NBA Playoffs 2016: Postseason Schedule, Bracket Format and Odds
Regular-season records don't matter when the postseason begins, but there seems to be a major separation between the best teams in the league and the rest of the challengers. This could lead to some one-sided matchups in the first round of the 2016 NBA playoffs.
The Golden State Warriors are the clear favorites after setting the regular-season record for most wins with 73, but their success overshadowed the accomplishments of a handful of teams in each conference. It will be tough for anyone to knock off the defending champions, as they have the talent to get through the opening round with relative ease.
Still, anything can happen in sports, even with seven-game series broken down in a 2-2-1-1-1 format in order to benefit the higher seed. Here is a look at the upcoming schedule of games and what you need to know heading into the playoffs.
Note: A full bracket is available at NBA.com.
| Golden State Warriors | 2-3 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 15-4 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-1 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 10-1 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 28-1 |
| Toronto Raptors | 33-1 |
| Boston Celtics | 66-1 |
| Miami Heat | 75-1 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 75-1 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 150-1 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 150-1 |
| Indiana Pacers | 200-1 |
| Detroit Pistons | 200-1 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 250-1 |
| Houston Rockets | 300-1 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 500-1 |
Western Conference
| Game | Matchup | Date | Location | Time | TV |
| 1 | Rockets at Warriors | Saturday, April 16 | Oracle Arena | 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC |
| 2 | Rockets at Warriors | Monday, April 18 | Oracle Arena | 10:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 3 | Warriors at Rockets | Thursday, April 21 | Toyota Center | 9:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 4 | Warriors at Rockets | Saturday, April 24 | Toyota Center | 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC |
| 5 | Rockets at Warriors | Wednesday, April 27 | Oracle Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 6 | Warriors at Rockets | Friday, April 29 | Toyota Center | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | Rockets at Warriors | Sunday, May 1 | Oracle Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 1 | Grizzlies at Spurs | Sunday, April 17 | AT&T Center | 8 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 2 | Grizzlies at Spurs | Tuesday, April 19 | AT&T Center | 9:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 3 | Spurs at Grizzlies | Friday, April 22 | FedEx Forum | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 4 | Spurs at Grizzlies | Sunday, April 24 | FedEx Forum | 1 p.m. ET | ABC |
| 5 | Grizzlies at Spurs | Tuesday, April 26 | AT&T Center | TBD | TBD |
| 6 | Spurs at Grizzlies | Thursday, April 28 | FedEx Forum | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | Grizzlies at Spurs | Sat, April 30 | AT&T Center | TBD | TBD |
| 1 | Mavericks at Thunder | Saturday, April 16 | Chesapeake Energy Arena | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 2 | Mavericks at Thunder | Monday, April 18 | Chesapeake Energy Arena | 8 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 3 | Thunder at Mavericks | Thursday, April 21 | American Airlines Center | 7 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 4 | Thunder at Mavericks | Saturday, April 23 | American Airlines Center | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 5 | Mavericks at Thunder | Monday, April 25 | Chesapeake Energy Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 6 | Thunder at Mavericks | Thursday, April 28 | American Airlines Center | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | Mavericks at Thunder | Saturday, April 30 | Chesapeake Energy Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 1 | Trail Blazers at Clippers | Sunday, April 17 | Staples Center | 10:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 2 | Trail Blazers at Clippers | Wednesday, April 20 | Staples Center | 10:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 3 | Clippers at Trail Blazers | Saturday, April 23 | Moda Center | 10:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 4 | Clippers at Trail Blazers | Monday, April 25 | Moda Center | 10:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 5 | Trail Blazers at Clippers | Wednesday, April 27 | Staples Center | TBD | TBD |
| 6 | Clippers at Trail Blazers | Friday, April 29 | Moda Center | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | Trail Blazers at Clippers | Sunday, May 1 | Staples Center | TBD | TBD |
The Warriors are the team to watch in the Western Conference, although not necessarily if you want a close series. Stephen Curry summed it up after the last win of the regular season:
Golden State tore through the NBA this season, and the Houston Rockets were especially not safe, losing every game they played against the juggernaut. While James Harden is always a threat to go off, this team only won one game in the Western Conference Finals a year ago and probably won't fare any better this time around.
The Memphis Grizzlies have an equally difficult challenge against the San Antonio Spurs, who would be the easy favorites without the Warriors in the picture. They won an impressive 67 games this year, which in the last decade has only been bested by this year's Golden State run. Between go-to players such as Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge and veteran contributors like Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, this squad has everything it needs to win a title.
While the potential matchup between the Spurs and Warriors would be a good one, the first round might not be all that competitive.
Even the No. 3 seed in the West could have an easy time as the Oklahoma City Thunder look to remain in the hunt for the title. Russell Westbrook completed one of the best years in league history, filling up the box score to help the Thunder to the playoffs, per Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, citing stats from Elias Sports Bureau:
Westbrook and Kevin Durant are a dangerous combination that could give the Dallas Mavericks trouble from start to finish.
