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ESPN/ABC sideline reporter Lisa Salters is returning to the NBA Finals after three games away for a personal leave of absence.
Salters will re-join Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Richard Jefferson for Game 5 in Oklahoma City, ESPN announced Monday morning. Salters had missed Games 2, 3, and 4. Breen revealed during Game 2 that Salters’s mother was dealing with “serious health issues.”
Jorge Sedano, who filled in for Salters in the three games she was away, will return to sideline duties on the ESPN Radio broadcast.
The Thunder and Pacers are tied in the series at two games apiece, guaranteeing that it will go at least six games.
ESPN’s top announce team has been the subject of a lot of news and speculation in The Finals, as The Athletic reported prior to the series that the network is considering swapping in Tim Legler for Burke next season.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle lamented the story, saying before Game 1, “It was so sad to see these reports leaked really unnecessarily before such a celebrated event,” Carlisle said. “Doris is a great example of putting herself out there.”
Jefferson also came to Burke’s back. “Doris, I always call her the godmother of basketball, because she has had to deal with so much bullshit for the past 30 years in this industry,” he said. “She’s one of the best. And so those are the people you’re excited to be teammates with, because they make you better, you make them better. And I think our chemistry is only going to continue to grow.”
