NBA Playoff Schedule 2017: Updated Bracket Guide and Postseason Dates
Little has caught fans off guard to start the 2017 NBA playoffs.
Even the surprises aren't really registering as such for those who pay close attention. The Chicago Bulls beating the Boston Celtics seems routine given the way the latter inherited a top seed. The Milwaukee Bucks taking down the Toronto Raptors makes sense given how Toronto collapses when it matters. Even the Utah Jazz beating the Los Angeles Clippers is right on cue, given the upward trajectory of the former and the usual disappointment of the latter.
That isn't to suggest the proceedings can't get interesting in a hurry. Those series have legs as entertainment value goes, at least compared to the San Antonio Spurs embarrassing the Memphis Grizzlies.
As the postseason carries on, let's pause for a moment and look at known bracket information.
NBA Playoff Schedule Guide
| Tuesday, April 18 | 7 p.m. | Milwaukee at Toronto | 2 | NBA TV |
| Tuesday, April 18 | 8 p.m. | Chicago at Boston | 2 | TNT |
| Tuesday, April 18 | 10:30 p.m. | Utah at L.A. Clippers | 2 | TNT |
| Wednesday, April 19 | 7 p.m. | Atlanta at Washington | 2 | NBA TV |
| Wednesday, April 19 | 8 p.m. | Oklahoma City at Houston | 2 | TNT |
| Wednesday, April 19 | 10:30 p.m. | Portland at Golden State | 2 | TNT |
| Thursday, April 20 | 7 p.m. | Cleveland at Indiana | 3 | TNT |
| Thursday, April 20 | 8 p.m. | Toronto at Milwaukee | 3 | NBA TV |
| Thursday, April 20 | 9:30 p.m. | San Antonio at Memphis | 3 | TNT |
| Friday, April 21 | 7 p.m. | Boston at Chicago | 3 | ESPN |
| Friday, April 21 | 9:30 p.m. | Houston at Oklahoma City | 3 | ESPN |
| Friday, April 21 | 10 p.m. | L.A. Clippers at Utah | 3 | ESPN2 |
| Saturday, April 22 | 3 p.m. | Toronto at Milwaukee | 4 | TNT |
| Saturday, April 22 | 5:30 p.m. | Washington at Atlanta | 3 | TNT |
| Saturday, April 22 | 8 p.m. | San Antonio at Memphis | 4 | ESPN |
| Saturday, April 22 | 10:30 p.m. | Golden State at Portland | 3 | ESPN |
| Sunday, April 23 | 1 p.m. | Cleveland at Indiana | 4 | ABC |
| Sunday, April 23 | 3:30 p.m. | Houston at Oklahoma City | 4 | ABC |
| Sunday, April 23 | 6:30 p.m. | Boston at Chicago | 4 | TNT |
| Sunday, April 23 | 9 p.m. | L.A. Clippers at Utah | 4 | TNT |
| Monday, April 24 | 8 p.m. | Washington at Atlanta | 4 | TNT |
| Monday, April 24 | 10:30 p.m. | Golden State at Portland | 4 | TNT |
| Conference Quarterfinals | Saturday, April 15 |
| Conference Semifinals | Monday, May 1 |
| Conference Finals | Tuesday, May 16 (possible move to Sunday, May 14 or Monday, May 15) |
| NBA Finals | Thursday, June 1 |
Note: Games 5-7 in Round 1 TBD.
Tuesday Preview
Bucks vs. Raptors
The Raptors never stood a chance in Game 1.
Even at home, the usual playoff Raptors showed up. Kyle Lowry only scored four points and DeMar DeRozan posted 27, yet only hit on 7-of-21 shooting. This is par for the Raptors, a team running archaic basketball routinely exposed in the playoffs by the right matchups.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the right matchup.
The Greek Freak, 6'11" and 222 pounds with the skills of a point guard, dropped 28 points while using his freakish length and athleticism to glide past the stagnant Raptors.
The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor hit a bull's eye:
It's in no way an exaggeration—if fans want to see a 22-year-old kid take down a team of veteran playoff stars, now is the time. Nobody in Toronto can guard him, which opens things up for the floor-spacing offense that saw five other players score double digits in Game 1 and has even breathed life into Greg Monroe off the bench.
Tuesday should show a Raptors team desperate for a win at home putting up a better fight. But the Raptors aren't constructed to handle this fast, smaller attack and joins the rest of the league in an inability to slow Antetokounmpo. Whether the home team or individual wins out doesn't matter—fans will win.
Bulls vs. Celtics
The Cleveland Cavaliers eased off the gas in the Eastern Conference and let Boston have the top seed.
Arrogant. But also a sign the Cavaliers aren't too worried about the bracket or the Celtics outright, which makes sense given the 3-1 advantage Cleveland holds in their season series this year.
Boston's dumbfounding lack of scoring around star point guard Isaiah Thomas showed up in a big way in Game 1, a 106-102 victory for the Bulls in hostile territory. Thomas scored 33, yet Al Horford needed 13 shots to score 19 and Avery Bradley 13 to score 14. Horford, though never known for his rebounding skills at 6'10" (8.7 per game for his career), grabbed only seven while the Bulls won the battle on the glass, 53-36.
Teams aren't winning playoff games while getting bullied on the glass in such a manner.
Unlike say, Paul George with the Indiana Pacers, Jimmy Butler has plenty of help in Chicago. He dropped 30 points in Game 1, yet Bobby Portis got 19 off the bench. As ESPN Stats & Info noted, Butler went bonkers in the final frame:
"Jimmy Butler:15 points in the 4th quarter; this is the most he's ever scored in a single quarter in the playoffs
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 17, 2017"
Call it business as usual for Butler, whose epic late-season tear propelled the Bulls to a playoff berth in the first place. What should scare those dedicated to the Celtics, though, is the fact the Bulls still have proven playoff stars like Dwyane Wade who can erupt at any moment—they just didn't have a reason to when Portis morphed into Chris Bosh for a game.
Like Toronto, Boston will likely come out with more energy looking to avoid getting swept at home, which would all but wrap the series. It should make for a classic, provided the players around Thomas show up.
Normally credited with one of the league's best rebuilds, president Danny Ainge and the Celtics now flirt with going down at the hands of an eighth seed—expect a sense of desperation, Game 2 or not.
Jazz vs. Clippers
Many likely figured the Jazz stood a good chance against the Clippers, a sentiment that reversed course when star center Rudy Gobert went down with an injury in Game 1.
Gobert, a rising star who averaged 14.0 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, didn't register a full minute and doesn't have a scheduled return date.
Yet the Jazz still won.
Sounds crazy, yet fans could've predicted this. The Jazz cruised to 51 wins this year yet rarely had the full crew together. Gordon Hayward missed time and played in 73 games. Ditto for George Hill, who played in 49. If the three had been on the floor together all year, they might have pushed the Spurs for the second seed.
So no, the Jazz getting 19 from Hayward and 21 off the bench from Joe Johnson (and the game-winning shot) in a 97-95 win wasn't a surprise.
"We felt and knew that a lot of people probably were counting us out when he went down, but man, we stuck together," Johnson said, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).
This would spotlight the Clippers more, but there isn't much new to say about Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan. They're a great team, but the trio's failing to meet expectations isn't new or shocking, and one couldn't help but feel this was a passing-of-the-torch series if the Clippers weren't careful.
Despite all the above, this series is far from over. The Clippers are the veteran team facing an opponent down one of its best players. But Game 2 should be just as close—and entertaining. Both franchises risk major offseason overhauls if they suffer a Round 1 exit, so there's quite a bit at stake.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
