NBA Playoff Schedule 2015: Available Game Times and Dates for Round 1 Matchups
There are few things more entertaining in sports than playoff basketball—especially this season.
Name your favorite NBA superstar—he's probably in the playoffs. Anthony Davis. Stephen Curry. James Harden. LeBron James. The list goes on and on.
Individual stars can make or break a team's playoff run, so their performances in each respective first-round series is crucial. The guys who step up are the guys who will likely lead their teams to Round 2 and beyond.
Below is everything we know about how to watch Round 1 of the 2015 NBA playoffs, as well as a preview of the one series you shouldn't miss a single minute of.
| No. 1 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 8 Brooklyn Nets | ||||
| 1 | Sun., April 19 | Atlanta | 5:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 2 | Wed., April 22 | Atlanta | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| 3 | Sat., April 25 | Brooklyn | 3 p.m. | TNT |
| 4 | Mon., April 27 | Brooklyn | TBD | TBD |
| 5 (if necessary) | Wed., April 29 | Atlanta | TBD | TBD |
| 6 (if necessary) | Fri., May 1 | Brooklyn | TBD | TBD |
| 7 (if necessary) | Sun., May 3 | Atlanta | TBD | TBD |
| No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 7 Boston Celtics | ||||
| 1 | Sun., April 19 | Cleveland | 3 p.m. | ABC |
| 2 | Tues., April 21 | Cleveland | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| 3 | Thurs., April 23 | Boston | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| 4 | Sun., April 26 | Boston | 1 p.m. | ABC |
| 5 (if necessary) | Tues., April 28 | Cleveland | TBD | TBD |
| 6 (if necessary) | Thurs., April 30 | Boston | TBD | TBD |
| 7 (if necessary) | Sat., May 2 | Cleveland | TBD | TNT |
| No. 3 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 6 Milwaukee Bucks | ||||
| 1 | Sat., April 18 | Chicago | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| 2 | Mon., April 20 | Chicago | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| 3 | Thurs., April 23 | Milwaukee | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| 4 | Sat., April 25 | Milwaukee | 5:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 5 (if necessary) | Mon., April 27 | Chicago | TBD | TBD |
| 6 (if necessary) | Thurs., April 30 | Milwaukee | TBD | TBD |
| 7 (if necessary) | Sat., May 2 | Chicago | TBD | TNT |
| No. 4 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 5 Washington Wizards | ||||
| 1 | Sat., April 18 | Toronto | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 2 | Tues., April 21 | Toronto | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| 3 | Fri., April 24 | Washington | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| 4 | Sun., April 26 | Washington | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| 5 (if necessary) | Wed., April 29 | Toronto | TBD | TBD |
| 6 (if necessary) | Fri., May 1 | Washington | TBD | TBD |
| 7 (if necessary) | Sun., May 3 | Toronto | TBD | TBD |
| No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans | ||||
| 1 | Sat., April 18 | Golden State | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| 2 | Mon., April 20 | Golden State | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 3 | Thurs., April 23 | New Orleans | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 4 | Sat., April 25 | New Orleans | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| 5 (if necessary) | Tues., April 28 | Golden State | TBD | TBD |
| 6 (if necessary) | Fri., May 1 | New Orleans | TBD | TBD |
| 7 (if necessary) | Sun., May 3 | Golden State | TBD | TBD |
| No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks | ||||
| 1 | Sat., April 18 | Houston | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 2 | Tues., April 21 | Houston | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 3 | Fri., April 24 | Dallas | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| 4 | Sun., April 26 | Dallas | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 5 (if necessary) | Tues., April 28 | Houston | TBD | TBD |
| 6 (if necessary) | Thurs., April 30 | Dallas | TBD | TBD |
| 7 (if necessary) | Sat., May 2 | Houston | TBD | TNT |
| No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 6 San Antonio Spurs | ||||
| 1 | Sun., April 19 | Los Angeles | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 2 | Wed., April 22 | Los Angeles | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 3 | Fri., April 24 | San Antonio | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 4 | Sun., April 26 | San Antonio | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| 5 (if necessary) | Tues., April 28 | Los Angeles | TBD | TBD |
| 6 (if necessary) | Thurs., April 30 | San Antonio | TBD | TBD |
| 7 (if necessary) | Sat., May 2 | Los Angeles | TBD | TNT |
| No. 4 Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies | ||||
| 1 | Sun., April 19 | Portland | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| 2 | Wed., April 22 | Portland | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| 3 | Sat., April 25 | Memphis | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 4 | Mon., April 27 | Memphis | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 5 (if necessary) | Wed., April 29 | Portland | TBD | TBD |
| 6 (if necessary) | Fri., May 1 | Memphis | TBD | TBD |
| 7 (if necessary) | Sun., May 3 | Portland | TBD | TBD |
Round 1 Matchup to Watch: Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks
You can choose to watch the Atlanta Hawks dominate the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, or you can better allocate your time to watching what has the potential to turn into an instant classic.
