NBA Playoff Schedule 2013: Dates, Game Times and Full Coverage Info

The 2013 NBA playoffs begin shortly, with 16 teams competing through the spring to try to make the NBA Finals and claim the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Of course, the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder are favored to meet in a rematch of last year’s thrilling series, but anything can happen in the postseason.

You aren’t going to want to miss a single minute of the action, which is why we took the time to round up the first-round schedule—including dates, tipoff times and TV stations—for each matchup.

Let’s take a closer look.

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Miami Heat (66-16) vs. No. 8 Milwaukee Bucks (38-44)

Game 1 – Sunday, April 21, Milwaukee at Miami, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 2 – Tuesday, April 23, Milwaukee at Miami, 7:30 p.m., NBATV 
Game 3 – Thursday, April 25, Miami at Milwaukee, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 4 – Sunday, April 28, Miami at Milwaukee, 3:30 p.m., ABC 
Game 5* – Tuesday, April 30, Milwaukee at Miami, TBD
Game 6* – Thursday, May 2, Miami at Milwaukee, TBD
Game 7* – Saturday May 4, Milwaukee at Miami, TBD 

No. 2 New York Knicks (54-28) vs. No. 7 Boston Celtics (41-40)

Game 1 – Saturday, April 20, Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ABC
Game 2 – Tuesday, April 23, Boston at New York, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Friday, April 26, New York at Boston, 8 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Sunday, April 28, New York at Boston, 1 p.m., ABC
Game 5* – Wednesday, May 1, Boston at New York, TBD
Game 6* – Friday, May 3, New York at Boston, TBD
Game 7* – Sunday, May 5, Boston at New York, TBD

No. 3 Indiana Pacers (49-32) vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks (44-38)

Game 1 – Sunday, April 21, Atlanta at Indiana, 1 p.m., TNT
Game 2 – Wednesday, April 24, Atlanta at Indiana, 7:30 p.m., NBATV
Game 3 – Saturday, April 27, Indiana at Atlanta, 7 p.m., ESPN 
Game 4 – Monday, April 29, Indiana at Atlanta, TBD
Game 5* – Wednesday, May 1, Atlanta at Indiana, TBD
Game 6* – Friday, May 3, Indiana at Atlanta, TBD
Game 7* – Sunday, May 5, Atlanta at Indiana, TBD 

No. 4 Brooklyn Nets (49-33) vs. No. 5 Chicago Bulls (45-37)

Game 1 – Saturday, April 20, Chicago at Brooklyn, 8 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 – Monday, April 22, Chicago at Brooklyn, 8 p.m., TNT 
Game 3 – Thursday, April 25, Brooklyn at Chicago, 8:30 p.m., NBATV
Game 4 – Saturday, April 27, Brooklyn at Chicago, 2 p.m., TNT
Game 5* – Monday, April 29, Chicago at Brooklyn, TBD
Game 6* – Thursday, May 2, Brooklyn at Chicago, TBD
Game 7* – Saturday, May 4, Chicago at Brooklyn, TBD

Western Conference

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (60-22) vs. No. 8 Houston Rockets (45-37)

Game 1 – Sunday, April 21, Houston at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 2 – Wednesday, April 24, Houston at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Saturday, April 27, Oklahoma City at Houston, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Monday, April 29, Oklahoma City at Houston, TBD, TNT
Game 5* – Wednesday. May 1, Houston at Oklahoma City, TBD 
Game 6* – Friday, May 3, Oklahoma City at Houston, TBD 
Game 7* – Sunday, May 5, Houston at Oklahoma City, TBD 

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (58-24) vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers (45-37)

Game 1 – Sunday, April 21, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, 3:30 p.m., ABC (Regional)
Game 2 – Wednesday, April 24, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Friday, April 26, San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Sunday, April 28, San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 5* – Tuesday, April 30, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, TBD
Game 6* – Thursday, May 2, San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, TBD
Game 7* – Saturday, May 4, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, TBD 

No. 3 Denver Nuggets (57-25) vs. No. 6 Golden State Warriors (47-35)

Game 1 – Saturday, April 20, Golden State at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 – Tuesday, April 23, Golden State at Denver, 10:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Friday, April 26, Denver at Golden State, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2
Game 4 – Sunday, April 28, Denver at Golden State, 9:30 p.m., TNT 
Game 5* – Tuesday, April 30, Golden State at Denver, TBD
Game 6* – Thursday, May 2, Denver at Golden State, TBD
Game 7* – Saturday, May 4, Golden State at Denver, TBD 

No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers (56-26) vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies (56-26)

Game 1 – Saturday, April 20, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 – Monday, April 22, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Thursday, April 25, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 4 – Saturday, April 27, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Game 5* – Tuesday, April 30, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, TBD
Game 6* – Friday, May 3, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, TBD
Game 7* – Sunday, May 5, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, TBD 

Playoff Prediction

As much as we’d like to believe a long shot like the upstart Knicks or underdog Lakers could come through and make the Finals, it just doesn’t seem likely this year.

The Miami Heat are clearly the best team in the league and it’s going to take a monstrous effort to overcome the defending champions this postseason. Over the course of seven games, no Eastern Conference foe has the talent to compete and win a majority of those contests.

Out West, the Thunder are once again the team to beat—especially with No. 2 San Antonio slumping and losing six of nine games in April. The conference finals will likely go through OKC, and it is hard to picture Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and company faltering prior to the NBA Finals.

Unfortunately for Thunder supporters, with LeBron James playing the best basketball of his career, the result is likely to be similar to last season.

We’re picking the Heat over the Thunder in six games. Miami is going to successfully defend its championship, capping off arguably the greatest season in league history for King James.