NBA Playoff Schedule 2018: Dates, TV Coverage for Remaining Round 1 Games

The Portland Trail Blazers have a problem, and head coach Terry Stotts and his players have to come up with an answer quickly, or the Blazers' season will come to an abrupt end.

The Blazers lost the first two games of the series at home and go on the road Thursday night for Game 3 against the New Orleans Pelicans. Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo have been able to make key plays at clutch moments, and the Blazers need more from Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.

2018 NBA Remaining First-Round Schedule                

Thursday, April 19

Game 3—Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat, 7 p.m. ET on TNT

Game 3—Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans, 9 p.m. ET

Game 3—Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs, 9:30 p.m. ET

Friday, April 20

Game 3—Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN

Game 3—Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN 2

Game 3—Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks, 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Saturday, April 21

Game 4—Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat, 2:30 p.m. ET on TNT

Game 4—Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans, 5 p.m. ET on TNT

Game 3—Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Game 3—Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz, 10 p.m. ET on ESPN

Sunday, April 22

Game 4—Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks, 1 p.m. ET on ABC

Game 4—Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs, 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC

Game 4—Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards, 6 p.m. ET on TNT

Game 4—Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers, 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT

Monday, April 23

Game 4—Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET on TNT

Game 4—Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz, 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT

Tuesday, April 24

Game 5—Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics, TBD (if necessary)

Game 5—Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers, TBD

Game 5—San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors, TBD (if necessary)

Game 5—New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers, TBD (if necessary)

Wednesday, April 25

Game 5—Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors, TBD (if necessary)

Game 5—Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers, TBD (if necessary)

Game 5—Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets, TBD (if necessary)

Game 5—Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder, TBD (if necessary)

Thursday, April 26

Game 6—Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, TBD (if necessary)

Game 6—Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat, TBD (if necessary)

Game 6—Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs, TBD (if necessary)

Game 6—Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans, TBD (if necessary)

Friday, April 27

Game 6—Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards, TBD (if necessary)

Game 6—Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers, TBD (if necessary)

Game 6—Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves, TBD (if necessary)

Game 6—Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz, TBD (if necessary)

Saturday, April 28

Game 7—Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics, TBD (if necessary)

Game 7—Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers, TBD

Game 7—San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors, TBD (if necessary)

Game 7—New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers, TBD (if necessary)

Sunday, April 29

Game 7—Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors, TBD (if necessary)

Game 7—Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers, TBD (if necessary)

Game 7—Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets, TBD (if necessary)

Game 7—Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder, TBD (if necessary)

Round Start Dates

Conference Quarterfinals—April 14-15

Conference Semifinals—April 30-May 1 (possible move up to April 28-29)

Conference Finals—May 15-16 (possible move up to May 13-14)

NBA Finals—May 31

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Jrue Holiday was not about to let the opportunity of the Pelicans winning the first two games of their series with the Blazers slip through their grasp. He scored 33 points and dished out nine assists in Game 2 and came through with a clutch three-pointer in the fourth quarter that helped seal the victory.

Portland had taken a 100-99 lead on Maurice Harkless' three-pointer, but Nikola Mirotic and Holiday responded with threes of their own that gave New Orleans a 105-100 lead. The Blazers did not have a significant response and dropped a 111-102 decision.

Holiday has persevered through injury and family illness and is now playing productive basketball for head coach Alvin Gentry.

"He's been through some tough times, the first year he's injured, he's on minute restrictions through the greater part of the season, and then everybody's familiar with the situation with his wife and what they had to go through there," Gentry said, per Stats AP (h/t CBS Sports). "Everybody's healthy and in a good place now so I think mentally he's in a good place."

If the Blazers are going to mount a comeback, Lillard has to perform better. He connected on 7-of-18 shots from the field, including just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, as he scored 17 points. That performance come on the heels of his 6-of-24 shooting night in Game 1. He scored 18 points in that game.

"I'm frustrated," Lillard said. "They were more grimy than we were. They played a physical game."

The San Antonio Spurs are also in an 0-2 hole, but, unlike the Blazers, they return home for Game 3 against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Gregg Popovich's men played a relatively tight game against the Warriors Monday night before losing 116-101 in Oakland.

The Spurs were able to turn Game 2 into a battle of toughness with their hard-playing defense. It was quite effective for 24 minutes, as the Spurs led by six points at the midway point.

LaMarcus Aldridge lit it up for the Spurs, and he was successful with 34 points and 12 rebounds, but Kevin Durant had 32 points and Klay Thompson totaled 31 points. The Spurs did not have enough to overcome those two and are in a deep hole as they return home.

Popovich has to figure out a way to play for 48 minutes or his team will get drummed out of the postseason by Steve Kerr's Warriors.

Thompson's scoring is a huge factor in the Warriors' success, according to Aldridge.

"He hit some tough shots off one leg and you know had some opportunity bounces," Aldridge said, per Stats AP. "That's why they are who they are. They made tough shots. KD made tough shots."