Mike Monaco and Doris Burke call the San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns game on ESPN 2

The NBA Pre-Season competition begins its season on Saturday, 11 October 2026, with the headline matchup of San Antonio Spurs against the Phoenix Suns. Players tuning in for the game can catch it on ESPN 2, which is running the United States feed, alongside ESPN Unlimited for those who want a wider window on the action.

The broadcast is fronted by Mike Monaco as the main commentator, with Doris Burke providing play-by-play support and Vanessa Richardson taking the role of reporter through the game. The match is scheduled to open in UK terms around 03:30 on the morning of the competition.

The commentators

Mike Monaco has been a fixture across ESPN's and ABC's sports coverage for years, called to games in everything from the NHL to Major League Baseball. He has a long history of calling games from early on, having called games for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League back in 2013 and 2014. Before that, he called basketball games for the Western Michigan Broncos while at Notre Dame, and in 2017 he interned with the Pawtucket Red Sox as a radio broadcaster ahead of his current assignments across ESPN and ABC.

Doris Burke is the American sports announcer and analyst who has worked across NBA on ESPN, NBA on ABC, College Basketball on ESPN, and College Basketball on ABC. She previously called games as an analyst for WNBA competitions and has been involved with New York Knicks games, where she was the first female commentator to call a game on radio and television. Her involvement with the NBA on ABC line-up has run continuously since 2017.

Vanessa Richardson takes the reporter's role for this game, tracking the competition from the sideline as players make their moves.

Where to watch

The game streams live on ESPN 2 and ESPN Unlimited, giving American and British viewers alike a chance to follow the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns as they go head to head. With Mike Monaco and Doris Burke calling the action and Vanessa Richardson reporting from the side, this is a well-stocked broadcast for anyone wanting full coverage of the matchup.

For background on the team calling this game, the roster of NBA on ABC commentators is available to review at List of NBA on ABC commentators.

Article generated: 11 October 2026, 03:30 GMT