When the NBA Finals Game 4 falls on a Friday the 13th, something is bound to go off the rails. You’d expect chaos on the court—a hard foul, a ref meltdown, or maybe another bench-clearing near-brawl. But nope. What did we get instead? A straight-up broadcast glitch that had fans everywhere asking the same thing: “Did we just get cursed?”

During the first quarter of what’s been a thrilling series between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN’s feed suddenly cut out. And just before the broadcast flickered back to life—bam!—an eerie “Friday the 13th” graphic flashed on screen. Just for a second. Long enough to freak everyone out. And then, just like that, it vanished into thin air. You could almost hear the collective What just happened? across living rooms nationwide.

Even weirder? It didn’t happen just once. The glitch popped up twice in the first quarter alone. And considering how tightly contested these NBA Finals have been, fans weren’t exactly thrilled about missing any of the action. Did you miss it? Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. Look here.

Now, let’s talk basketball. Unlike the ESPN feed, this series has been very live. At halftime, the Pacers led 60–57 in Game 4, continuing their strong Finals push thanks to Pascal Siakam’s 14 points and a strong bench presence. Tyrese Haliburton was controlling tempo, Obi Toppin added key rebounds, and T.J. McConnell kept the Thunder guessing.

On the other side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 12 points, though OKC’s 3-point shooting had completely fallen off a cliff—1-of-10 from deep, which might as well have been a “brick wall challenge.” Jalen Williams was aggressive driving in, putting up 16 first-half points, and Alex Caruso played like a one-man glue stick, scoring 11 and keeping the defense honest.

Still, the bigger conversation wasn’t the halftime box score. It was the broadcast. Because when your NBA Finals experience is being interrupted by what feels like a haunted PowerPoint slide, it’s hard not to spiral a little.

Fan Reactions – And No, You’re Not Going Crazy

“Anyone else see the weird Friday 13th flash during the @NBA finals game at the 4:40 mark? I’m watching a @TSN_Sports feed here in Canada and this pops up like subliminal message 😂” Honestly? Glitches on ESPN/ABC coverage aren’t exactly new. Just last game, we saw CGI trophy graphics glitch out mid-play. What’s a little Jason Voorhees imagery to spice things up?  Feels less like sabotage, more like ESPN’s graphics team working overtime… and losing.

“Have we been hacked? Live NBA Finals broadcast just glitched and had a Friday the 13th blip?”  Despite the creepy timing, there’s been no official word from ESPN or the NBA. No signs of a hack—just more weird tech hiccups on a night already rich with superstition.  It’s a bug, not a breach. But the coincidence had fans reaching for their sage sticks.

“What the heck did we just see? Someone hacked the signal? NBA FINALS.” Look, the “Friday the 13th” flash hit all the right buttons—pop culture panic, spooky date, random feed disruption. But there’s no deeper meaning here. Fans are just making meme magic out of broadcast madness. Can’t blame ’em.

“Did anyone else just see the glitch on @abc just now during the #NBAFinals2025 game that flashed Friday the 13th?! Not cool.” And this is where it gets real—because this isn’t the first ESPN issue. Game 3 featured muted commentary, greyed-out screens, and digital overlays that looked like PS2 graphics.  When you’re tuning into the NBA Finals—the crown jewel of basketball—you want NBA 2K25, not NBA Glitch Edition.

Let’s be clear: fans aren’t mad that something funny happened. They’re mad it happened during the NBA Finals—the one time of year the broadcast has to be flawless. A single game can change legacies, decide rings, and spark off-season drama that lasts months. You can’t afford to miss 15 seconds, let alone two separate glitch-outs that look like a horror movie promo.

For what it’s worth, ESPN’s stream stabilized after the chaos and the game carried on without further paranormal activity. But the damage was done. Fans now have receipts, memes, and a healthy dose of side-eye reserved for every future Finals broadcast that dares mess with their screen.

If the NBA wants to keep its Finals image crisp, maybe it’s time to fix the feed—and save the horror for whatever the Knicks are planning this offseason.