NBA Playoff Schedule 2016: Game Times, TV and Livestream Coverage for Sunday
The 2016 NBA postseason continues its commencement weekend when the remaining four first-round matchups start on Sunday.
Saturday offered one surprise when the No. 7-seeded Indiana Pacers defeated the No. 2 Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. In the Western Conference, however, those same slots will begin with the least intrigue of Sunday's games.
Prepare for a loaded NBA slate of Game 1 showdowns headlined by the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs.
| 3 p.m. | Detroit Pistons | Cleveland Cavaliers | ABC |
| 5:30 p.m. | Charlotte Hornets | Miami Heat | TNT |
| 8:30 p.m. | Memphis Grizzlies | San Antonio Spurs | TNT |
| 10:30 p.m. | Portland Trail Blazers | Los Angeles Clippers | TNT |
Livestreams: WatchESPN, TNT Overtime
Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Amid the "Are the Cleveland Cavaliers falling apart?" hot takes that followed every loss, it's easy to forget they still won an Eastern Conference-best 57 games. They also led the conference in point differential (+6.0) and net rating (5.7), and that LeBron James fellow is still around.
Tracing back to his Miami Heat tenure, James had led his team to three straight first-round sweeps. Nobody has lasted six games against him since 2008. Then again, the Detroit Pistons aren't the typical sub-.500 pushover sneaking into the playoffs by default.
No Eastern Conference No. 8 seed has notched more victories than Detroit's 44 since James joined the NBA. The Pistons also beat the Cavs in three of their four regular-season matchups, including a season finale where both sides sat their starters.
Spawning those successes, Andre Drummond dominated Cleveland by averaging 20.3 points in three games on a 62.2 field-goal percentage. Veteran head coach Stan Van Gundy can help Detroit steal a game, but probably not at Quicken Loans Arena, where Cleveland finished 33-8.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Miami Heat
A rare evenly matched first-round series, the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets finished with identical 48-34 records. They both placed inside the top 10 of defensive rating, with Miami allowing 0.3 points fewer per 100 possessions.
Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press noted some other eerily similar defensive stats:
This series has six or seven written all over it. Given the statistical stalemate, it's surprising to see 18 of 21 ESPN.com writers side with the Heat even though they'll play without Chris Bosh, who missed the last two months due to a blood clot. According to Reynolds, the 11-time All-Star addressed his teammates about seizing an opportunity unavailable to him.
"Chris talked today to us, as a team," Dwyane Wade said after Friday's practice. "The biggest message is someone who lived for this moment, someone who envisioned these moments especially after last year, he doesn't have the ability to be in it."
The Heat haven't slowed down in Bosh's absence, but the Hornets closed the season in grand fashion. After the All-Star break, only the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs posted a higher net rating than Charlotte's plus-6.7.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are going to beat the Memphis Grizzlies. Probably in four games. Probably four ugly blowouts.
Golden State won the most regular-season games in NBA history, but the Spurs submitted the NBA's best net rating. They also amassed the most wins (67) in franchise history, which is saying something for a dynasty that has won at least 50 games every season since the lockout-shortened 1998-99 campaign.
Memphis, meanwhile, is a mess. Crawling into the playoffs without Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Tony Allen, the Grizzlies lost 14 of their final 17 games. They're the only playoff team that scored fewer than 100 points per game, and their minus-2.2 point differential ranks last among postseason participants.
Memphis has made its mark on defense over the years, but the Spurs lap the league in defensive rating. They will now face a team that needs major contributions from Lance Stephenson and JaMychal Green.
If the schedule wasn't so spread out, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich would have had to at least consider resting his starters for a game.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
After losing LaMarcus Aldridge to the Spurs, the Portland Trail Blazers appeared on their way to the lottery. Instead, they went 44-38 and are considered the Western Conference's only lower seed with a feasible chance of pulling off a Round 1 upset.
Since the conference looks so predictable, some onlookers are talking themselves into a Blazers victory to create some chaos. For the Clippers, an early exit could cause major changes within the organization.
If Portland loses, no big deal. Who expected them here anyway? Damian Lillard, who kept the team rolling with 25.1 points and 6.8 assists per contest, told the Oregonian's Sean Meagher that his team will play free without the burden of expectations.
"We've been playing well, our group is really together," Lillard said. "We're really excited about the opportunity just to play in the postseason. We're going in knowing that we have nothing to lose. There's no pressure on us to do anything. We just got to go play hard, play together and that'll give us a chance."
Before running too wild with the narrative, Lillard shot 32.4 percent in the two teams' four regular-season encounters (three losses). Portland's 16-25 road record ties Memphis for the worst among playoff teams, which is a problem since the series starts inside the Staples Center.
They're the flimsiest favorite in the West, but the Clippers aren't vulnerable prey with a healthy Blake Griffin in tow.
All advanced stats courtesy of NBA.com unless otherwise noted.
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