NBA Playoff Schedule 2014: Round 1 TV Coverage and Final Bracket
The 2014 NBA playoffs feature four runaway favorites to capture the Larry O'Brien Trophy. This top-heavy dynamic may lead to predictable matchups as the postseason progresses, but the other challengers featured in the first round will seek to establish themselves as legitimate contenders.
Indiana may have won the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed, but the Pacers have to be considered second-best until they can topple the Miami Heat.
En route to winning the past two NBA titles, Miami has beaten the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder—the West's top two seeds, respectively. Both will be seeking to get back to the big stage as they navigate through difficult, deep competition in their conference.
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Here is a look at the TV coverage for Round 1, along with analysis of what lies immediately ahead and what to expect from the final bracket.
Note: For complete bracket, visit ESPN.com.
| (6) Brooklyn at (3) Toronto | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| (6) Golden State at (3) LA Clippers | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| (8) Atlanta at (1) Indiana | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| (7) Memphis at (2) Oklahoma City | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| (8) Dallas at (1) San Antonio | 1 p.m. | TNT |
| (7) Charlotte at (2) Miami | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| (5) Washington at (4) Chicago | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| (5) Portland at (4) Houston | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| (7) Memphis at (2) Oklahoma City | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| (6) Golden State at (3) LA Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| (8) Atlanta at (1) Indiana | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| (6) Brooklyn at (3) Toronto | 8 p.m. | NBATV |
| (5) Washington at (4) Chicago | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| (7) Charlotte at (2) Miami | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| (8) Dallas at (1) San Antonio | 8 p.m. | NBATV |
| (5) Portland at (4) Houston | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| (1) Indiana at (8) Atlanta | 7 p.m. | NBATV |
| (2) Oklahoma City at (7) Memphis | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| (3) LA Clippers at (6) Golden State | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| (3) Toronto at (6) Brooklyn | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| (4) Chicago at (5) Washington | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| (4) Houston at (5) Portland | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| (1) Indiana at (8) Atlanta | 2 p.m. | TNT |
| (1) San Antonio at (8) Dallas | 4:30 p.m. | TNT |
| (2) Miami at (7) Charlotte | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| (2) Oklahoma City at (7) Memphis | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| (4) Chicago at (5) Washington | 1 p.m. | ABC |
| (3) LA Clippers at (6) Golden State | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| (3) Toronto at (6) Brooklyn | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| (4) Houston at (5) Portland | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| (2) Miami at (7) Charlotte | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| (8) Atlanta at (1) Indiana | 8 p.m. | NBATV |
| (1) San Antonio at (8) Dallas | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| (5) Washington at (4) Chicago | TBD | TBD |
| (7) Memphis at (2) Oklahoma City | TBD | TBD |
| (6) Golden State at (3) LA Clippers | TBD | TBD |
| (7) Charlotte at (2) Miami | TBD | TBD |
| (6) Brooklyn at (3) Toronto | TBD | TBD |
| (5) Portland at (4) Houston | TBD | TBD |
| (8) Dallas at (1) San Antonio | TBD | TBD |
| (1) Indiana at (8) Atlanta | TBD | TBD |
| (4) Chicago at (5) Washington | TBD | TBD |
| (2) Oklahoma City at (7) Memphis | TBD | TBD |
| (3) LA Clippers at (6) Golden State | TBD | TBD |
| (2) Miami at (7) Charlotte | TBD | TBD |
| (3) Toronto at (6) Brooklyn | TBD | TBD |
| (1) San Antonio at (8) Dallas | TBD | TBD |
| (4) Houston at (5) Portland | TBD | TBD |
| 8) Atlanta at (1) Indiana | TBD | TBD |
| (5) Washington at (4) Chicago | TBD | TBD |
| (7) Memphis at (2) Oklahoma City | TBD | TBD |
| (6) Golden State at (3) LA Clippers | TBD | TBD |
| (6) Brooklyn at (3) Toronto | TBD | TBD |
| (7) Charlotte at (2) Miami | TBD | TBD |
| (8) Dallas at (1) San Antonio | TBD | TBD |
| (5) Portland at (4) Houston | TBD | TBD |
Round 1 Analysis
Pacers Seek to Regain Elite Form
Head coach Frank Vogel has to be concerned with how Indiana closed out the regular season. A sub-.500 record in the last 23 games isn't a good look entering a first-round matchup with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Pacers went just 2-2 versus Atlanta this season, so it's no guarantee that the Hawks will be pushover. A balanced, well-executed offense ranked Atlanta second in the league behind only the Spurs in assists per game.
