NBA Playoff Schedule 2013: When to Watch Best Matchups in Conference Semis

The 2013 NBA playoffs certainly weren't short on drama, excitement, clutch shots or stunning results in Game 1 of the conference semifinals, and it's set the tone for a must-watch round of action.

Anyone who had expected Miami, San Antonio and Oklahoma City to simply cruise through their respective second-round series were proven wrong as teams like Chicago and Golden State pushed their more-fancied opponents all the way in Game 1.

All four conference semifinals are shaping as truly fascinating series indeed, and you simply can't afford to miss a moment of action from any game this year. So read on for a full playoff schedule, as well some of the best matchups to watch out for as well.

2013 NBA Playoffs: Full Schedule for Conference Semis

Details provided via SportsMediaWatch; TBA (to be announced)

Miami Heat [1] vs. Chicago Bulls [5]

Game	Matchup	Date	Time
1	Bulls at Heat	Monday, May 6	7:00 p.m.
2	Bulls at Heat	Wednesday, May 8	7:00 p.m.
3	Heat at Bulls	Friday, May 10	8:00 p.m.
4	Heat at Bulls	Monday, May 13	7:00 p.m.
5*	Bulls at Heat	Wednesday, May 15	TBA
6*	Heat at Bulls	Friday, May 17	8:00 p.m.
7*	Bulls at Heat	Sunday, May 19	TBA

New York Knicks [2] vs. Indiana Pacers [3]

Game	Matchup	Date	Time
1	Pacers at Knicks	Sunday, May 5	3:30 p.m.
2	Pacers at Knicks	Tuesday, May 7	7:00 p.m.
3	Knicks at Pacers	Saturday, May 11	8:15 p.m.
4	Knicks at Pacers	Tuesday, May 14	TBA
5*	Pacers at Knicks	Thursday, May 16	8:00 p.m.
6*	Knicks at Pacers	Saturday, May 18	TBA
7*	Pacers at Knicks	Monday, May 20	8:00 p.m.

Oklahoma City Thunder [1] vs. Memphis Grizzlies [5]

Game	Matchup	Date	Time
1	Grizzlies at Thunder	Sunday, May 5	1:00 p.m.
2	Grizzlies at Thunder	Tuesday, May 7	9:30 p.m.
3	Thunder at Grizzlies	Saturday, May 11	5:00 p.m.
4	Thunder at Grizzlies	Monday, May 13	9:30 p.m.
5*	Grizzlies at Thunder	Wednesday, May 15	TBA
6*	Thunder at Grizzlies	Friday, May 17	10:30 p.m.
7*	Grizzlies at Thunder	Sunday, May 19	TBA

San Antonio Spurs [2] vs. Golden State Warriors [6]

Game	Matchup	Date	Time
1	Warriors at Spurs	Monday, May 6	9:30 p.m.
2	Warriors at Spurs	Wednesday, May 8	9:30 p.m.
3	Spurs at Warriors	Friday, May 10	10:30 p.m.
4	Spurs at Warriors	Sunday, May 12	3:30 p.m.
5*	Warriors at Spurs	Tuesday, May 14	9:30 p.m.
6*	Spurs at Warriors	Friday, May 17	TBA
7*	Warriors at Spurs	Sunday, May 19	TBA

* denotes if required.

2013 NBA Playoffs: Best Matchups to Watch for in Conference Semis

Memphis' Gritty Defense vs. Kevin Durant

After dropping the first two games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis roared back to take a 4-2 series win in their first-round matchup, with their gritty inside defense a hallmark of that comeback.

However, they face a huge test in the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant, who is one of the best pure scorers in basketball. Now that Russell Westbrook is out, the league's second-leading scorer will likely see plenty of looks here and is more than capable of chalking up some big scores.

In Game 1, Durant scored 35 points and a go-ahead jumper with 11 seconds remaining to cap off a thrilling double-digit comeback by the Thunder at home.

For the Grizzlies to win this series, they're going to need to get bodies on Durant and force other players to step up and score. They showed in the opening game that they have the defense required to stop the Thunder as a team; now they need to show they can do it on an individual level as they work against Durant. 

Banged-Up Bulls vs. Miami's Big Three

Miami was expected to romp in against Chicago (given a 13-point spread), but it was the Bulls who chalked up an incredible victory on the road in Miami.

Without Derrick Rose and Luol Deng, the banged-up Bulls used their great defense and a big game from Nate Robinson and Joakim Noah to stun the Heat—running away with the game in the fourth quarter to chalk up a phenomenal 93-86 victory.

Granted, Miami did have a long rest before that given their quick series against Milwaukee; but even still, this was a poor all-around performance from the Heat. LeBron James had a quiet night by his standards (which was still not that far from a triple-double) whilst Dwyane Wade struggled to leave a positive impression on the floor. 

The win has many dreaming of a potential upset, where the banged-up Bulls take down the Heat's incredible Big Three, who have been unstoppable all season.

Given that Chicago are one of the few teams to boast a winning record against the Heat this season, we may well be in for one spectacular second-round series.

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