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NBA Playoff Schedule 2020: TV Guide, Live-Stream Coverage for Entire Postseason
August 17, 2020
The Utah Jazz played in the first game at the NBA bubble when the 2019-20 season restarted in July. Now, they'll help tip off the first playoffs to be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World.
On Monday, the Jazz face the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round series, one of four contests to take place on the opening day of the postseason. The other four opening-round series will begin on Tuesday.
Over the next two weeks, the 16 teams that reached the playoffs will battle to move on to the second round. That includes the Portland Trail Blazers, who secured the final berth in the postseason by beating the Memphis Grizzlies in Saturday's Western Conference play-in game.
Here's a look at the complete schedule for the opening round of the playoffs, followed by some key storylines to watch for during Monday's action.
Complete First-Round Playoff Schedule
Monday, Aug. 17
Game 1: No. 6 Utah Jazz at No. 3 Denver Nuggets, 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+
Game 1: No. 7 Brooklyn Nets at No. 2 Toronto Raptors, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+
Game 1: No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3 Boston Celtics, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+
Game 1: No. 7 Dallas Mavericks at No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+
Tuesday, Aug. 18
Game 1: No. 8 Orlando Magic at No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks, 1:30 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 1: No. 5 Miami Heat at No. 4 Indiana Pacers, 4 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 1: No. 5 Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 4 Houston Rockets, 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 1: No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers at No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers, 9 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Wednesday, Aug. 19
Game 2: No. 7 Brooklyn Nets at No. 2 Toronto Raptors, 1:30 p.m. ET, NBATV and NBA.com
Game 2: No. 6 Utah Jazz at No. 3 Denver Nuggets, 4 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 2: No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3 Boston Celtics, 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 2: No. 7 Dallas Mavericks at No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers, 9 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Thursday, Aug. 20
Game 2: No. 5 Miami Heat at No. 4 Indiana Pacers, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+
Game 2: No. 5 Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 4 Houston Rockets, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+
Game 2: No. 8 Orlando Magic at No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+
Game 2: No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers at No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+
Friday, Aug. 21
Game 3: No. 2 Toronto Raptors at No. 7 Brooklyn Nets, 1:30 p.m. ET, NBATV and NBA.com
Game 3: No. 3 Denver Nuggets at No. 6 Utah Jazz, 4 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 3: No. 3 Boston Celtics at No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers, 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 3: No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7 Dallas Mavericks, 9 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Saturday, Aug. 22
Game 3: No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks at No. 8 Orlando Magic, 1 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 3: No. 4 Indiana Pacers at No. 5 Miami Heat, 3:30 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 3: No. 4 Houston Rockets at No. 5 Oklahoma City Thunder, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+
Game 3: No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers at No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN+
Sunday, Aug. 23
Game 4: No. 3 Boston Celtics at No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers, 1 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN+
Game 4: No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7 Dallas Mavericks, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN+
Game 4: No. 2 Toronto Raptors at No. 7 Brooklyn Nets, 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 4: No. 3 Denver Nuggets at No. 6 Utah Jazz, 9 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Monday, Aug. 24
Game 4: No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks at No. 8 Orlando Magic, 1:30 p.m. ET, NBATV and NBA.com
Game 4: No. 4 Houston Rockets at No. 5 Oklahoma City Thunder, 4 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 4: No. 4 Indiana Pacers at No. 5 Miami Heat, 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Game 4: No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers at No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers, 9 p.m. ET, TNT and Watch TNT
Tuesday, Aug. 25
Game 5: No. 7 Brooklyn Nets at No. 2 Toronto Raptors (if necessary)
Game 5: No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3 Boston Celtics (if necessary)
Game 5: No. 7 Dallas Mavericks at No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers (if necessary)
Game 5: No. 6 Utah Jazz at No. 3 Denver Nuggets (if necessary)
Wednesday, Aug. 26
Game 5: No. 8 Orlando Magic at No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks (if necessary)
Game 5: No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers at No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers (if necessary)
