NBA fans can get excited because an exciting five-game slate is scheduled for Christmas Day. The night will begin with a matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, followed by a night game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets.
One game featuring plenty of star power is the matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors. The game will air on ABC and ESPN, but who will be calling this matchup? Let’s find out what we know.
Who Is Calling the Mavericks vs. Warriors Game on Christmas Day?
ESPN put out a press release on Tuesday detailing the broadcast teams for each game.
For the Mavericks-Warriors matchup, veteran Dave Pasch will handle play-by-play, while former head coach P.J. Carlesimo handles analyst duties, and Malika Andrews handles sideline duties.
Pasch works NBA, college football, and college basketball games for ESPN. He also serves as the radio play-by-play voice of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. The veteran analyst has typically been on one of ESPN’s top NBA crews.
Carlesimo, meanwhile, was a respected coach at both the college and NBA ranks. The coach took Seton Hall to the Final Four in 1989 and then won three NBA Championships as an assistant coach under Greg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs.
Carlesimo is typically part of the network’s top radio broadcast team, so the move to TV is unique. Andrews is handling sideline duties, but generally is ESPN’s studio host for basketball coverage.
The game is set to tip off from the Chase Center in San Francisco on Christmas Day at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Mavericks-Warriors Should Be an Exciting Showdown
This Christmas Day showdown will be the first matchup between the Mavericks and Warriors this season. The Mavericks enter with an 11-19 record while the Warriors are sitting at 15-15.
Of course, much of the story around the Mavericks has been the play of talented rookie Cooper Flagg. After being the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg has averaged 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists so far in his debut season.
The Mavericks have also seen star big man Anthony Davis return to form after missing most of November. The veteran, who was acquired in the infamous Luka Doncic trade, is averaging 21.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game.
For the Warriors, it’s been an up-and-down season as they try to compete again while Steph Curry continues to play at an elite level. The future Hall of Famer is averaging 28.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists so far in this season.