The Houston Rockets overcame injury after injury this season to lock down the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, while the Dallas Mavericks worked past occasional outbursts by Rajon Rondo to secure the No. 7 seed. In stark contrast to the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference (the Boston Celtics), this Mavericks team is dangerous.
Houston mostly dominated the regular-season series, with the Rockets winning three of the four contests and outscoring the Mavericks 402-398.
Naturally, all eyes will be on James Harden during the series. He's an MVP candidate for good reason. The Beard is simply unguardable, as defenders can only hope to at most slow him down. This is where Rondo comes in. The point guard is one of the only players in the NBA who can keep him in check, as SI.com's Rob Mahoney notes:
"Rick Carlisle managed to slow Harden slightly in recent meetings by matching up Rondo against Harden and maintaining a flexible, shifting pick-and-roll coverage to keep the MVP candidate off balance. Per NBA Savant, Harden shot just 4-of-12 from the field when Rondo was the nearest defender. He can’t take everything away from a player so skilled off the dribble, but Rondo is long and gutsy enough to take smart risks and deny open attempts. Couple his coverage with the help of Tyson Chandler and there’s an opportunity to at least make Harden’s work more challenging.
"
If Rondo and Co. can hold Harden to less than the 27.4 points per game he averaged during the regular season, then somebody else must step up for Houston. Considering the way the roster is constructed, that man has to be Corey Brewer.
Sure, Dwight Howard is important down low, but he can't create for himself. This team thrives off perimeter threats either knocking down shots or creating space for big men down low. That's where Howard will find points.
But Brewer must establish himself as a threat early on in Game 1. He was good for 11.9 points per game in 54 games with the Rockets this season, and he quickly became a natural fit in the team's system given his tendency to outrun teams on the fast break.
If he builds confidence with easy points early, then Brewer will be a tough man to stop.
On the other hand, Dallas is relying on the trio of Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki and Ellis to supply all the points. Parsons played only 66 games this season and missed the final six of the regular season. His health is essential. Nowitzki was healthy this season but matched his lowest-ever full-season scoring mark (17.3 points per game). Ellis is a very streaky player who has to get going early to be a player in this series.
There are clearly questions surrounding Dallas' three stars, but when all are clicking, this team is tough to stop. And things appear to be looking good for Parsons in Game 1, tweets ESPNDallas.com's Tim McMahon:
Parsons should be motivated to play well against his former team, and the rest of his teammates will feed off that energy. The Mavericks come into the series as clear underdogs, but the Rockets will eventually have injuries and poor free-throw shooting (just 71.5 percent on the year) catch up to them.
Given the familiarity between these two squads, don't be surprised if we have a seven-game series on our hands. Despite a five-seed difference in the two teams, Houston only won six more games than Dallas. These are evenly matched teams.
Rondo might slow down Harden early in the series. Harden might even have a game or two where he shoots under 40 percent from the field. But the resiliency of the superstar will be what inevitably pushes Houston over the top.
This is the year that he proves to everyone that he's a superstar who can perform in the playoffs.
Prediction: Houston wins in seven
Kenny DeJohn is a Breaking News Team Featured Columnist. Follow him on Twitter.
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