NBA Playoffs 2015: Schedule, Game Times and Predictions for 1st-Round Bracket
The 2015 NBA playoffs got off to a fairly exciting start. There were no buzzer-beaters, but it was good to see the action transition into the second season.
In case you missed the first four games, here are the results and schedule for the remainder of the first round as well as viewing information for each game.
| Sunday, April 19 | (8) Brooklyn Nets at (1) Atlanta Hawks | 5:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Wednesday, April 22 | (8) Brooklyn Nets at (1) Atlanta Hawks | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Saturday, April 25 | (1) Atlanta Hawks at (8) Brooklyn Nets | 3 p.m. | TNT |
| Monday, April 27 | (1) Atlanta Hawks at (8) Brooklyn Nets | TBD | TBD |
| Wednesday, April 29* | (8) Brooklyn Nets at (1) Atlanta Hawks | TBD | TBD |
| Friday, May 1* | (1) Atlanta Hawks at (8) Brooklyn Nets | TBD | TBD |
| Sunday, May 3* | (8) Brooklyn Nets at (1) Atlanta Hawks | TBD | TBD |
| Sunday, April 19 | (7) Boston Celtics at (2) Cleveland Cavaliers | 3 p.m. | ABC |
| Tuesday, April 21 | (7) Boston Celtics at (2) Cleveland Cavaliers | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| Thursday, April 23 | (2) Cleveland Cavaliers at (7) Boston Celtics | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| Sunday, April 26 | (2) Cleveland Cavaliers at (7) Boston Celtics | 1 p.m. | ABC |
| Tuesday, April 28 * | (7) Boston Celtics at (2) Cleveland Cavaliers | TBD | TBD |
| Thursday, April 30 * | (2) Cleveland Cavaliers at (7) Boston Celtics | TBD | TBD |
| Saturday, May 2 * | (7) Boston Celtics at (2) Cleveland Cavaliers | TBD | TNT |
| Saturday, April 18 | (6) Milwaukee Bucks 91, (3) Chicago Bulls 103 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Monday, April 20 | (6) Milwaukee Bucks at (3) Chicago Bulls | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Thursday, April 23 | (3) Chicago Bulls at (6) Milwaukee Bucks | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Saturday, April 25 | (3) Chicago Bulls at (6) Milwaukee Bucks | 5:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Monday, April 27* | (6) Milwaukee Bucks at (3) Chicago Bulls | TBD | TBD |
| Thursday, April 30* | (3) Chicago Bulls at (6) Milwaukee Bucks | TBD | TBD |
| Saturday, May 2* | (6) Milwaukee Bucks at (3) Chicago Bulls | TBD | TNT |
| Saturday, April 18 | (5) Washington Wizards 93 (4) Toronto Raptors 86 | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Tuesday, April 21 | (5) Washington Wizards at (4) Toronto Raptors | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Friday, April 24 | (4) Toronto Raptors at (5) Washington Wizards | 8 p.m. | ESPN 2 |
| Sunday, April 26 | (4) Toronto Raptors at (5) Washington Wizards | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| Wednesday, April 29* | (5) Washington Wizards at (4) Toronto Raptors | TBD | TBD |
| Friday, May 1* | (4) Toronto Raptors at (5) Washington Wizards | TBD | TBD |
| Sunday, May 3* | (5) Washington Wizards at (4) Toronto Raptors | TBD | TBD |
| Saturday, April 18 | (8) New Orleans Pelicans 99 (1) Golden State Warriors 106 | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Monday, April 20 | (8) New Orleans Pelicans at (1) Golden State Warriors | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Thursday, April 23 | (1) Golden State Warriors at (8) New Orleans Pelicans | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Saturday, April 25 | (1) Golden State Warriors at (8) New Orleans Pelicans | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Tuesday, April 28* | (8) New Orleans Pelicans at (1) Golden State Warriors | TBD | TBD |
| Friday, May 1* | (1) Golden State Warriors at (8) New Orleans Pelicans | TBD | TBD |
| Sunday, May 3* | (8) New Orleans Pelicans at (1) Golden State Warriors | TBD | TBD |
| Saturday, April 18 | (7) Dallas Mavericks 108 (2) Houston Rockets 118 | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Tuesday, April 21 | (7) Dallas Mavericks at (2) Houston Rockets | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Friday, April 24 | (2) Houston Rockets at (7) Dallas Mavericks | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sunday, April 26 | (2) Houston Rockets at (7) Dallas Mavericks | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Tuesday, April 28* | (7) Dallas Mavericks at (2) Houston Rockets | TBD | TBD |
| Thursday, April 30* | (2) Houston Rockets at (7) Dallas Mavericks | TBD | TBD |
| Saturday, May 2* | (7) Dallas Mavericks at (2) Houston Rockets | TBD | TNT |
