ESPN makes change to upcoming NBA Sunday Showcase game

ESPN has made a switch to its upcoming NBA Sunday Showcase game that featured the Dallas Mavericks facing the Philadelphia 76ers on March 16.

According to Ronce Rajan of ESPN Press Room, ABC will now show the Orlando Magic visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers at 1 p.m ET.

The game between Cleveland and Orlando is a rematch of last season's first-round playoff series. The Cavaliers won in a thrilling seven-game series. 

As for the switch, Dallas and Philadelphia have gone through a lot of turmoil throughout the season and the game no longer has the shine it once had. Dallas traded superstar forward Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in arguably the most shocking trade in NBA history in February. 

The Mavericks received Anthony Davis in return, but the 2020 NBA champion suffered an abductor strain injury shortly after and has been sidelined since. 

Furthermore, Mavericks star point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL on Monday that will cause him to miss the remainder of the season. At this point, the Mavericks have little hope to contend in the Western Conference without Davis or Irving in the lineup. 

The 76ers have endured ample injuries to its roster as well. Firstly, rookie guard Jared McCain suffered a torn meniscus in December after being a frontrunner in the Rookie of the Year race. Secondly, forward Paul George hasn't exactly played to the expectations of his four-year, $212M contract he signed in free agency. This season, George is averaging just 16.2 points (lowest since 2014) and shooting 43% from the field (lowest since 2017). 

Lastly, Joel Embiid has been shutdown for the remainder of the season due to his lingering knee issues. Embiid participated in just 19 out of a possible 61 games the 76ers have played this season. 

If the Mavericks and 76ers were healthy, this matchup would garner substantial interest for ABC's showcase. However, the red-hot Cavaliers and the upstart Magic is a better matchup at this point in time.