NBA Playoff Schedule 2016: Known Dates, TV, Live Stream Coverage for Postseason
Finally, our questions will be answered.
The 2015-16 NBA season brought plenty of excitement that included a record-setting showing from the 73-win Golden State Warriors, but it largely will be remembered by what happens in the postseason. After all, the Warriors will only be the answer to a trivia question instead of an argument for the best team ever if they can’t parlay their 73 regular-season wins into a title.
There are plenty of questions looming over the playoffs. Did the quest for the 73 wins take away too much energy for the Warriors to win a second consecutive title? Will the San Antonio Spurs win Tim Duncan his sixth ring? Will LeBron James give the city of Cleveland the championship it is starving for after leading the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals last season?
All that and more will be answered in the coming months. With that in mind, here is a look at the known NBA playoff schedule and broadcast information. The first-round schedule can be found here at NBA.com, while the rest of the postseason dates can be found here at NBA.com.
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1: Detroit at Cleveland | Sunday, April 17 | 3 p.m. | ABC |
| 2: Detroit at Cleveland | Wednesday, April 20 | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| 3: Cleveland at Detroit | Friday, April 22 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| 4: Cleveland at Detroit | Sunday, April 24 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| *5: Detroit at Cleveland | Tuesday, April 26 | TBD | TBD |
| *6: Cleveland at Detroit | Thursday, April 28 | TBD | TBD |
| *7: Detroit at Cleveland | Saturday, April 30 | TBD | TNT |
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1: Indiana at Toronto | Saturday, April 16 | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 2: Indiana at Toronto | Monday, April 18 | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| 3: Toronto at Indiana | Thursday, April 21 | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| 4: Toronto at Indiana | Saturday, April 23 | 3 p.m. | TNT |
| *5: Indiana at Toronto | Tuesday, April 26 | TBD | TBD |
| *6: Toronto at Indiana | Friday, April 29 | TBD | TBD |
| *7: Indiana at Toronto | Sunday, May 1 | TBD | TBD |
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1: Charlotte at Miami | Sunday, April 17 | 5:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 2: Charlotte at Miami | Wednesday, April 20 | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| 3: Miami at Charlotte | Saturday, April 23 | 5:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 4: Miami at Charlotte | Monday, April 25 | TBD | TBD |
| *5: Charlotte at Miami | Wednesday, April 27 | TBD | TBD |
| *6: Miami at Charlotte | Friday, April 29 | TBD | TBD |
| *7: Charlotte at Miami | Sunday, May 1 | TBD | TBD |
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1: Boston at Atlanta | Saturday, April 16 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| 2: Boston at Atlanta | Tuesday, April 19 | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| 3: Atlanta at Boston | Friday, April 22 | 8 p.m. | ESPN 2 |
| 4: Atlanta at Boston | Sunday, April 24 | 6 p.m. | TNT |
| *5: Boston at Atlanta | Tuesday, April 26 | TBD | TBD |
| *6: Atlanta at Boston | Thursday, April 28 | TBD | TBD |
| *7: Boston at Atlanta | Saturday, April 30 | TBD | TNT |
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1: Houston at Golden State | Saturday, April 16 | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| 2: Houston at Golden State | Monday, April 18 | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 3: Golden State at Houston | Thursday, April 21 | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 4: Golden State at Houston | Sunday, April 24 | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| *5: Houston at Golden State | Wednesday, April 27 | TBD | TBD |
| *6: Golden State at Houston | Friday, April 29 | TBD | TBD |
| *7: Houston at Golden State | Sunday, May 1 | TBD | TBD |
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1: Memphis at San Antonio | Sunday, April 17 | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| 2: Memphis at San Antonio | Tuesday, April 19 | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 3: San Antonio at Memphis | Friday, April 22 | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 4: San Antonio at Memphis | Sunday, April 24 | 1 p.m. | ABC |
| *5: Memphis at San Antonio | Tuesday, April 26 | TBD | TBD |
| *6: San Antonio at Memphis | Thursday, April 28 | TBD | TBD |
| *7: Memphis at San Antonio | Saturday, April 30 | TBD | TNT |
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1: Dallas at Oklahoma City | Saturday, April 16 | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 2: Dallas at Oklahoma City | Monday, April 18 | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| 3: Oklahoma City at Dallas | Thursday, April 21 | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| 4: Oklahoma City at Dallas | Saturday, April 23 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| *5: Dallas at Oklahoma City | Monday, April 25 | TBD | TBD |
| *6: Oklahoma City at Dallas | Thursday, April 28 | TBD | TBD |
| *7: Dallas at Oklahoma City | Saturday, April 30 | TBD | TNT |
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1: Portland at Los Angeles | Sunday, April 17 | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 2: Portlant at Los Angeles | Wednesday, April 20 | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 3: Los Angeles at Portland | Satuday, April 23 | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 4: Los Angeles at Portland | Monday, April 25 | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| *5: Portland at Los Angeles | Wednesday, April 27 | TBD | TBD |
| *6: Los Angeles at Portland | Friday, April 29 | TBD | TBD |
| *7: Portland at Los Angeles | Sunday, May 1 | TBD | TBD |
| May 2 (possible move up to April 30 or May 1) | Conference Semifinals Begin |
| May 17 (possible move up to May 15 or 16) | Conference Finals Begin |
| June 2 | NBA Finals Begin |
*Games on ABC, ESPN and ESPN 2 can be live streamed at WatchESPN. Games on TNT can be live streamed on NBA.com/TNTOvertime, and video from NBA TV can be seen on NBA.com/NBATV.
