As the Oklahoma City Thunder steamrolled their way to a dominant win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, fans online couldn’t help but point out a peculiar pattern—ESPN’s Doris Burke went noticeably quiet whenever the Thunder were on a scoring run.
While Burke is widely regarded as one of the sharpest minds in basketball commentary, Thunder fans were quick to highlight what they perceived as a lack of enthusiasm or even silence when OKC took control of the game. “There is no better silence than the silence from Doris Burke when the Thunder go on a scoring run,” one fan posted, a sentiment echoed widely across social media.
This comes amid growing scrutiny of Burke’s commentary throughout the playoffs. From calling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a “free throw merchant” to drawing ire for an awkward historical reference involving Rudy Gobert and Isaiah Hartenstein, Burke has been under the fan microscope.
While she continues to break barriers as a leading female voice in NBA broadcasting, these perceived slights have sparked fresh debate about the importance of neutrality in sports coverage, especially during high-stakes games like the WCF.
(This is a building story….)
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