NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (2024)

  • ESPN

Apr 17, 2024, 01:45 AM ET

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?

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (1)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (2)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (3) TBD

Boston Celtics (1) vs. TBD (8)

Game 1: Sunday at Boston, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Wednesday April 24 at Boston, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Saturday April 27 at play-in winner, 6 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Monday April 29 at play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday May 1 at Boston
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday May 3 at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday May 5 at Boston

  • Holiday lands contract extension ahead of playoffs

  • Celtics set NBA record with 0 FT in loss to Bucks

  • Pelton's regular-season grades: Celtics get an A

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (4)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (5)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (6)

New York Knicks (2) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (7)

Game 1: at New York (6 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Game 2: at New York, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Thursday April 25 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Sunday April 28 at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday April 30 at New York
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday May 2 at Philadelphia
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday May 4 at New York (TNT)

  • Knicks clinch 2-seed on season's final day

  • Randle's season ends due to shoulder injury

  • How OG Anunoby turbocharged the Knicks' offense

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (7)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (8)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (9)

Milwaukee Bucks (3) vs. Indiana Pacers (6)

Game 1: Sunday at Milwaukee, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: Tuesday at Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Game 3: Friday April 26 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 4: Sunday April 28 at Indiana, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday April 30 at Milwaukee
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday May 2 at Indiana
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday May 4 at Milwaukee (TNT)

  • Lillard back in limited practice as Bucks' G1 nears

  • Sources: Bucks preparing to be without Giannis to start playoffs

  • Bucks look to put emotions aside vs. familiar foe

  • Pacers avoid play-in on season's final day

  • Game balls, Dame Time taunts and the budding Bucks-Pacers beef

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (10)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (11)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (12)

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Orlando Magic (5)

Game 1: Saturday at Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 2: Monday at Cleveland, 7 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Game 3: Thursday April 25 at Orlando, 7 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Game 4: Saturday April 27 at Orlando, 1 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday April 30 at Cleveland
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday May 3 at Orlando
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday May 5 at Cleveland

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (13)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (14)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (15) TBD

Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. TBD

Game 1: Sunday at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: Wednesday April 24 at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Saturday April 27 at play-in winner, 3:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Monday April 29 at play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday May 1 at Oklahoma City
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday May 3 at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday May 5 at Oklahoma City

  • Thunder clinch 1-seed, keep 'eyes on the prize'

  • Daigneault wins NBCA Coach of the Year honors

  • Inside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's improbable rise

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (16)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (17)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (18)

Denver Nuggets (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)

Game 1: Saturday at Denver, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Monday at Denver, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Thursday April 25 at Los Angeles, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Saturday April 27 at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5 (if necessary): Monday April 29 at Denver
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday May 2 at Los Angeles
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday May 4 at Denver (TNT)

  • LeBron: Lakers' series vs. Nuggets not about past

  • Why Nuggets are a matchup nightmare for Lakers

  • Lakers' Ham slams idea of trying to dodge Nuggets

  • Lakers survive Pels' rally, advance to playoffs

  • How Jokic became the best passer in the NBA

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (19)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (20)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (21)

Minnesota Timberwolves (3) vs. Phoenix Suns (6)

Game 1: Saturday at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 2: Tuesday at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Friday April 26 at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 4: Sunday April 28 at Phoenix, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday April 30 at Minnesota
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday May 2 at Phoenix
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday May 4 at Minnesota

  • Suns' final day win over Wolves sets up playoff rematch

  • Towns makes return ahead of postseason

  • What's next for the sale of the Timberwolves

  • What to make of a topsy-turvy season for the Suns

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (22)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (23)NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (24)

LA Clippers (4) vs. Dallas Mavericks (5)

Game 1: Sunday at Los Angeles, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Tuesday at Los Angeles, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Friday April 26 at Dallas, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 4: Sunday April 28 at Dallas, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday May 1 at Los Angeles
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday May 3 at Dallas
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday May 5 at Los Angeles

NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Carmelo Roob

Last Updated:

Views: 6189

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carmelo Roob

Birthday: 1995-01-09

Address: Apt. 915 481 Sipes Cliff, New Gonzalobury, CO 80176

Phone: +6773780339780

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Gaming, Jogging, Rugby, Video gaming, Handball, Ice skating, Web surfing

Introduction: My name is Carmelo Roob, I am a modern, handsome, delightful, comfortable, attractive, vast, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.