NBA Playoff Schedule 2017: Updated Bracket Dates, TV Network List and More
Heading into the opening round of the NBA playoffs, there were two primary certainties:
1. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers would win.
As FanRag Sports' Zach Harper pointed out on Sunday afternoon, after the Cavs completed their four-game sweep of Paul George's Indiana Pacers, James has been invincible in Round 1:
Fox Sports 1's Nick Wright compared LBJ's dominance with a pair of fellow NBA legends:
James himself couldn't even recall his last first-round loss when the media asked him about it, via NBA TV:
2. The Golden State Warriors would cruise.
Yes, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are explosive and always seem to come hardest for the reigning Western Conference champions.
But did anyone expect a legitimate series?
Even without Kevin Durant for two games, the Dubs rest comfortably on a 3-0 lead heading into Monday night's 10:30 p.m. ET showdown. It's possible KD will continue to sit with a strained calf, according to ESPN's Chris B. Haynes:
Even so, have the brooms ready.
The rest of the first round hasn't been so concrete. Prior to Rajon Rondo's injury, the Chicago Bulls looked poised to knock off the No. 1-seeded Boston Celtics. The Memphis Grizzlies have made the San Antonio Spurs sweat despite superstar play from Kawhi Leonard.
On Monday night, two other up-in-the-air series will unfold. Let's break them down below.
Updated standings
| Eastern Conference | |
| (1) Celtics vs. (8) Bulls | 2-2 |
| (4) Wizards vs. (5) Hawks | WAS 2, ATL 1 |
| (2) Cavaliers vs. (7) Pacers | CLE 4, IND 0 |
| (3) Raptors vs. (6) Bucks | TOR 2, MIL 2 |
| Western Conference | |
| (1) Warriors vs (8) Trail Blazers | GSW 3, POR 0 |
| (4) Clippers vs. (5) Jazz | LAC 2, UTAH 1 |
| (3) Rockets vs. (6) Thunder | HOU 3, OKC 1 |
| (2) Spurs vs. (7) Grizzlies | SAS 2, MEM 2 |
Schedule
| Bucks @ Raptors | 2-2 | 7 p.m. ET | NBA TV |
| Wizards @ Hawks | WAS 2, ATL 1 | 8 p.m. ET | TNT |
| Warriors @ Blazers | GSW 3, POR 0 | 10:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
Matchups
Bucks vs. Raptors
The Milwaukee Bucks have beaten the Raptors back into extinction twice. In Game 1 and Game 3, Jason Kidd's upstart team, led by 22-year-old star Giannis Antetokounmpo, won by a combined 41 points.
Game 2 and Game 4 were different.
The Raptors squeaked out their victories by a combined 17-point margin. Both wins featured strong performances from All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, who scored all eight of his points from the charity stripe in Game 3 (just ask the Greek Freak).
After a 33-point outing in Game 4, DeRozan was adamant he would not be shut down again, via TNT:
The Raptors have no means of shutting down Antetokounmpo, but DeRozan held him to just 14 points and four assists in Game 4. Without Giannis putting things in motion, the Bucks totaled just 16 assists and shot 23.8 percent from three-point land.
DeRozan's scoring is never in question. But if he and the rest of Toronto's wing players can keep slowing down the Greek Freak, the Raptors are built to outlast Milwaukee. In both Bucks losses, Antetokounmpo has shot 34.9 percent from the field. In both Bucks wins, he's shot 71.4 percent.
Too many dunks like this, and Toronto could find itself in trouble:
A playoff series is like a 12-round fight, though, and the Raptors definitely got knocked to the mat a few times early. But they're deeper and more experienced than the Bucks. DeRozan and Lowry can withstand the early flurries.
Count on the Raptors to defeat Milwaukee at Air Canada Centre Monday and possibly end the series on Thursday before having to head back north of the border.
Wizards vs. Hawks
Like the Bucks, the Washington Wizards came into their first-round series hot.
The Atlanta Hawks responded in Game 3, but their revival should be short-lived. How come? Two words: John Wall.
Take a look at how dominant the point guard has been in comparison to his teammates, per NBA Math's total points added (TPA) algorithm:
Offensively, he's been right there with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Chris Paul and Mike Conley. That's elite company:
Wall had 29 points on 10-of-12 shooting in Sunday's loss, but no other teammate cracked 14 points. Three reached double-digits, and two of those came off the bench—Brandon Jennings (13) and Bojan Bogdanovic (11).
Things got chippy between Markieff Morris and Paul Millsap after the game, which figures to benefit Washington's in-your-face style. Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver passed along video of the Hawks All-Star hearing that Morris called him a "crybaby":
Wall and Co. seem to thrive in this contention. He's constantly talking trash, which mirrors his aggressiveness.
It seems likely that Washington wins a bruising Game 4 on the road before hammering the final nail Wednesday at home.
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