NBA Playoff Schedule 2018: Known Dates for Round-by-Round Bracket

The NBA has experienced an inordinate amount of drama this year, including (but not limited to) the J.R. Smith soup incident, per AP (h/t USA Today) and the ongoing saga of Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio, as highlighted by Andrew Sharp and Ben Golliver on the Open Floor podcast.

It's been a remarkable regular season, but the postseason starts Saturday and is sure to bring its own storylines as 16 teams fight for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Here's a look at the known start dates for each round, per NBA.com, alongside two Eastern Conference teams to keep an eye on this year.

Known Start Dates for Round-by-Round Bracket

First Round: Saturday, April 14

Conference Semifinals: Monday, April 30 or Tuesday, May 1 (possible move up to Saturday, April 28 or Sunday, April 29)

Conference Finals: Tuesday, May 15 or Wednesday, May 16 (possible move up to Sunday, May 13 or Monday, May 14)

NBA Finals: Thursday, May 31

Trust the Process

The time may be now for the Philadelphia 76ers, who have won 14 straight games dating back to Thursday, March 15. Seven of those victories have been without All-Star center Joel Embiid, who suffered a concussion and orbital fracture in a collision with teammate Markelle Fultz on Wednesday, March 28.

What Philadelphia is doing sans Embiid is remarkable, but when he returns, this team will be a serious contender for the Eastern Conference crown. Embiid posted 22.9 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, while Rookie of the Year candidate Ben Simmons approached triple-double season average territory, registering 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists.

However, the X-factor could be 76ers guard (and the first overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft) Markelle Fultz, who only played 13 games this year primarily due to a shoulder injury. Fultz has looked fantastic in limited action since returning on March 26, averaging 7.4 points and 4.1 assists in 16.6 minutes off the bench. He immediately provides the team with a huge spark for the second unit alongside other top reserves such as wing Marco Belinelli and point guard T.J. McConnell.

Philadelphia's scorching-hot run has earned it home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, a huge boost considering the team's success at Wells Fargo Center (29-11 with one home game left vs. the Milwaukee Bucks). The main downside is that this is a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2012, and no one is from that squad. However, the team ex-general manager Sam Hinkie helped build is confident heading into the playoffs, and it's possible that it runs through the conference and straight into the finals.

Can Toronto Make the Leap?

The Toronto Raptors are finishing up their best regular season in franchise history and will win their 60th game if they beat the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

All-Star guard Kyle Lowry (16.1 points, 6.9 assists) and DeMar DeRozan (23.1 points) are enjoying fantastic individual seasons, while center Jonas Valanciunas is proving to be one of the more efficient players in the league (12.7 points and 8.6 rebounds in 22.4 minutes).

As well as the starters have played, the bench may be what puts Toronto over the hump and into the NBA Finals for the first time ever. The Raptors have the deepest rotation in the league, with 11 players averaging 15.3 minutes or more per game.

Guards Fred VanVleet (8.7 points in 20.0 minutes) and Delon Wright could start on other teams, and center Jakob Poeltl is second on the team in blocks (1.21) despite playing only 18.4 minutes a night.

This is a talented team capable of winning the NBA Finals. It's just a matter of whether the Raps can put the past behind them. Toronto lost in seven games to the Brooklyn Nets in 2014 before being on the wrong end of a four-game sweep in 2015 to the Washington Wizards.

The 2016 playoffs were promising, as Toronto took down two seven-game series before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in six. However, the Raps then lost to the Cavs in four games in the 2017 conference semifinals.

However, the difference this time around is that Toronto will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, which is something it has never earned since joining the NBA in 1995. That could be a big boost for them this year, as the Raptors finished a league-best 34-7 at the raucous Air Canada Centre (the Houston Rockets also finished 34-7 at home).