Perhaps the best series in the West will be between the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers. Portland has one of the top backcourts in the NBA between Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but the frontcourt will be overmatched when DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin come to town.
With a nine-game difference between the No. 4 seed and No. 5 seed, any first-round upsets would be a big surprise.
Eastern Conference
| Game | Matchup | Date | Location | Time | TV |
| 1 | Pistons at Cavaliers | Sunday, April 17 | Quicken Loans Arena | 3 p.m. ET | ABC |
| 2 | Pistons at Cavaliers | Wednesday, April 20 | Quicken Loans Arena | 8 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 3 | Cavaliers at Pistons | Friday, April 22 | Palace at Auburn Hills | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 4 | Cavaliers at Pistons | Sunday, April 24 | Palace at Auburn Hills | 8:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 5 | Pistons at Cavaliers | Tuesday, April 26 | Quicken Loans Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 6 | Cavaliers at Pistons | Thursday, April 28 | Palace at Auburn Hills | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | Pistons at Cavaliers | Saturday, April 30 | Quicken Loans Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 1 | Pacers at Raptors | Saturday, April 16 | Air Canada Centre | 12:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 2 | Pacers at Raptors | Monday, April 18 | Air Canada Centre | 7 p.m. ET | NBA TV |
| 3 | Raptors at Pacers | Thursday, April 21 | Bankers Life Fieldhouse | 7:30 p.m. ET | NBA TV |
| 4 | Raptors at Pacers | Saturday, April 23 | Bankers Life Fieldhouse | 3 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 5 | Pacers at Raptors | Tuesday, April 26 | Air Canada Centre | TBD | TBD |
| 6 | Raptors at Pacers | Friday, April 29 | Bankers Life Fieldhouse | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | Pacers at Raptors | Sunday, May 1 | Air Canada Centre | TBD | TBD |
| 1 | Hornets at Heat | Sunday, April 17 | American Airlines Arena | 5:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 2 | Hornets at Heat | Wednesday, April 20 | American Airlines Arena | 7 p.m. ET | NBA TV |
| 3 | Heat at Hornets | Saturday, April 23 | Time Warner Cable Arena | 5:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 4 | Heat at Hornets | Monday, April 25 | Time Warner Cable Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 5 | Hornets at Heat | Wednesday, April 27 | American Airlines Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 6 | Heat at Hornets | Friday, April 29 | Time Warner Cable Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | Hornets at Heat | Sunday, May 1 | American Airlines Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 1 | Celtics at Hawks | Saturday, April 16 | Philips Arena | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 2 | Celtics at Hawks | Tuesday, April 19 | Philips Arena | 7 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 3 | Hawks at Celtics | Friday, April 22 | TD Garden | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN2 |
| 4 | Hawks at Celtics | Sunday, April 24 | TD Garden | 6 p.m. ET | TNT |
| 5 | Celtics at Hawks | Tuesday, April 26 | Philips Arena | TBD | TBD |
| 6 | Hawks at Celtics | Thursday, April 28 | TD Garden | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | Celtics at Hawks | Saturday, April 30 | Philips Arena | TBD | TBD |
There could be some closer series in the East, with a jumbled middle of the conference creating some intriguing matchups. All four teams between No. 3 and No. 6 finished with the same 48-34 record. Only tiebreakers could separate them, so there are no clear favorites in either series.
One major advantage the Miami Heat have in this mess is playoff experience. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have been to this stage many times in their careers, while even veterans such as Joe Johnson and Amar'e Stoudemire could contribute in the postseason.
While the Charlotte Hornets are a fun team to watch with Kemba Walker leading the way, it will be difficult for them to keep up with a Miami squad playing well at the right time.
The Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks could end up playing the best series of the entire first round. The two sides play in different styles, but both have the talent to make a run in these playoffs. Boston has the highest-scoring offense in the East, and the uptempo style could lead to problems against a number of teams.
This matchup will hopefully go the distance and will likely come down to a few key players for either side.
The Toronto Raptors will hope to avoid such drama after struggling in the playoffs over the last couple of years. ESPN Stats & Info broke down just how bad it has been:
Toronto has won just one series in its history—in 2001 with Vince Carter—although the new team doesn't care about the past. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have taken this squad to great heights, and this group is a legitimate contender to win the Eastern Conference. The Raptors still have to get past the Indiana Pacers first, but any hurdles will be more mental than physical.
This leaves only the Cleveland Cavaliers, who reached the NBA Finals last season despite having injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love along the way. With a healthy roster, this squad has a chance to make some serious noise in the playoffs and possibly even challenge the Warriors for a title.
As for the Detroit Pistons, they should just hope they can keep the games close.
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