NBA Playoffs 2019: 1st-Round Schedule, TV Info and Underrated Potential Series
The majority of first-round matchups in the NBA playoffs can be seen as mismatches upon first glance.
But in the last few years, some of the most interesting postseason series have come out of the first round, with the seven-game series between Boston and Milwaukee a year ago the latest example of that.
With some of the projected lower seeds riding winning streaks into the postseason, we could see a few series be more competitive than most think they will be.
The dominant teams in the Western Conference may have easy paths to the second round, but the road could be trickier for the top seeds in the Eastern Conference with a few hot teams in the bottom half of the playoff field.
1st-Round Schedule and TV Info
The opening round of the NBA playoffs tips off Saturday with a full slate of games.
In 2018, the first round lasted two weeks with four of the eight series going six or seven games.
Depending on the night, the games will be televised on either ESPN, TNT or NBA TV.
Underrated Potential Series
Philadelphia vs. Brooklyn
The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets have taken two of the most interesting paths to reach the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
The Sixers returned to the postseason a year ago as "The Process" started to reap on-court results, and the expectations are even higher in 2019 with Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris added to the squad.
Brooklyn was left for dead after the failed trade with Boston for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, but the Nets have rebounded with their first 40-win campaign since the 2013-14 season.
What is even more remarkable about the Nets is they have built up their roster without first-round draft picks, and the trade with the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire D'Angelo Russell was a game-changer for the franchise.
If the Sixers, who are locked into the No. 3 seed, take on Brooklyn, we'll get to see one of the most intriguing individual matchups of the postseason with Russell going up against Ben Simmons.
Russell has reached 20 points in nine of his last 10 games, as the Nets have worked their way up to sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
In eight career games against the Nets, Simmons has one of his best defensive ratings against any opponent at 113.
Simmons won't be the only player tasked with keeping Russell quiet, as T.J. McConnell will be called upon off the bench in stretches to provide an extra boost of energy to Brett Brown's side.
Although the Sixers have more superstars on their roster, they have struggled down the stretch with wins in three of their last eight games.
If Russell goes off in one of the first two games of the projected first-round series, he could inspire an extra dose of confidence within the Brooklyn squad, and it could lead to the Sixers receiving more of a challenge than they expect in the opening round of the playoffs.
Toronto vs. Orlando
Orlando will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Milwaukee from a year ago as a No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference that pushes the No. 2 seed to a seven-game series.
The Magic have won four of their last five games, and they split the four-game regular-season series with the Toronto Raptors.
Orlando poses a potentially difficult threat to the Raptors because of its athleticism down low in Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon.
The pair of big men are a handful for any defender to handle, and they will push Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka and others on every possession.
In the December 28 win over the Raptors, Vucevic exploded for 30 points and 19 rebounds, while Gordon chipped in nine points and 10 rebounds.
The other Orlando victory over Toronto came on February 24 in a game that Leonard sat out, but Gordon and Vucevic still combined for 39 points against Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol.
In addition to entering the playoffs with confidence from its recent winning run, Orlando should feel good about its chances against Toronto because its two victories against the Raptors were both over 10 points.
The Magic also have an X-factor in Terrence Ross, who put together back-to-back 20-point performances against New York and Atlanta, and he has a 28-point showing versus the Raptors to his name.
But in order to pose a significant challenge to the Raptors, the Magic need to improve on their 16-24 road mark, which is the second-worst record of teams currently in playoff positions.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics via Basketball Reference.
