Hawks fans won’t hear local voices in first round of playoffs against Knicks

The NBA has shifted to national crews for its postseason broadcasts.

The FanDuel Sports TV broadcast crew for the Hawks includes Bob Rathbun (from left), Madison Hock and Dominique Wilkins. The NBA’s newest broadcast rights deal moves postseason games exclusively to its national broadcast partners. (Courtesy of FanDuel Sports Network)

By Lauren Williams

2 hours ago

Hawks fans have heard the voices of Hall of Famers Bob Rathbun and Dominique Wilkins for the final time this season.

The play-by-play announcer and analyst, as well as Matt Winer and Brian Oliver, signed off for the last time when the Hawks’ regular season concluded in Miami. Now, the NBA shifts to national crews for its postseason broadcasts. Sideline reporter and analyst Madison Hock provided commentary at the team’s home games and missed the regular-season finale on the road.

Viewers planning to tune in to watch the opener of the Hawks-Knicks series Saturday will need Amazon Prime.

Not everyone has welcomed the move of the first round to national broadcasts. Knicks play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, who also works national broadcasts on ESPN, criticized the move.

“I mentioned this earlier this season. I think personally … it’s a poor decision,” Breen said in a broadcast conversation with Knicks color commentator and NBA legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier. “Fans want to hear their home team announcers, at least in the first round.

“For so many of us, they become part of the family. I get it. The networks pay a fortune for exclusivity, and I work for one of the networks, but fans deserve to be thrown a bone once in a while in terms of letting the home team have a little bit of the first round.”

The NBA’s newest broadcast rights deal moves postseason games exclusively to its national broadcast partners. Over the first two rounds, ESPN/ABC will broadcast approximately 18 games, NBA/Peacock will carry approximately 28 games and Prime will carry about one-third of the games.

Hawks fans can still catch a familiar voice in Steve Holman, who will call the games for flagship station 92.9 FM.