2021 NBA Playoffs: Sixers' First-Round Schedule is Set
Soon, the Philadelphia 76ers will return to the court to partake in their next game. This past Sunday, the Sixers wrapped up the 2020-2021 NBA season with a victory over the Orlando Magic. With that win, they wrapped the season up with a 49-23 record and locked in the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
This week, the NBA started its Play-In tournament, which the Sixers didn't have to participate in. Being that the Play-In tourney only included seeds seven through ten, the Sixers had the luxury of sitting at home and watching it all unfold.
After Thursday night's slate of games, Philly will officially find out who their first-round opponent will be. By now, we know it's a toss-up between the Washington Wizards and the Indiana Pacers. Regardless of who the opponent is, though, the NBA has already released the dates for each game in the first round.
A Look at the Schedule
As mentioned earlier in the week, the Sixers will begin their playoff run on Sunday. According to the NBA, they will play an afternoon game at 1 PM EST. As expected, the Sixers will open the series up at home since they are locked in the top spot.
The rest of the first-round schedule goes as follows...
- GAME 2: Wednesday, May 26, 2021, vs. Pacers/Wizards, 7 PM EST.
- GAME 3: Saturday, May 29, 2021, at Pacers/Wizards, TBD
- GAME 4: Monday, May 31, 2021, at Pacers/Wizards, TBD
- GAME 5: Wednesday, June 2, 2021, vs. Pacers/Wizards, TBD
- GAME 6: Friday, June 4, 2021, at Pacers/Wizards, TBD
- GAME 7: Sunday, June 6, 2021, vs. Pacers/Wizards, TBD
The rest of the Eastern Conference's board is also set. With the Boston Celtics defeating the Wizards on Tuesday night, they landed the seventh seed and will tip off their series against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks will battle with the Miami Heat on Saturday afternoon. Lastly, the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks will battle on Sunday night, a few hours after the Sixers wrap up their Game 1.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.
