, Lillard, or SGA — who deserves their first ring? The For The Hoops crew breaks down the ringless NBA players they most want to see win a championship. The Golden State Warriors meet the Memphis Grizzlies yet again in the NBA postseason. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green had to defeat the Grit and Grind Grizzlies en route to their first NBA championship with Golden State in 2015, and then they had to get past Ja Morant's Grizzlies to win their most recent NBA championship in 2022. On Tuesday, the rivalry resumes once more with a play-in tournament game to determine the Western Conference's No. 7 seed in the 2025 playoffs. The winner will face the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in a first-round series. The loser will host a play-in tournament to determine the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference bracket against the loser of Wednesday's play-in tournament game between the No. 9 seed Sacramento Kings and No. 10 seed Dallas Mavericks. Though Golden State lost its final regular-season game to the Los Angeles Clippers with a chance to avoid the play-in tournament, it's the favorite after compiling one of the Western Conference's best records (22-8) since acquiring Jimmy Butler via trade in February. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, slid from as high as second in the Western Conference standings after the trade deadline and eventually fired coach Taylor Jenkins about three weeks ago. The Warriors won three of the four regular-season matchups, including a 134-125 win in Memphis on April 1 with Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo. Curry scored 52 points in the game, which is also when Morant's on-court celebrations first caught the attention of the NBA. But the Grizzlies do have a little history on their side. They beat the Warriors on the road in the first NBA play-in tournament in 2021 behind Morant's 35 points and kept Golden State out of the playoffs. Experts are weighing in on who will win and emerge as the winner this time when the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies clash at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Here's a look at the odds, notable predictions and picks, and how to watch Tuesday's NBA play-in tournament game: ANALYSIS: Think all 82 NBA games don't matter? Just ask the Warriors. Grizzlies vs. Warriors predictions: Play-In Tournament picks USA TODAY: Most experts take the Warriors USA TODAY NBA team leans toward Golden State winning as NBA reporters Jeff Zillgitt and James Williams, as well as USA TODAY NBA editor Heather Tucker, picked the Warriors to beat the Grizzlies. USA TODAY's Jordan Mendoza, however, picked Memphis to upset Golden State on the road to earn the No. 7 seed and face the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in a Western Conference first-round series. Sportsbook Wire: Warriors 118, Grizzlies 114 "The Warriors have been favored on the moneyline 55 total times this season. They've finished 37-18 in those games. ... This season, the Grizzlies have been the underdog 30 times and won nine, or 30%, of those games." Sporting News: Warriors 124, Grizzlies 115 "Golden State will run circles around the Grizzlies, who have already lost nine of their past 14 games. One of those games was a 134-125 loss to the Warriors (April 1). Look for the (Warriors) to set the pace early, make things difficult for Ja and JJJ, and take advantage of slow and inexperienced rookie Zach Edey." The Oklahoman: Warriors 115, Grizzlies 110 "Memphis ranks first in the NBA in drives per game (59.5). And while one might think that'd present a problem for Golden State, which is undersized, the team excels at protecting the rim. The Warriors only surrender an average of 45.7 points in the paint per game, which is the second-lowest average in the league. Golden State should hold its own defensively, and the veteran duo of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler will provide enough offense to get the win at home." ESPN: Warriors have 62.4% chance to win The Golden State Warriors have a 62.4% chance to beat the Memphis Grizzlies in their play-in game on Tuesday, April 15, according to ESPN's matchup predictor. Draftkings Network: Warriors should win, but Grizzlies cover "The deciding factor is probably which version of Morant takes the floor, but Jaren Jackson Jr. has taken a leap as a scorer this season and can carry the load at times, too. The Warriors should win, but if the Grizzlies' offense plays to their strengths, this Play-In Tournament matchup has the makings of a competitive affair with some sneaky upset appeal." Grizzlies vs. Warriors odds BetMGM odds as of Monday, April 14 Spread : Golden State (-6.5) : Golden State (-6.5) Moneyline : Golden State (-300); Memphis (+240) : Golden State (-300); Memphis (+240) Over/under: 228.5 How to watch Grizzlies vs. Warriors: TV channel, live streaming for NBA play-in tournament Date : Tuesday, April 15 : Tuesday, April 15 Time : 10 p.m. ET : 10 p.m. ET Location : Chase Center (San Francisco) : Chase Center (San Francisco) TV : TNT : TNT Streaming: Max, Sling TV Watch Grizzlies vs. Warriors with Sling TV
