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Full NBA Playoffs First Round Schedule & How to Watch
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The race to the 2025 NBA Finals begins Saturday, when the first round of the postseason tips off with a matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers.
The 2025 NBA playoffs run through Oklahoma City in the Western Conference, and Cleveland in the Eastern Conference, but the reigning champion Boston Celtics will not be counted out.
Here is the full schedule for the first round of the NBA playoffs. Games 5, 6, and 7 of each series is TBD, and dependent if the series goes on that long.
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Miami Heat
Date | Time (EST) | Home Team | Away Team | How to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunday, April 20 | 7 p.m. | Cavaliers | Heat | TNT |
Wednesday, April 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Cavaliers | Heat | NBA TV |
Saturday, April 26 | 1 p.m. | Heat | Cavaliers | TNT |
Monday, April 28 | TBD | Heat | Cavaliers | TBD |
Wednesday, April 30 | TBD | Cavaliers | Heat | TBD |
Friday, May 2 | TBD | Heat | Cavaliers | TBD |
Sunday, May 4 | TBD | Cavaliers | Heat | TBD |
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic
Date | Time (EST) | Home Team | Away Team | How to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunday, April 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Celtics | Magic | ABC |
Wednesday, April 23 | 7 p.m. | Celtics | Magic | TNT |
Friday, April 25 | 7 p.m. | Magic | Celtics | ESPN |
Sunday, April 27 | 7 p.m. | Magic | Celtics | TNT |
Tuesday, April 29 | TBD | Celtics | Magic | TBD |
Thursday, May 1 | TBD | Magic | Celtics | TBD |
Saturday, May 3 | TBD | Celtics | Magic | TBD |
No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons
Date | Time (EST) | Home Team | Away Team | How to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, April 19 | 6 p.m. | Knicks | Pistons | ESPN |
Monday, April 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Knicks | Pistons | TNT |
Thursday, April 24 | TBD | Pistons | Knicks | TNT |
Sunday, April 27 | 1 p.m. | Pistons | Knicks | ABC |
Tuesday, April 29 | TBD | Knicks | Pistons | TBD |
Thursday, May 1 | TBD | Pistons | Knicks | TBD |
Saturday, May 3 | TBD | Knicks | Pistons | TBD |
No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks
Date | Time (EST) | Home Team | Away Team | How to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, April 19 | 1 p.m. | Pacers | Bucks | ESPN |
Tuesday, April 22 | 7 p.m. | Pacers | Bucks | NBA TV |
Friday, April 25 | 8 p.m. | Bucks | Pacers | ESPNU/NBA TV |
Sunday, April 27 | 9:30 p.m. | Bucks | Pacers | TNT |
Tuesday, April 29 | TBD | Pacers | Bucks | TBD |
Friday, May 2 | TBD | Bucks | Pacers | TBD |
Sunday, May 4 | TBD | Pacers | Bucks | TBD |
Western Conference
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies
Date | Time (EST) | Home Team | Away Team | How to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunday, April 20 | 1 p.m. | Thunder | Grizzlies | ABC |
Tuesday, April 22 | 7:30 p.m. | Thunder | Grizzlies | TNT |
Thursday, April 24 | TBD | Grizzlies | Thunder | TNT |
Saturday, April 26 | 3:30 p.m. | Grizzlies | Thunder | TNT |
Monday, April 28 | TBD | Thunder | Grizzlies | TBD |
Thursday, May 1 | TBD | Grizzlies | Thunder | TBD |
Saturday, May 3 | TBD | Thunder | Grizzlies | TBD |
No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors
Date | Time (EST) | Home Team | Away Team | How to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunday, April 20 | 9:30 p.m. | Rockets | Warriors | TNT |
Wednesday, April 23 | 9:30 p.m. | Rockets | Warriors | TNT |
Saturday, April 26 | 8:30 p.m. | Warriors | Rockets | ABC |
Monday, April 28 | 10 p.m. | Warriors | Rockets | TNT |
Wednesday, April 30 | TBD | Rockets | Warriors | TBD |
Friday, May 2 | TBD | Warriors | Rockets | TBD |
Sunday, May 4 | TBD | Rockets | Warriors | TBD |
No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves
Date | Time (EST) | Home Team | Away Team | How to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, April 19 | 8:30 p.m. | Lakers | Timberwolves | ABC |
Tuesday, April 22 | 10 p.m. | Lakers | Timberwolves | TNT |
Friday, April 25 | 9:30 p.m. | Timberwolves | Lakers | ESPN |
Sunday, April 27 | 3:30 p.m. | Timberwolves | Lakers | ABC |
Wednesday, April 30 | TBD | Lakers | Timberwolves | TBD |
Friday, May 2 | TBD | Timberwolves | Lakers | TBD |
Sunday, May 4 | TBD | Lakers | Timberwolves | TBD |
No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers
Date | Time (EST) | Home Team | Away Team | How to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, April 19 | 3:30 p.m. | Nuggets | Clippers | ESPN |
Monday, April 21 | 10 p.m. | Nuggets | Clippers | TNT |
Thursday, April 24 | TBD | Clippers | Nuggets | NBA TV |
Saturday, April 26 | 6 p.m. | Clippers | Nuggets | TNT |
Tuesday, April 29 | TBD | Nuggets | Clippers | TBD |
Thursday, May 1 | TBD | Clippers | Nuggets | TBD |
Saturday, May 3 | TBD | Nuggets | Clippers | TBD |
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Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.