No game on NBA League Pass this season has been viewed as much as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ double-overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, according to a league release.
Granted, that was no doubt because of the Nets and the fact Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden were all in the lineup for the first time together.
It also surely has to do with the fact the game wasn’t on any of the national networks (ESPN, TNT or even NBA TV). Instead, anyone who wanted to see Durant, Irving and Harden together had to do so on NBA League Pass. That is, assuming you didn’t stream illegally.
As an aside, YouTube TV and HuluLive still have not reached an agreement with Sinclair Broadcasting, which owns many of the regional sports networks, including FOX Sports Ohio.
NBA fans have been left scrambling to find ways to watch their favorite teams — particularly Cleveland fans, as the Cavs aren’t exactly a staple on national TV these days.
Either way, fans who were able to tune in had to be happy with what they saw from Cavs guard Collin Sexton, even if a large chunk just wanted to see the Nets.
Sexton poured in 42 points in his return from a five-game absence and the Cavs pulled off the upset. You can read more in my Dribbles column on the game right here.
More from Cleveland
- Cavs shooting guard Damyean Dotson gave an underrated showing in the win over the Nets, scoring 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Dotston was a signing that sort of flew under the radar this offseason. He spent his first three years with the Knicks, and was just sort of there. But he proved to be invaluable in coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s eight-man rotation on Wednesday.
- Dotson recapped the win this way: “Everything that you probably think could happen in a basketball game probably happened (Wednesday) night. Two overtimes, buzzer-beaters, last-minute shots, fouls, reviews that got overturned. It was crazy. That’s just stuff that you dream about.”
- Irving was equally happy to be a part of things. He had not played since Jan. 5. “Two overtimes for my first game back?” he said. “You gotta love NBA ball, though. I was smiling when Collin Sexton was making those shots.”
- Point guard Darius Garland is considered a game-time decision for Friday’s rematch vs. the Nets, also in Cleveland. It’s pretty clear Garland is gaining steam toward a return, having practiced all week. He has not played since Jan. 2, missing eight straight games, because of a strained shoulder.
RELATED | Dribbles: Cavs double the fun in upset win over Nets