NBA Finals Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
It may be boring to go chalk and pick the same matchup for the NBA Finals that fans saw last year, but these are the best teams in their respective leagues. The Warriors and Cavaliers will square off for the Larry O’Brien Trophy once again.
As for Cleveland, it still has largely the same core that reached those NBA Finals last season, although Kevin Love is healthy this time after he missed most of last year’s playoffs to injury. That, along with the dynamic duo of James and Kyrie Irving, will be too much for the Eastern Conference to overcome.
James is still one of the best players in the league and averaged 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in 2015-16. It was the 12th consecutive season he posted better than 25 points per night, and his assist and rebounding totals are a testament to the way he impacts the game in so many different areas.
What’s more, James could be extra motivated this time around because he has been largely overshadowed by the Warriors and is no longer widely seen as the face of the league.
Zach Lowe of ESPN.com had a scary realization for the rest of the East in a debate between Kawhi Leonard and James for the runner-up on his MVP ballot:
"LeBron at full throttle is the better player, and perhaps still the best player in the league. Both engineer decent shots from nothing, but only LeBron can steamroll to the rim almost whenever he wants. LeBron resides in another universe as a passer. LeBron can be the fastest all-court defender in the league when he wishes.
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Combine that with Irving’s ability to hit the three when defenders collapse on James and Love’s tendency to start breaks with his outlet passes and connect from deep when given the opportunity, and the Cavaliers are ready for the postseason.
There is no reason to be concerned with the fact they lost three of their final four games, either, especially since James, Irving and Love sat out the season finale. James understands how to flip an extra switch come playoff time, and he will do just that.
It is not all about the Big Three in Cleveland, either. J.R. Smith can light it up from three-point range. Tristan Thompson can control the boards, and Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova are solid perimeter defenders. They will all fit around a playoff-tested James and will be healthier than they were last season when they still won two games over the Warriors in the Finals without Irving and Love.
The Eastern Conference was better this season, but the Cavaliers do not exactly face a loaded path to the NBA Finals. They don’t have to worry about a team like the Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder like the Warriors will in the West.
What’s more, the Miami Heat are the No. 3 seed, which means Cleveland wouldn’t even play the team that beat it by a combined 36 points in the last two meetings until the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat may be eliminated by then, which would clear up the path even more for James and his teammates.
The Warriors will be waiting for them once again.
There is not much left to say about this team that hasn’t already been said this season. The debate surrounding Golden State in 2015-16 was not whether it was the best team in the league, but whether it was the best team of all time. This squad is in rarefied air with the likes of Michael Jordan and the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and will not disappoint in the playoffs.
This is the same Warriors core that won a championship last season, but it has now morphed into an absolute machine that won 73 games in 82 tries.
Stephen Curry is the surefire MVP, but the argument can be made he is the most improved player in the league as well. He drilled more than 400 three-pointers this season alone and averaged 30.1 points a night compared to the 23.8 per game he scored last season as the MVP. He shot a blistering 50.4 percent from the field, 45.4 percent from three-point range and 90.8 percent from the free-throw stripe this year as well.
Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger summed up Curry’s influence, per Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal: “The past two years it's been [Curry's] league. He's the best.”
Curry is the best, but he will have plenty of help along the way. Draymond Green is a triple-double threat every time steps on floor and the emotional leader of the squad, while Klay Thompson is a lethal three-point shooter in his own right. Defending Finals MVP Andre Iguodala is also healthy again.
The Warriors can go big with Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli or small with a “death lineup” that features combinations of Curry, Thompson, Green, Iguodala and Harrison Barnes. They also have playoff-battled bench guys like Leandro Barbosa, Shaun Livingston and Marreese Speights to fill the void during the physically grinding postseason.
Picking the Warriors is about more than the 73 wins.
This team has critical roster versatility that will help it in the Western Conference. For as much attention as the electrifying offense and shooting receive, Golden State was tied for fourth in the league in defensive rating (as of Wednesday), per NBA.com. It has the offensive talent to win a shootout and the defensive grit to win a low-possession battle.
The Warriors also avoid a second-round series with the Spurs or Thunder and could face a drained opponent in the Western Conference Finals if those two squads battle in a seven-game slugfest in the second round.
Not even the 67-15 Spurs—who Golden State beat three of four times this season—will stand in the way of a Finals rematch.
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