NBA Playoff Schedule 2015: Known Game Times and Dates for Postseason Coverage
The NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy comes into focus with the regular season in the books.
A distant big cousin to March Madness, things can be pretty cut and dry in what many like to call the league's second season. Round 1 series can go the full seven games, but more often than not the better seed will, in time, advance.
The above doesn't mean it cannot be one heck of an entertaining ride, though. Last year, five Round 1 contests went the full seven games, including classics in the Western Conference, a part of the bracket where once again seed means little.
Below, let's look at how to catch all the opening-round action.
2015 NBA Playoff Matchups
| (1) Atlanta Hawks vs. (8) Brooklyn Nets | Atlanta Hawks |
| (4) Toronto Raptors vs. (5) Washington Wizards | Washington Wizards |
| (3) Chicago Bulls vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks | Chicago Bulls |
| (2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Boston Celtics | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| (1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans | Golden State Warriors |
| (4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies | Memphis Grizzlies |
| (3) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (6) San Antonio Spurs | San Antonio Spurs |
| (2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks | Houston Rockets |
2015 NBA Playoff Schedule
| Sat., April 18 | Raptors | Wizards | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sat., April 18 | Warriors | Pelicans | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Sat., April 18 | Bulls | Bucks | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sat., April 18 | Rockets | Mavericks | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sun., April 19 | Cavaliers | Celtics | 3 p.m. | ABC |
| Sun., April 19 | Hawks | Nets | 5:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Sun., April 19 | Grizzlies | Blazers | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Sun., April 19 | Clippers | Spurs | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Mon., April 20 | Bulls | Bucks | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Mon., April 20 | Warriors | Pelicans | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Tue., April 21 | Cavaliers | Celtics | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| Tue., April 21 | Raptors | Wizards | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Tue., April 21 | Rockets | Mavericks | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Wed., April 22 | Hawks | Nets | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Wed., April 22 | Grizzlies | Blazers | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Wed., April 22 | Clippers | Spurs | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Thur., April 23 | Celtics | Cavaliers | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| Thur., April 23 | Bucks | Bulls | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Thur., April 23 | Pelicans | Warriors | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Fri., April 24 | Mavericks | Rockets | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Fri., April 24 | Wizards | Raptors | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Fri., April 24 | Spurs | Clippers | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sat., April 25 | Nets | Hawks | 3 p.m. | TNT |
| Sat., April 25 | Bucks | Bulls | 5:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Sat., April 25 | Pelicans | Warriors | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sat., April 25 | Blazers | Grizzlies | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sun., April 26 | Celtics | Cavaliers | 1 p.m. | ABC |
| Sun., April 26 | Spurs | Clippers | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Sun., April 26 | Wizards | Raptors | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| Sun., April 26 | Mavericks | Rockets | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Mon., April 27 | Bulls | Bucks | TBD | TNT or NBA TV |
| Mon., April 27 | Nets | Hawks | TBD | NBA TV |
| Mon., April 27 | Blazers | Grizzlies | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
Intriguing Matchups
No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks
Throw seed out of the window and the fact the Houston Rockets won three of four this year against the Dallas Mavericks—this Western Conference clash is as unpredictable as it gets.
Look at the frontcourt battle alone, where Dwight Howard will clash with Tyson Chandler. Terrence Jones and Josh Smith will look to score well against the duo of Dirk Nowitzki and Amar'e Stoudemire.
Then, of course, look in the backcourt, where James Harden will square off with Monta Ellis and Rajon Rondo.
Perhaps the biggest X-factor in the matchup is former Rockets star Chandler Parsons, even if Dallas coach Rick Carlisle has already made it very clear the focus shouldn't be there, as captured by Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com:
Parsons has been in and out of the lineup with an injury as of late, but he deserves some of the spotlight thanks to his ability to create matchup nightmares. He's averaging 15.7 points and shooting 38.0 percent from deep with a 16.37 player efficiency rating, per ESPN.com—numbers making him perhaps the most dangerous weapon on the court in a grind-it-out series.
Over the course of a seven-game series, though, star power will win out.
Were this past years, it would be easy to talk about how Harden put on a show in the regular season but will collapse in the playoffs. Not anymore—Harden's a new player, a deserving MVP candidate who averages 27.4 points, 7.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds with a 26.76 PER, per ESPN.com.
Harden has shown time and again he can pick the Rockets up, place them on his back and win a game. In the waning moments of critical contests, betting against Harden this year is downright silly.
Prediction: Houston in seven.
No. 4 Toronto Raptors No. 5 Washington Wizards
Call this Eastern Conference bout both unpredictable and a bit of a chess match.
The Toronto Raptors love to spread teams out and attack with Kyle Lowry and others, but it's an approach perhaps not so fit against the duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal.
Wall, of course, leads the Wizards in scoring at 17.6 points per game, with Beal close behind at 15.3. Washington's X-factor is the veteran Paul Pierce, who isn't so far behind at 11.9 despite averaging just 26.2 minutes per game.
Toronto knows all about the veteran Pierce, whose Brooklyn Nets ousted the Raptors from the playoffs last postseason. Pierce recently offered some controversial thoughts on the Raptors.
"We haven't done particularly well against Toronto, but I don't feel they have the 'It' that makes you worried,'' Pierce said, per ESPN.com's Jackie MacMullan. "There isn't a team I look at in the Eastern Conference that makes me say, 'They are intimidating, we don't have a chance.'"
Controversial or not, the Raptors don't match up well with the Wizards. If Wall and Beal aren't producing at a steady clip the team can slow things down and kick inside to Marcin Gortat and Nene Hilario, a plodding style perhaps capable of taking the Raptors well out of rhythm.
While it may be a fight for the right to encounter a buzz saw such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, this matchup promises intrigue and down-to-the-wire performances. Look for the overmatched Raptors to succumb in the finale.
Prediction: Washington in seven.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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