NBA Playoffs 2015: Game Times, TV Schedule and Predictions for Sunday Matchups
After a great first day of action, the NBA playoffs continue Sunday with a slate of four games. Here is where you can catch all the drama and excitement that come with the NBA playoffs.
| Matchup | Game | Time (ET) | TV | |
| (7) Boston Celtics at (2) Cleveland Cavaliers | Game 1 | 3 p.m. | ABC | |
| (8) Brooklyn Nets at (1) Atlanta Hawks | Game 1 | 5:30 p.m. | TNT | |
| (4) Portland Trail Blazers at (5) Memphis Grizzlies | Game 1 | 8 p.m. | TNT | |
| (6) San Antonio Spurs at (3) Los Angeles Clippers | Game 1 | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
Now that we've ushered you to the proper channel at the right time, let's make some predictions regarding these games.
Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers
The moment Cleveland Cavaliers fans have been waiting for since The Decision 2.0 has finally arrived.
LeBron James and the Cavs will begin their quest for an NBA championship after locking down the No. 2 seed in the East. In their way is a young Boston Celtics team that is hoping to make a splash with the basketball world watching.
The C's went 24-12 down the stretch, as ESPN's Bill Simmons pointed out on Twitter. Boston enters the postseason with tremendous confidence under head coach Brad Stevens.
But Cleveland closed the season with a 22-8 record of its own to solidify the second spot in the East. The Cavs are also playing at home and boast the two best players in the series in James and Kyrie Irving. The Celtics will hang around into the fourth quarter, but too much LeBron-driven emotion sees the Cavs win comfortably in the end.
Cleveland 100, Boston 88
Brooklyn Nets at Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks soared through a magical 2014-15 season, winning a franchise record 60 games and finishing as the top seed in the East.
Atlanta did sputter down the stretch due to injuries to Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, Dennis Schroder and Thabo Sefolosha. But Millsap, Korver and Schroder appear to be healthy entering Game 1, which will give the Hawks a much-needed boost.
The Nets needed a win and an Indiana Pacers loss on the final night of the season to qualify for the postseason. At 38-44, Brooklyn is the worst team in the entire field despite a solid season from Brook Lopez.
The Hawks swept the Nets in the regular season, winning by a margin of 17.2 points in those four contests. That includes a 32-point demolition on April 4. Don't expect another blowout, but Atlanta shouldn't have too many issues in this one.
Atlanta 105, Brooklyn 91
Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies
We move over to the Western Conference for the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup between the Trail Blazers and the Grizzlies.
Memphis could have jumped as high as two or fallen as low as six on the season's final day in the wild, wild West, but it gets home-court advantage despite being the No. 5 seed. The Grizzlies swept the Blazers 4-0 during the regular season.
It will be Portland's eighth-ranked offense against Memphis' fourth-ranked defense in a classic strength vs. strength tussle. The Blazers have already lost Wesley Matthews for the season, and Arron Afflalo is unlikely to suit up this series. Damian Lillard will need to play well in order for the Blazers to steal Game 1 on the road.
But Portland finished the season with a losing record as the visiting squad, and Memphis torments opponents in the Grind House. The Grizzles will in fact grind out an important victory to start the series.
Memphis 92, Portland 85
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers
Arguably the most anticipated first-round matchup is the final game of the weekend, as the defending champion San Antonio Spurs head to Los Angeles for Game 1 against the Clippers. The season series was split 2-2 as L.A. took the final two games in the regular season.
The Clippers bring the No. 1-rated offense in the NBA into the series, led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich may result to "Hack-a-Jordan" to slow down L.A.'s vaunted attack, as DeAndre Jordan shot less than 40 percent from the free-throw line this season.
Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News alluded to that potential strategy on Twitter:
The Spurs will go as far as Kawhi Leonard takes them, as he'll be instrumental on both ends of the floor. He'll start in Game 1 by making life tough for Paul and the L.A. offense.
San Antonio 101, Los Angeles 97
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