NBA Playoff Schedule 2018: Round-by-Round Dates, TV and Live-Stream Guide
NBA fans may regret their desire to see the status quo disrupted.
Contrary to what most onlookers believed in October, a fourth straight NBA Finals showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers no longer carries an air of inevitability.
Stephen Curry, who has played one game since March 8 because of a knee injury, is unlikely to return for the opening round. Cleveland, meanwhile, has yet to flip the proverbial switch to title mode after falling to the No. 4 seed and allowing more points per game (109.9) than any Eastern Conference playoff participant.
In a bracket featuring 10 squads that logged 43-49 wins this season, the favorites are also more vulnerable than ever. The playoffs haven't contained such uncertainty in years. Those who claim to want upsets, however, may change their mind if LeBron James sits out his first Finals since 2010 and someone manages to sneak by the Warriors and Houston Rockets in the Western Conference.
Courtesy of NBA.com, let's run down key postseason dates and the first-round schedule before accessing Cleveland's chances of claiming another conference crown.
NBA Playoff Start Dates:
April 14: First Round
April 30-May 1: Conference Semifinals
May 15-16: Conference Finals
May 31: NBA Finals
Western Conference
No. 1 Houston Rockets vs. No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves
Game 1: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 15 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 2: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 18 at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves: April 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves: April 23 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 29 at TBD
No. 2 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 7 San Antonio Spurs
Game 1: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 14 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 2: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs: April 19 at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 4: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs: April 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game 5: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 28 at TBD on TNT
No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 6 New Orleans Pelicans
Game 1: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 14 at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 17 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans: April 19 at 9 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Game 4: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans: April 21 at 5 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 28 at TBD on TNT
No. 4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 5 Utah Jazz
Game 1: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 15 at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 2: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 18 at 8 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Game 3: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz: April 21 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz: April 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 29 at TBD
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 8 Washington Wizards
Game 1: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 14 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 17 at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Game 3: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards: April 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Game 4: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards: April 22 at 6 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 29 at TBD
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Milwaukee Bucks
Game 1: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 15 at 1 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 2: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 17 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks: April 20 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks: April 22 at 1 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game 5: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 28 at TBD on TNT
No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 6 Miami Heat
Game 1: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 16 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat: April 19 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 4: Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat: April 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 28 at TBD on TNT
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Indiana Pacers
Game 1: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers: April 15 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 2: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers: April 18 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers: April 20 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers: April 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers April 29 at TBD
*If necessary
Live Streams: NBA on TNT, WatchESPN, ABC
Are the Cavaliers Actually in Trouble This Time?
This should all feel familiar.
Last year, the Cavaliers hobbled into the postseason with 51 wins and the worst defensive rating (111.0) of any playoff team besides the No. 8-seeded Portland Trail Blazers. They ended the 2017-18 campaign with 50 victories and the NBA's second-worst defensive rating (112.6) ahead of the 21-61 Phoenix Suns.
Last year, Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue vowed to unveil new defensive schemes in the postseason. Per Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon, he once again said the defense will look "totally different" during the team's quest to get back to the Finals.
"We'll probably do things we haven't done all season when it comes to the playoffs, things we've been working on all year," Lue said. "It's the same thing we do every playoffs. So we'll see what happens."
The Cavs, however, still yielded 112.1 points per 100 possessions in last year's 18 playoff games. Yet they steamrolled the Eastern Conference by tallying a 120.3 offensive rating and 116.2 points per game.
The circumstances of overcoming lethargic in-season slumps are familiar. The roster? Not so much. As Vardon noted, their defensive rating improved to No. 19 after reshaping their squad on Feb. 8's trade deadline.
All three of their regular-season losses to their first opponent, the Indiana Pacers, occurred before acquiring Rodney Hood, George Hill, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. Even though the Pacers netted a higher average point differential (+1.4) than the Cavaliers (+0.9), they are not a major threat to hand James the first opening-round defeat of his career.
Cleveland no longer has Kyrie Irving, but neither do the Boston Celtics. The star point guard will miss the entire postseason after undergoing knee surgery in March. While Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart have played well in his absence, their young nucleus does not have enough scoring firepower to make a title push without Irving and Gordon Hayward.
Let's not dismiss the Toronto Raptors, who own the No. 1 seed after tallying a franchise-record 59 wins. They trailed the Rockets for second in offensive rating (113.8) and average scoring margin (+7.8).
According to ESPN Stats & Info, BPI gives them the highest probability of returning the favor from three years ago and orchestrating a first-round sweep against the Washington Wizards:
They would then likely need to attain vengeance over the Cavs, who have ended their past two postseasons. Although it's likely of little consolation, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan each set a personal high in playoff field-goal percentage last year. For all their bench depth, the All-Star guards must carry over their regular-season success.
Cleveland, which swept Toronto by a combined 61 points in last year's conference semifinals, won the teams' head-to-head matchups on March 21 on April 3. James registered a combined 62 points and 27 assists.
Transcendent play from the superstar often conceals most blemishes. But not on April 6, when his 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists were not enough to overcome the Philadelphia 76ers. A 132-130 victory without Joel Embiid allowed them to enter the playoffs brandishing a 16-game winning streak.
While the All-Star center probably won't be available Saturday, he could return in time for Philadelphia to proceed past the Miami Heat and face the hobbled Celtics. That could lead to the 33-year-old James defending his Eastern Conference stranglehold against a young club poised to one day assume the throne.
There are no long any easy outs, so the Cavaliers can't take another Finals appearance for granted. Yet nobody should be surprised to see James fend off hungry young foes one more time.
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