Game 5: No. 5 Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 4 Houston Rockets (if necessary)
Game 5: No. 5 Miami Heat at No. 4 Indiana Pacers (if necessary)
Thursday, Aug. 27
Game 6: No. 2 Toronto Raptors at No. 7 Brooklyn Nets (if necessary)
Game 6: No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7 Dallas Mavericks (if necessary)
Game 6: No. 3 Denver Nuggets at No. 6 Utah Jazz (if necessary)
Game 6: No. 3 Boston Celtics at No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers (if necessary)
Friday, Aug. 28
Game 6: No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks at No. 8 Orlando Magic (if necessary)
Game 6: No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers at No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers (if necessary)
Game 6: No. 4 Houston Rockets at No. 5 Oklahoma City Thunder (if necessary)
Game 6: No. 4 Indiana Pacers at No. 5 Miami Heat (if necessary)
Saturday, Aug. 29
Game 7: No. 7 Brooklyn Nets at No. 2 Toronto Raptors (if necessary)
Game 7: No. 7 Dallas Mavericks at No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers (if necessary)
Game 7: No. 6 Utah Jazz at No. 3 Denver Nuggets (if necessary)
Game 7: No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3 Boston Celtics (if necessary)
Sunday, Aug. 30
Game 7: No. 8 Orlando Magic at No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks (if necessary)
Game 7: No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers at No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers (if necessary)
Game 7: No. 5 Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 4 Houston Rockets (if necessary)
Game 7: No. 5 Miami Heat at No. 4 Indiana Pacers (if necessary)
Monday Storylines to Watch
Can Nets carry over momentum against reigning champs?
Nobody is expecting the Nets to upset the Raptors, the reigning NBA champions, in the first round of the playoffs. However, they also weren't expected to play as well as they did during their eight seeding games, when they went 5-3 despite not having Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (injuries) as well as Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan and Wilson Chandler (deciding not to play).
But Brooklyn's challenge will be greater in the opening round, as Toronto will be difficult to beat in a best-of-seven series. If the Nets are going to make things interesting, a strong start would likely help, so Monday's Game 1 could show how competitive they'll be in this series.
"There's a level of excitement. There's a level of just knowing we earned our way to being here, we earned our chance to be here," Brooklyn guard Caris LeVert said, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. "We know that we have a battle, we know they're the defending champs. But we're going in there knowing that we like our chances against anybody, really."
The Raptors may no longer have Kawhi Leonard, but they went 53-19 during the regular season, which included winning seven of their eight seeding games. So, while Brooklyn played well, Toronto played even better and could use its own momentum to make another deep postseason run.
Is this the year the Celtics get back to NBA Finals?
Although the Celtics have been a frequent visitor to the postseason in recent years, they haven't been to the NBA Finals since 2010 (and they haven't won an NBA title since 2008). Since 2017, they've won five postseason series, but they lost in the Eastern Conference Finals in both 2017 and 2018.
Boston continues to be one of the top teams in the East, as it went 48-24 this regular season, including 5-3 in its seeding games at the NBA bubble (one loss came with its starters sitting). But in order to get back to the NBA Finals, it will have to take down some tough teams, beginning with Philadelphia in the opening round.
The 76ers are without Ben Simmons due to a season-ending knee injury, but they'll still be a formidable opponent. Celtics coach Brad Stevens recently called them "a heck of a team."
"In the games that Simmons hasn't played, they're the No. 1 offense in the league," he said, according to Field Level Media (h/t ESPN). "The spacing, the shooting around [Joel] Embiid posting, the ability to play big with both Embiid and Al [Horford]. ... A bunch of shooters around them makes them very tough."
Still, Boston should win the series, and it could take an early lead with a Game 1 win. But it will likely have to take down Milwaukee, Toronto or both to make a deep run this postseason.
How does Doncic fare in postseason debut?
Every time the Mavericks play, Luka Doncic is capable of doing something special. He's proved that over the first 133 games of his NBA career. Now, he'll be playing in the playoffs for the first time, and it should be exciting to see what he has in store.
The 21-year-old averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists in 61 games this season, helping Dallas reach the postseason for the first time since 2016. However, the Mavs have lost their last four playoff series, so he will be looking to lead them to postseason success for the first time since they won the NBA title in 2011.
"He's a phenomenal player and he's getting better,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said of Doncic, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press (h/t Yahoo Sports). "Like, by the hour. By the day."
But the guard and his team are going to face a great challenge in the opening round, when they take on the No. 2-seeded Clippers, one of the favorites to win the NBA title.
It would be an upset if Dallas wins, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Doncic have some huge performances in his first postseason.