The NBA postseason has arrived. Two months of postseason basketball got started on Tuesday night with the opening games of the Play-In Tournament, and the playoffs will keep going through the NBA Finals in June. Most playoff seeds were determined on Sunday in a hectic day to close the regular season, but the Play-In Tournament is setting the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in both conferences. Here’s a look at the complete playoff picture.
In the East, the 76ers came from behind to beat the Heat on Wednesday night to get the No. 7 seed and a first-round meeting with the Knicks. In the nightcap, the Bulls ended the Hawks’ season, advancing in the Play-In Tournament to face Miami for the No. 8 seed on Friday.
The Lakers and Kings were victorious in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night. The Lakers grabbed the West’s No. 7 seed in the process, and the Kings ousted the Warriors. It will be Kings vs. Pelicans on Friday night to determine the West’s No. 8 seed.
The six first-round series set in stone right now are Nuggets-Lakers, Timberwolves-Suns, Clippers-Mavericks, Bucks-Pacers, Cavaliers-Magic and Knicks-76ers. The NBA recently unveiled dates for every first-round game, including game times and TV/streaming info for the first four games of every series.
Below is the up-to-date 2024 NBA playoffs schedule.
All NBA playoff games airing on ABC, ESPN and NBA TV will be streaming on fubo (try for free).
Play-In Tournament schedule, scores
(All times Eastern)
Tuesday, April 16
No. 8 Lakers 110, No. 7 Pelicans 106
No. 9 Kings 118, No. 10 Warriors 94
Wednesday, April 17
No. 7 76ers 105, No. 8 Knicks 104
No. 9 Bulls 131, No. 10 Hawks 116
Friday, April 19
Heat vs. Bulls, 7 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Pelicans vs. Kings, 9:30 p.m., TNT
2024 NBA playoffs schedule: First round
(All times Eastern)
Saturday, April 20
Game 1: Cavaliers vs. Magic, 1 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 1: Timberwolves vs. Suns, 3:30, ESPN/fubo
Game 1: Knicks vs. 76ers, 6 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 1: Nuggets vs. Lakers, 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
Sunday, April 21
Game 1: Celtics vs. East No. 8, 1 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 1: Clippers vs. Mavericks, 3:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 1: Bucks vs. Pacers, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 1: Thunder vs. West No. 8, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Monday, April 22
Game 2: Cavaliers vs. Magic, 7 p.m., NBA TV/fubo
Game 2: Knicks vs. 76ers, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Game 2: Nuggets vs. Lakers, 10 p.m., TNT
Tuesday, April 23
Game 2: Timberwolves vs. Suns, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Game 2: Bucks vs. Pacers, 8:30 p.m., NBA TV/fubo
Game 2: Clippers vs. Mavericks, 10 p.m., TNT
Wednesday, April 24
Game 2: Celtics vs. East No. 8, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 2: Thunder vs. West No. 8, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Thursday, April 25
Game 3: Magic vs. Cavaliers, 7 p.m., NBA TV/fubo
Game 3: 76ers vs. Knicks, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3: Lakers vs. Nuggets, 10 p.m., TNT
Friday, April 26
Game 3: Pacers vs. Bucks, 5:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 3: Mavericks vs. Clippers, 8 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 3: Suns vs. Timberwolves, 10:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Saturday, April 27
Game 4: Magic vs. Cavaliers, 1 p.m., TNT
Game 3: West No. 8 vs. Thunder, 3:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3: East No. 8 vs. Celtics, 6 p.m., TNT
Game 4: Lakers vs. Nuggets, 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
Sunday, April 28
Game 4: Knicks vs. 76ers, 1 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 4: Mavericks vs. Clippers, 3:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 4: Pacers vs. Bucks, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 4: Suns vs. Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Monday, April 29
Game 4: East No. 8 vs. Celtics, TBD
Game 4: West No. 8 vs. Thunder, TBD
Game 5*: Nuggets vs. Lakers, TBD
Tuesday, April 30
Game 5*: Knicks vs. 76ers, TBD
Game 5*: Bucks vs. Pacers, TBD
Game 5*: Cavaliers vs. Magic, TBD
Game 5*: Timberwolves vs. Suns, TBD
Wednesday, May 1
Game 5*: Celtics vs. East No. 8, TBD
Game 5*: Thunder vs. West No. 8, TBD
Game 5*: Clippers vs. Mavericks, TBD
Thursday, May 2
Game 6*: 76ers vs. Knicks, TBD
Game 6*: Pacers vs. Bucks, TBD
Game 6*: Suns vs. Timberwolves, TBD
Game 6*: Lakers vs. Nuggets, TBD
Friday, May 3
Game 6*: East No. 8 vs. Celtics, TBD
Game 6*: Magic vs. Cavaliers, TTBD
Game 6*: Mavericks vs. Clippers, TBD
Game 6*: West No. 8 vs. Thunder, TBD
Saturday, May 4
Game 7*: Knicks vs. 76ers, TBD
Game 7*: Bucks vs. Pacers, TBD
Game 7*: Timberwolves vs. Suns, TBD
Game 7*: Nuggets vs. Lakers, TBD
Sunday, May 5
Game 7*: Celtics vs. East No. 8, TBD
Game 7*: Cavaliers vs. Magic, TBD
Game 7*: West No. 8 vs. Thunder, TBD
Game 7*: Clippers vs. Mavericks, TBD
2024 NBA playoff dates
- April 20-21: Start of first round
- May 4-7: Start of second round
- May 19-22: Start of Conference Finals
- June 6: NBA Finals Game 1
- June 23: NBA Finals Game 7 (if necessary)