Jeff Teague is among the most underrated point guards in the Association, and should give the Hawks an edge at that position. Paul Millsap is going to help offset the impact David West makes for Indiana, too.
Without Al Horford on the floor, Millsap has been forced to rotate over to Hibbert—and has had great success—per the Hawks' official Twitter account:
That leaves it up to young stars Paul George and Hibbert to pick up the slack and ensure the Pacers get back on track. Even with the players denying destructive schisms within the locker room, BasketballInsiders.com's Alex Kennedy isn't necessarily buying it:
This series is viewed as a walkover of sorts, but Indiana could find itself in trouble if it takes Atlanta too lightly. Could tensions boil over if the team struggles early, or is heading back to Indianapolis tied 2-2?
Whoever awaits the Pacers in the conference semifinals—whether it be Chicago or Washington—either will offer an even tougher test. Indiana must make sure it's ready for the next stage.
Upset Special: Brooklyn Nets (6) over Toronto Raptors (3)
Toward the beginning of the 2013-14 campaign, Brooklyn got off to a nightmare start and looked like one of the NBA's worst teams.
And none of the players seemed to buy in to what Jason Kidd was preaching.
The first-year head coach was patient amid an adverse adjustment period, handled a slew of superstar egos and got his Nets to play with heart. A vast improvement in the second half of the season has gotten Brooklyn into the playoffs, even without All-Star center Brook Lopez.
Make no mistake, though, there are no excuses for the Nets. They are geared up to win now with a veteran lineup, led by longtime Boston Celtic Paul Pierce.
In losing the regular-season finale in Cleveland, Pierce and Co. avoided facing the Bulls in Round 1 and are instead slated to face Toronto—one of the surprise stories of the year.
Excellent all-around play at the point from Kyle Lowry—who averaged 17.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.5 steals per contest—and DeMar DeRozan's continual ascent to stardom (22.7 PPG) have helped the Raptors to climb the East hierarchy.
Nets forward Andrei Kirilenko praised both of them in his comments before the series, per the New York Post's Tim Bontemps:
"I think one of the keys to their success is Kyle Lowry. He’s really blossomed this year really organizing their team, and DeRozan is playing at an unbelievable level this season. Those guys are going to be the main threats, but they’re very well-supported.
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Toronto can't be slept on, as it also has a strong defense like the Nets do but has a big advantage on the glass.
This should be an excellent series, but this veteran Brooklyn bunch will find a way to pull it out in six games thanks to superior experience.
Series to Watch : Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors
The other three versus six clash in the West is even more compelling. Los Angeles' Chris Paul will go head-to-head against Stephen Curry in what should be a high-scoring, entertaining showcase.
Both squads have underrated depth, but Andrew Bogut's absence for Golden State will be detrimental to its efforts in defending DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin on the inside.
Bogut has a fractured rib, leaving a serious void down low. However, the Warriors managed to be competitive in the semifinals last year against San Antonio without a key frontcourt staple in David Lee.
Dealing with that adversity will bode well for Golden State, yet it's also worth noting that the Clippers have dealt with plenty of injuries this season as well. Coach Doc Rivers has done a great job adjusting on the fly and tweaking his rotation to keep LA near the top of the standings.
Among the first-round series, this seems most destined to go the full seven games. The Clippers will have home-court advantage—along with the pressure of advancing to avoid a second straight disappointing one-and-done exit from the postseason.
Curry, his backcourt mate Klay Thompson and this Golden State nucleus need to take a big step to keep the culture positive. Beating LA and setting up a likely battle with Oklahoma City would go a long way in doing that. Among the lower seeds, the Warriors have the most explosiveness, ability to thrive on the jump shot and play enough defense to advance all the way to the conference finals.
That would set up a potential rematch with San Antonio, whose consistency is the envy of everyone in the Western Conference and something both Golden State and the Clippers would love to imitate.
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