NBA playoffs: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights
The 2023-24 NBA regular season is complete and the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs is almost here. Expect plenty of drama after a memorable regular season.
The Boston Celtics clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in March and have homecourt advantage through the entire postseason as they look to return to the Finals for the first time since 2022 and hang an NBA championship banner for the first time since 2008. They’ll await the results of the play-in tournament to know their first-round opponent, as will the No. 2 seed New York Knicks.
In the West, the defending champion Denver Nuggets are the 2-seed, behind the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and are looking to win the team’s first NBA championship since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008.
After the play-in tournament, the 16-team NBA playoffs will begin with four games on Saturday and four more on Sunday. Eight teams from each conference will reach the first round and face off in a best-of-7 series to advance. All four rounds of the NBA playoffs are best-of-7, and teams are not reseeded after each round. The team with the better regular-season record in each series will have homecourt advantage for that series. All series are played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the team with the better record hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 (if necessary).
We’ll have complete coverage of the NBA playoffs all the way through the 2024 NBA Finals, which tip off on June 6 on ABC and the ESPN app.
MORE: Play-in tournament coverage | Previewing all 20 postseason teams | What eliminated teams need to do this summer?
EASTERN CONFERENCE
TBD
Game 1: Sunday, April 21; play-in winner at Boston
Game 2: Play-in winner at Boston
Game 3: Boston at play-in winner
Game 4: Boston at play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Boston
Game 6 (if necessary): Boston at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Boston
TBD
Game 1: Saturday, April 20; play-in winner at New York (6 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN app)
Game 2: Play-in winner at New York
Game 3: New York at play-in winner
Game 4: New York at play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Play-in winner at New York
Game 6 (if necessary): New York at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Play-in winner at New York
Game 1: Sunday, April 21; Indiana at Milwaukee
Game 2: Indiana at Milwaukee
Game 3: Milwaukee at Indiana
Game 4: Milwaukee at Indiana
Game 5 (if necessary): Indiana at Milwaukee
Game 6 (if necessary): Milwaukee at Indiana
Game 7 (if necessary): Indiana at Milwaukee
Game 1: Saturday, April 20; Orlando at Cleveland (1 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN app)
Game 2: Orlando at Cleveland
Game 3: Cleveland at Orlando
Game 4: Cleveland at Orlando
Game 5 (if necessary): Orlando at Cleveland
Game 6 (if necessary): Cleveland at Orlando
Game 7 (if necessary): Orlando at Cleveland
WESTERN CONFERENCE
TBD
Game 1: Sunday, April 21; play-in winner at Oklahoma City
Game 2: Play-in winner at Oklahoma City
Game 3: Oklahoma City at play-in Winner
Game 4: Oklahoma City at play-in Winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Oklahoma City
Game 6 (if necessary): Oklahoma City at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Oklahoma City
Game 1: Saturday, April 20; Los Angeles at Denver (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN app)
Game 2: Los Angeles at Denver
Game 3: Denver at Los Angeles
Game 4: Denver at Los Angeles
Game 5 (if necessary): Los Angeles at Denver
Game 6 (if necessary): Denver at Los Angeles
Game 7 (if necessary): Los Angeles at Denver
Game 1: Saturday, April 20; Phoenix at Minnesota (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN app)
Game 2: Phoenix at Minnesota
Game 3: Minnesota at Phoenix
Game 4: Minnesota at Phoenix
Game 5 (if necessary): Phoenix at Minnesota
Game 6 (if necessary): Phoenix vs. Minnesota
Game 7 (if necessary): Phoenix at Minnesota
Game 1: Sunday, April 21; Dallas at LA Clippers
Game 2: Dallas at LA Clippers
Game 3: LA Clippers at Dallas
Game 4: LA Clippers at Dallas
Game 5 (if necessary): Dallas at LA Clippers
Game 6 (if necessary): LA Clippers at Dallas
Game 7 (if necessary): Dallas at LA Clippers
