NBA Playoff Scheduling Controversy: Nuggets-Clippers Game 3 Blacked Out
The NBA’s playoff schedule has sparked controversy, with TNT’s on-air talent and fans expressing frustration over the league’s decision to broadcast Game 3 between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers on NBA TV, rather than TNT. According to a report by the Denver Post, the scheduling conflict has left many fans in the Denver area unable to watch the game on traditional television.
The Denver Post reports that TNT will broadcast Game 3 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies in an overlapping window that begins 30 minutes earlier than the Nuggets-Clippers game. Games that air on NBA TV are blacked out in local markets, meaning that the only way to watch Game 3 from the Denver area is via Altitude Sports, the team-owned regional sports network. As quoted in the Denver Post, Kevin Demoff, the Kroenke Sports and Entertainment executive who oversees Altitude, stated, "We understand Nuggets fans frustrations that tonight’s game is not being televised on TNT. 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."
The Denver Post also reported that TNT’s "Inside the NBA" aired a graphic on Wednesday night teasing Thursday’s three-game slate, with analyst Charles Barkley reacting in shock to the scheduling decision. "Are y’all serious right now? Y’all got the Clippers, the best series going, on NBA TV instead of here? Come on, Kenny," he said. His co-panelist Kenny Smith replied, "Yeah, that’s different. That is different." Shaquille O’Neal could be heard in the background advocating for TNT and NBA TV to trade games.
The Denver Post cited multiple sources familiar with how the schedule is planned, stating that the choice to prioritize Oklahoma City vs. Memphis was the league’s, in an effort to increase the team’s national exposure ahead of a potential deep playoff run. The Thunder won 68 regular-season games with a record-setting point differential, making them a desirable matchup for national broadcasts.
Games 4 and 5 between Denver and Los Angeles are set for national broadcasts on TNT, in addition to Altitude’s local coverage. The Denver Post noted that 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, with a monthly subscription cost of $19.95.
In related news, 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 due to the carriage dispute, sources told the Denver Post. As the Denver Post reported, fans can sign up for the Nuggets Insider to get all the latest NBA analysis.
The article was originally published on April 24, 2025, at 1:54 PM MDT, according to the Denver Post.