| Sunday, April 19 | (6) San Antonio Spurs at (3) Los Angeles Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Wednesday, April 22 | (6) San Antonio Spurs at (3) Los Angeles Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Friday, April 24 | (3) Los Angeles Clippers at (6) San Antonio Spurs | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sunday, April 26 | (3) Los Angeles Clippers at (6) San Antonio Spurs | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Tuesday, April 28* | (6) San Antonio Spurs at (3) Los Angeles Clippers | TBD | TBD |
| Thursday, April 30* | (3) Los Angeles Clippers at (6) San Antonio Spurs | TBD | TBD |
| Saturday, May 2* | (6) San Antonio Spurs at (3) Los Angeles Clippers | TBD | TNT |
| Sunday, April 19 | (4) Portland Trail Blazers at (5) Memphis Grizzlies | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Wednesday, April 22 | (4) Portland Trail Blazers at (5) Memphis Grizzlies | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Saturday, April 25 | (5) Memphis Grizzlies at (4) Portland Trail Blazers | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Monday, April 27 | (5) Memphis Grizzlies at (4) Portland Trail Blazers | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Wednesday, April 29* | (4) Portland Trail Blazers at (5) Memphis Grizzlies | TBD | TBD |
| Friday, May 1* | (5) Memphis Grizzlies at (4) Portland Trail Blazers | TBD | TBD |
| Sunday, May 3* | (4) Portland Trail Blazers at (5) Memphis Grizzlies | TBD | TBD |
It's partially cheating to make predictions after the playoffs have already gotten underway, but here are my picks for each first-round series.
| (1) Atlanta Hawks vs. (8) Brooklyn Nets | Hawks in five |
| (4) Toronto Raptors vs. (5) Washington Wizards | Wizards in six |
| (2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Boston Celtics | Cavs in four |
| (3) Chicago Bulls vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks | Bulls in five |
| (1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) Washington Wizards | Warriors in five |
| (4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies | Grizzlies in five |
| (2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks | Rockets in five |
| (3) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (6) San Antonio Spurs | Spurs in seven |
Saturday's Standouts
Chicago Bulls fans had to be delighted in what they saw from Derrick Rose on Saturday. In his first playoff game since 2012, the city's pride and joy came through with 23 points and seven assists.
ESPN Stats and Info lauded Rose's shot selection.
More important than the numbers was Rose's energy and approach. He played aggressively, attacked the basket and looked to set up his teammates all game. It was a vintage Rose performance, the likes of which Bulls fans hadn't seen in quite a while from their oft-injured star.
Needless to day, if Rose can continue to produce that type of effort, Chicago should sweep the Milwaukee Bucks.
Speaking of efficiency, Paul Pierce's performance on Saturday had the "e" word written all over it. He scored 20 points on just 10 shots from the field and keyed a third-quarter run that helped push the Washington Wizards to an 18-point lead over the Toronto Raptors.
For whatever reason, Washington got away from Pierce in the fourth quarter and the offense was stagnant. Pierce's job, for as long as Washington is active in the postseason, will be to get the tough buckets that his younger teammates aren't able to get.
On Saturday, he did that and got hot from the field in the process. When you consider John Wall and Bradley Beal shot a combined 11-for-41 from the field and the team still won in overtime on the road, it's clear the Raptors are in for a long series.
It might have been slightly surprising to see what Rose and Pierce did for their teams on Saturday, but there was nothing out of the ordinary about what the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry did.
The MVP candidate scored 34 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished five assists in leading the Warriors to victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The scariest part about Curry's day is that he didn't even shoot the ball especially well. He made just four of his 13 three-point attempts. He also uncharacteristically missed three of seven free throws. With better games likely on the horizon, the Pels might have squandered their best chance to steal a game on the road in this series.
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