NBA Playoff Schedule 2017: Updated Dates, Game Times, Live Stream and Picks
The 2016-17 NBA playoffs continue to roll on, though the postseason ended for another team on Sunday. The Toronto Raptors were sent home by the Cleveland Cavaliers after a series sweep in the second round.
The Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets also took home victories on Sunday. The Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz will do battle on Monday in a game that could send Utah to join the Raptors on the couch.
Here, we're going to look ahead to the current standings in Round 2 of the postseason. We'll also make picks for the unfinished series and examine the remaining schedule for the round. We'll also check out the latest playoff-related storylines in the NBA.
Playoff Standings and Picks
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors | CLE 4-0 | CLE 4-0 |
| Golden State Warriors vs. Utah Jazz | GS 3-0 | GS 4-0 |
| Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs | Tied 2-2 | SA 4-3 |
| Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards | Tied 2-2 | WAS 4-3 |
Remaining Schedule
| Golden Stat at Utah | 4 | 9 p.m. | TNT | TNTOvertime |
| Houston at San Antonio | 5 | 8 p.m. | TNT | TNTOvertime |
| Utah at Golden State | 5* | TBD | TNT | TNTOvertime |
| Washington at Boston | 5 | 8 p.m. | TNT | TNTOvertime |
| San Antonio at Houston | 6 | 8 p.m. | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Golden State at Utah | 6* | TBD | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Boston at Washington | 6 | 8 p.m. | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Utah at Golden State | 7* | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Houston at San Antonio | 7* | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Washington at Boston | 7* | 8 p.m. | TNT | TNTOvertime |
Latest Buzz
Cleveland With Another Sweep
If the Cavaliers are hoping to be healthy and relatively rested heading into the NBA Finals, things are certainly going according to plan. The team has swept its second series in a row and will have roughly a week of rest before taking the court again.
This doesn't look like the same Cleveland team that struggled down the stretch in the regular season.
"We're healthy," star LeBron James said, per Scott Cacciola of the New York Times. "We got more practice time during the playoffs than we did the whole month of March because of Injuries and because we were on the road so much."
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey believes the changes on the court for the Cavaliers have come from the makeup of the team and its presence in the postseason.
"They did flip a switch," Casey said, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. "They're a totally different team defensively and offensively post-All-Star break. Anybody who thinks anything differently doesn't know anything about basketball because that team presents so many problems shooting."
As long as the players on Cleveland's roster are at, or close to, 100 percent, this is going to be a dangerous team for any opponent. If the Cavaliers can manage another short series, they'll be in prime position to again topple the super team that is the Warriors.
Cleveland now waits to see if the team will face the Wizards or the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.
Wizards Show How They Can Run
For the first two games in their series, the Celtics looked like the No. 1 seed in the East that they're supposed to be. However, the Wizards have blown out the Celtics in the last two games, which has made the series interesting.
What also makes the series interesting is the fact Washington showed just how dangerous it can be in the second half of Game 4.
The game entered halftime tied at 48 and with the Wizards scrambling to iron out their mistakes.
"We were making a lot of mistakes and that's the way they were scoring," Washington forward Markieff Morris said, per Lang Whitaker of NBA.com.
Boston jumped out to a five-point lead in the third quarter before being embarrassed during a 26-0 run by Washington. It was the kind of unbelievable outburst that should cause even teams like the Cavaliers and the Warriors to take notice.
It was sound defense and a dangerous transition game that led to the lopsided run.
"Their attack in transition killed us," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. "In each of these [last] two games. ... Last game it was [a 22-0 run] in the first quarter. Today it was in the third quarter. They made us pay for it."
If the Wizards can put together a few more outbursts like the one on Sunday, they'll have a date with the Cavaliers in the conference finals—and they could be a tougher out than many expect.
Warriors on the Verge
While the Cavaliers will definitely enter the conference finals well-rested and could enter the Finals the same way, we have to acknowledge that the Warriors are in the exact same position. They are on the verge of another postseason sweep and their own lengthy rest.
This makes Golden State extremely dangerous for one big reason: While the offensive output of stars like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant have garnered much of the headlines in the West this postseason, the team's smothering defense has been at the center of success.
Golden State has benefited from having both speed and savvy on the defensive end of the court.
"They think so quickly. They cover for each other so well," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said, per Kareem Copeland of the Associated Press. "Sometimes you think you're open because you've managed to shake free from one guy and they quickly switch out to cover for each other. They're able to do that, again, because their anticipation is so great."
If the Warriors again meet the Cavaliers in the Finals, health and rest will be key to their defensive dominance. Cleveland's ability to move the ball and attack from the perimeter could wear down the Golden State defense if the Warriors are as drained as they appeared to be last postseason.
The Warriors were forced to enter the Finals after a seven-game series with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the conference finals last year. The way this team is playing, it doesn't seem like such a grueling test awaits this year.
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