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ABC makes big Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals change fans will love
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The post ABC makes big Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals change fans will love appeared first on ClutchPoints .
NBA fans have had a problem with how the championship series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers has been broadcast. The NBA Finals is always a celebrated event that the league puts a lot of effort into making a grand spectacle, yet this year's Finals on ABC seemed to lose its magic touch, with fans saying it doesn't feel like a championship broadcast.
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That is set to change before Game 5 on Monday night, as ABC will air the starting lineup introductions from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City , according to Shams Charania of ESPN. This will mark the first time since 2013 that starting introductions will be broadcast.
However, in recent years, ABC has shown parts of the NBA Finals pregame introductions, specifically the singing of the national anthem with both teams lined up on their respective baselines.
Other fun NBA Finals details that fans have been pleading for the league to bring back include the consistent script Finals logo, as well as the gold outline that ESPN/ABC used to use on their scorebug during the game for the Finals.
Of course, the biggest thing fans have noticed is the fact that there are no decals or mention of the NBA Finals on the court outside of the padding wrapped around each basket stanchion. In the past, the league had different decals that were added to the court to make the NBA Finals stand out.
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Most notably, the league used to have the team logo at the center of a giant Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy at midcourt.
The NBA has not used these on-court decals in years, and commissioner Adam Silver recently discussed why that is during ESPN's NBA Countdown at the Finals.
"I've seen some of the chatter on social media around on-court decals," Silver said. "People don't realize they went away a decade ago… we're back to adding them virtually."
Although this may not be the answer fans were looking for, especially given all the drastic court changes the league makes for the new NBA Cup, Silver was telling the truth about the court graphics being digital for years now.
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While many of the changes fans have been asking for won't be granted, at least ABC is answering part of the call by showing more of the Finals pregame festivities.
The Pacers and Thunder will meet in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Monday night in Oklahoma City. The winner of this game will take a 3-2 series lead before Game 6 in Indianapolis on Thursday.
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